SavingSeaFood - New Bedford City Council calls for U.S. Commerce Secretary Locke to step down

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New Bedford City Council calls for U.S. Commerce Secretary Locke to step down

The City Council in New Bedford, Massachusetts, the nations top-value fishing port, has called for the resignation of Obama Administration Commerce Secretary Gary Locke. All members of the council but one are Democrats, yet they have taken this action as a result of their view that the Adminstration's cabinet official with authority over fishes has abandoned the industry.

Locke has denied Gov. Deval Patrick's request for increased catch allowances for groundfish, and also rejected appeals for financial aid for the fishing industry as it complies with sector management and catch shares introduced last year.

This week Locke sharply restricted the scope of an investigation of prosecutorial abuse by fisheries law enforcement in New England as identified by Commerce Department Inspector General Todd Zinser.

U.S. Rep. Barney Frank said he was “appalled” at Locke's move. Frank previously said that his cooperation with the Obama administration is being impeded because of Locke's decisions.

Read the complete story from The South Coast Today.

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."

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