"The First Circuit heard a very strong argument today that provides ample reason to reverse the District Court and rule in favor of New England fishermen.  At its core, this is a case about democracy and the rule of law.  In the Magnuson-Stevens Act, Congress expressly guaranteed that New England fishermen were entitled to a referendum and a host of other procedural protections before the government could implement the current management system.  What we heard today was a compelling demonstration of how NOAA ignored the law and rammed through a new catch-share system without regard to how it would affect fishing communities.  A ruling in our favor would strike down NOAA’s irresponsible implementation of the law and go a long way toward ensuring future management measures take into account people--not just fish--as Congress intended."

--Jon Mitchell, Mayor of New Bedford