NEW BEDFORD — The longest government shutdown in U.S. history is beginning to affect the most valuable fishing port in the country.

The partial shutdown reached day 25 on Tuesday, which means many offices within NOAA have been closed for more than three weeks.

“Our shell stock has dwindled because I have one boat in limbo and only one boat that’s fishing,” CEO and President of Nantucket Sound Seafood LLC Allen Rencurrel said. “So we’re definitely feeling the effect of the government shutdown.”

Without an open government, Rencurrel can’t get federal approval for leasing licenses or “tags.” It’s led Nantucket Sound Seafood to only have one vessel to harvest clams in federal waters and one in state waters.

The regulations in state waters are far more restrictive including less quota.

Without receiving approval for leasing, Rencurrel estimated losses exceeding $17,000 a week.

“And that’s the smallest boat in the fleet,” he said.

It’s just one example of the fallout the New Bedford fishing industry is feeling in dealing with the shutdown in Washington. While monitors and observers continue to police quotas, other aspects of the shutdown have crippled production on the waterfront.

“I think the industry would pay them to go in to work for a week. Just to get all the transfers done,” Rencurrel said.

The clamming fishing season began on Jan. 1 and it’s likely endured the most obstacles presented by the shutdown, Rencurrel said.

The scallop fishery is on deck, though. Its new fishing season begins on April 1.

In December, the New England Fishery Management Council approved Framework Adjustment 30 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan.

Vessels with full-time limited access scallop permits would be allocated 24 open-area days-at-sea and seven 18,000-pound access area trips. However, with NOAA closed, it can’t review or install the framework.

“I think it’s safe to say that we’re becoming more concerned that the framework will be (ready to be) implemented on April 1 if the shutdown continues for much longer,” New England Fishery Management Council Public Affairs Officer Janice Plante said. “Right now we need our (National Marine Fisheries Service) partners to be able to review the specifications package, review the whole framework.”

Greater Atlantic Regional Administrator Mike Pentony could not comment on the shutdown. NOAA didn’t return requests for comment.

If the government remains shut down through April or Framework 30 isn’t implemented, the 2018 framework provides a default quota allotment. It’s far less than what NOAA would implement, though. If Framework 30 is delayed, the allotment will be 18 open-area days-at-sea and one 18,000-pound access area trip.

The New England Fishery Management Council will hold is scheduled meetings in Portsmouth, New Hampshire beginning on Jan. 29 regardless of the status of the government shutdown, Plante said. Without NOAA participation, though, which includes its Science Center, the meetings struggle to be as effective.

“Even though our staff, everyone is working hard and trying to work more aggressively on issues we can do completely by ourselves in house, we still need participation by our federal partners for work, especially when conducting scientific analysis,” Plante said.

John Bullard, former New Bedford Mayor, worked as NOAA’s Greater Atlantic Regional Administrator from 2012 until he retired in January 2018. He also worked at NOAA during what is now the second longest government shutdown during the Clinton Administration.

“The impact is enormous. All management is supposed to be based on science,” Bullard said. “So when you shut down the science, you’re shutting down what all management is based on.”

He continued, “Stock assessments are based on the movement of fish. So there’s spring surveys, summer surveys. They can’t just be arbitrarily delayed because you have to do them at certain times of the year.”

Science extends beyond quota assessment and into an array of ocean related items including offshore wind and protection of endangered species.

“President Trump keeps talking about the emergency on the southern border but with right whales it really is an emergency,” Bullard said. “There are real emergencies, the one on the southern border is a manufactured emergency. But climate change is (an emergency), right whales is another. You don’t have to look very far to find an emergency.”

A government shutdown might trigger an emergency for Nantucket Sound Seafood. Rencurrel said next month if leases aren’t approved, he would be forced to sideline both vessels from federal waters, which isn’t an option.

“I’m going to put the tags on the boat and go and report them like it was a transfer. If they want to arrest me, they can arrest me.” he said with a laugh before turning serious. “I don’t know why one secretary can’t come in there and help the industry out and do their job for a couple days.”