Friday, May 31, 2013
Fighting for Our Fishermen
Yesterday on the Boston Fish Pier, I joined with Attorney General Martha Coakley in announcing that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has filed a complaint against the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), federal officials, and regulators for recently implementing a 77% reduction of allowable catches of groundfish species such as cod.
The suit claims that Frameworks 48 and 50 is in violation of
the Magnuson-Stevens Act on several grounds, which include:
·
Failing to achieve optimum yield from the New
England groundfish fisheries;
·
Dictating conservation and management measures
that are not based on the best scientific information available;
·
Failing to meaningfully take into account the
importance of fishery resources to fishing communities; and
·
Refusing to meaningfully provide for the
sustained participation of, or to minimize the adverse effects upon, those
fishing communities.
I have been fighting these issues for several years. Unfortunately federal regulators continue to
use antiquated measuring tools to justify their heavy handed reductions of fish
stocks. The groundfish commercial fishery
is struggling desperately to stay afloat, and a victory within the courts would
provide a significant lifeline to those who depend on our oceans to make a
living.
Posted below are several photos taken during yesterday's
announcement. To read more about
Attorney General Coakley’s suit, please click here.
