SavingSeaFood - New Bedford councilor wants presidential visit

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New Bedford councilor wants presidential visit

NEW BEDFORD — City Councilor Denis Lawrence Jr. is lobbying for President Barack Obama to visit the city and speak with fishermen about the toll of federal fishing rules when he visits the state next week.

Lawrence has penned a letter advocating for Obama to stop by the city while he is in the state.

Lawrence, in his letter, written March 1, says the city "is currently being held hostage by NOAA and Commerce Secretary Gary Locke's lack of interest in preserving this industry," which he says is "vital to our city's very existence."

Lawrence says a visit could "shed some much-needed light allowing you to hear firsthand ... the current plight of the American commercial fisherman."

Read the complete story from The South Coast Today.

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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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