The Council is chaired by Dr. Brian J. Rothschild, Dean Emeritus and  Montgomery Charter Professor of Marine Science and Technology at the UMass School for Marine Science and Technology.

According to an announcement made by Dr. Rothschild, the Council's last meeting, which was held in New Hampshire during the January meeting of the New England Fisheries Management Council "exposed the [Management] Council to our concerns that catch limits were set too low and that adversely affected fishermen's deserved economic relief."

The next Mayor's Ocean and Fisheries Council meeting will be held in a Congressional meeting room in the U.S. Capitol Complex  in Washington, most likely during the week of March 21.

According to Dr. Rothschild the meeting "will provide the opportunity to share our views with Congress and their staff."

On January 25th, the New Bedford mayor and his council took their case for relief from stringent groundfishing regulations straight to the decision-makers at the New England Fishery Management Council.
 
The presentations, down the hotel hallway from the New England council's three-day regular meeting, attracted an audience of 75 people representing virtually all segments of the commercial fishing industry in the Northeast.

Most, if not all, of the NEFMC members attended to hear the city's case much as it was presented in a meeting Jan. 13 in New Bedford.

At the January 13 meeting, Lang and industry representatives from Gloucester and New Bedford - along with Congressman Barney Frank and scientists from UMass-Dartmouth's School of Marine Science and Technology - all denounced the decision outlined by Locke in brief letters to the governor and congressman. Locke's rejection was accompanied by a separate letter to Patrick by Eric Schwaab, the federal government's top fisheries official, explaining aspects of Locke's decision in detail. But the speakers at the January 13 gathering painted Locke's and Schwaab's case as factually ignorant.

Patrick was represented at the meeting by Rick Sullivan, a former mayor of Westfield and the new secretary of energy and environmental affairs, as well as Mary Griffin and Paul Diodati, top officials in the state Division of Marine Fisheries.

"Certain fights are worth fighting," said Sullivan. "This is one of them."

The presentations arose from Commerce Secretary Gary Locke's letter to Gov. Deval Patrick that entirely rejected the governor's scientifically justified plea for increased catch limits along with economic help for struggling boat owners and their families.


Watch Video of the Presenters at Mayor Lang's Council meeting during the New England Fisheries Council Management meeting on Jan. 25

Listen to Congressman Barney Frank speak at the Jan. 13 meeting.

Listen to Massachusetts Secretary Rick Sullivan speak at the Jan. 13 meeting