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Protest brings out hidden show of force |
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While a regional fishermen's protest progressed peacefully
Friday morning outside the front door of the headquarters for federal fishery
managers in Blackburn Industrial Park, congenial, sympathetic Gloucester police
officers patrolled the private area to control parking and traffic.
But behind them, hidden from casual view, was a coalition of state and federal police forces mobilized in the weeks since the protest demonstration was announced by Amanda Odlin, a Scarborough, Maine, commercial fishing boat co-owner and suburban karate mom, to deal with a worst-case scenario — a demonstration turned violent. There were no arrests or untoward incidents in what was the largest fishing protest in memory, drawing fishermen from distant ports to the hub of the Gulf of Maine. Police estimated 250 people were at the site, though organizers insisted there were at least 350. |
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MELISSA WOOD, NATIONAL FISHERMEN: Meting out the meager
May 22, 2012 - Listening to the New England Council's Groundfish Advisory Panel talk about how that industry is going to pay for monitoring costs is kind of like trying to figure out how to pay your bills when you've just lost your job. Though monitoring is important keeping costs down is critical. As Panel Member Gary Libby pointed out, "If we had 100 percent monitoring we probably wouldn't have an industry."
