Locke last year appointed retired judge Charles Swartwood to look into the cases, following a review by his department's inspector general of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's law enforcement office.

The review found financial mismanagement, abusive treatment of fishermen and the use of high-pressure tactics to force them to settle claims. It also highlighted 19 questionable penalties for more scrutiny.

Massachusetts congressmen and Gov. Deval Patrick asked Locke to create a "window of time" for other fishermen to come forward, arguing they may have previously been too intimidated to file a complaint within a system they considered biased.

Lawmakers were already miffed at Locke for his denial earlier this month of a request by Patrick for emergency increases in fish catch limits. On Thursday, U.S. Rep. Barney Frank called Locke's decision "one more assault on the legitimate concerns of the fishing industry," and said Locke was denying fishermen "a chance at justice."

He promised to bring up the decision with the White House.

Read the complete AP story by Jay Lindsay in The Washington Post.