Representatives of some of the nation’s largest fishing ports, fishermen and businesses – including plaintiffs from Rhode Island – have filed suit in a Massachusetts United States District Court against the U.S. Secretary of Commerce and the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The plaintiffs claim they have been adversely affected by Amendment 16 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan, which became effective on May 1.
Those filing suit in a complaint filed on Sunday include the city of New Bedford, considered to be the country’s largest port in terms of the value of fish caught.
The following day, the city of Gloucester joined the suit. Another complainant, the American Alliance of Fishermen and their Communities, (AAFC), represents the interest of local commercial fishermen and their communities. The Rhode Island based organization is named as a plaintiff. The AAFC is a non-profit organization representing all who are a part of the fishing industry It was created to challenge Amendment 16.
Read the complete story at The Narragansett Times.