Comment Log Display

To all this concerns:

My name is Steven Fukuto. I own the Commercial Passenger Fishing
Vessel (CPFV) ELDORADO. I also own Long Beach Sportfishing and
represent 13 similar CPFV in Long Beach Harbor. 

This operation employs over 150 persons whose livelihood depends on
working on CPFV's.

Your proposed regulations regarding implementation of Tier 4
engines, as currently written, will place all of these persons and
myself out of business.

I ask that you reconsider Proposed Amendments to the Commercial
Harbor Craft Regulation for the following reasons.

1) There are no Tier 4 engine under manufacture that will fit into
the current compartment of the vessel.
2) There is no safe place to locate a Diesel Particulate Filter
(DPF) on board the vessel.
3) Heat produced by the regeneration process of the DPF is to
intense for the wood/fiberglass construction of the vessel.
4) The weight displacement created by a larger Engine/DPF
configuration will negatively affect the stability of the vessel.  
They may not be able to be retrofitted to existing vessels.
5) CPFVs are commercial fishing vessels. The method of harvest is
different the seiners and trawlers. CPFV's should be classed as
commercial fishing vessels.
6) Estimated replacement cost to update a vessel is laughibly
underestimated in CARB's proposed regulation. It is more than
double the amount.
7)  Unless CARB has some magic financing scheme to help replace a
vessel, there are hardly any financial sourcing available for a
"fisherman" who could qualify to purchase.
8) This proposed regulation will decimate a fragile industry that
is barely surviving under the COVID Pandemic.  This will be a death
knell to many operations, who are mainly small family business and
leave them with a worthless asset and business.

We are all conservationist, taking care of all resources.  Let the
industry develop the lower emission equipment before mandating drop
dead dates for items that is not reasonably available.

Steven Fukuto
Owner, M/V Eldorado
Owner, Long Beach Sportfishing