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Thanks, Coast Guard |
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This has, in many ways, been a tragic year for Gloucester fishermen —
from the January sinking of the F/V Patriot and the loss of its crew,
to the loss of lobsterman Jaime Ortiz in October.
It's also been a difficult year for the U.S Coast Guard, which justifiably drew fire for its delayed response to the Patriot's demise. And it was a bit unsettling to learn that a Coast Guard plane that briefly played a role in last week's towing rescue of a stranded Gloucester-based lobster boat was on the scene because it was carrying out enforcement of federal fisheries regulations. But the Coast Guard's efforts in leading the 77-foot Michael & Kristen to safety after it lost engine power more than 200 miles out sea last week was indeed nothing short of heroic. |
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EDITORIAL: Fire Dale Jones, reimburse fishermen
Jane Lubchenco made one very important public commitment — on the record and under oath. She noted that the problems in enforcement of fishery regulations, documented in a blistering report by U.S. Commerce Department Inspector General Todd Zinser, had predated her tenure. But she added, "I own them, and I intend to fix them."
