News |
E-mail shows NOAA whitewashed complaints |
|
Two years before the Commerce Department inspector general began investigating the federal fisheries law enforcement system — a probe that uncovered enough problems to cost Dale J. Jones, the long-time director, his badge — an internal investigation found nothing amiss. According to a leaked e-mail provided to the Gloucester Times, the internal investigation was spurred by anonymous complaints and a whistle-blowing agent serving under Jones.
Since then, a six-month 2009 investigation by Inspector General Todd Zinser found that Jones exercised inadequate control over his agents and allowed the cadre based in the Northeast headquarters in Gloucester to target and harass fishermen and businesses, extracting fines for minor offenses. The IG's report also cited Jones' staffing of NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement with mostly criminal investigators and agents even though their work involved mostly administrative violations. Read the complete story from The Gloucester Times.
|
|||
|
|
||
JESSICA HATHAWAY: 'National Fisherman' editor says New York Times misrepresented catch share support
May 18, 2012 - The New York Times heralds catch shares for saving summer flounder and Northeast haddock, which is like crediting a freshman class for the seniors' high college placement rate. By the same token, we could blame catch shares for the demise of Northeast cod stocks. But we don't.
