NOAA's Fisheries Service is urging the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts to reconsider its order to temporarily suspend groundfishing restrictions.
Read the NOAA's court documents and the Judge's order in full
Federal Judge Harrington temporarily suspends Framework 42
NEW BEDFORD, MA (January 28, 2009) – New Bedford's groundfishing industry is anxiously waiting for federal fishing regulators to announce plans for carrying out a court order to temporarily suspend restrictive fishing regulations that many fishermen have blamed for the demise of the fleet.
Regardless of how the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Fisheries Service decides to handle the 60-day suspension of Framework 42 — ordered Monday by Senior Judge Edward F. Harrington — industry representatives said they have won a victory that could help shape future groundfishing policy.
"We've got our foot in the door and now we can work out regulations that make sense economically and that are sustainable," Mayor Scott W. Lang said of the decision in the federal lawsuit that the states of Massachusetts and New Hampshire filed against NOAA Fisheries in November 2006.
Read the Standard-Times story in full
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Judge hears arguments on groundfishing regs
BOSTON, MA (December 10, 2008) — A federal judge has heard arguments in a fight over groundfishing regulations.
Massachusetts and New Hampshire filed a joint lawsuit against the federal government in 2006, opposing new laws aimed at protecting fish stock by limiting the number of days fishermen are allowed at sea.
The states argue the regulations will hurt fishermen financially and could lead to overfishing in other areas.
Read the Associated Press story in full
Federal court hears arguments in states’ suit to kill fishing regulations
BOSTON, MA (December 9, 2008) — Attorneys representing Massachusetts and New Hampshire argued Monday in federal district court that fishing regulations, which have devastated the inshore groundfishing industry in both states since going into effect two years ago, should be abandoned and sent back to regulators.
Senior Judge Edward F. Harrington heard arguments from the states, which are the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, and the defendants, which include the U.S. Department of Commerce and the National Marine Fisheries Service. No ruling was made during the hearing.
The rules in question were adopted in November 2006 in an attempt to speed rebuilding efforts on six depleted groundfish stocks, including Gulf of Maine cod and Cape Cod/Gulf of Maine yellowtail flounder. The rules aimed to reduce fishing of depleted stocks by charging fishermen who trawl the inshore areas of the Gulf of Maine two of their allotted fishing days for every day fished, effectively cutting their fishing season in half.
Read the Standard-Times story in full
New Bedford wants to join fishing regulations lawsuit
NEW BEDFORD, MA (January 21, 2009) – The proposal of interim fishing regulations that could paralyze the local groundfishing fleet has prompted the city of New Bedford to investigate whether it can join a lawsuit pending before a federal judge, according to Mayor Scott W. Lang.
"We are going to ask permission of the court to amend the lawsuit," the mayor told The Standard-Times. "We will bring the latest (regulations) to him and try to make the city a party."
If it is too late to do so, he said the city would consider filing its own lawsuit against federal fishing regulators.
Read the Standard-Times story in full
Legal Overview
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