SavingSeaFood - Former commercial fisherman named as compliance assistance liaison

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Former commercial fisherman named as compliance assistance liaison

Building on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) previous actions to improve its enforcement program and to strengthen its efforts to improve communication with and outreach to the fishing industry, a former commercial fisherman has been tapped as NOAA Office of Law Enforcement’s compliance assistance liaison in the Northeast.

Selected through a competitive process, Don Frei will begin working as compliance assistance liaison in mid-April. He will build upon the efforts of Don Mason, a NOAA fishery management specialist who laid the groundwork for the compliance assistance pilot program during a 120-day assignment to OLE.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke announced this pilot program in September 2010 in response to Office of Inspector General reports and feedback received from stakeholders during NOAA’s National Enforcement Summit in August 2010.

NOAA has taken proactive and aggressive steps to reform its fisheries enforcement. Fair and effective enforcement is critical to rebuilding and sustaining fishing. Fishermen want to know that those who abide by the rules have their rights protected, and those who break the rules bear just consequences.

Read the complete story from FIS Worldnews.

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