WASHINGTON — Keith Flett wants to help New England fishermen by making it easier for them to buy and sell fishing rights as part of a new regime of regulations. The launch of his venture, however, has not received the splash he intended.
Fishermen such as David Goethel say they fear the online service will only accelerate an industry consolidation that is prompting families who have fished for generations to sell their boats. Congressmen such as Barney Frank are asking federal officials whether an exchange could be an invitation for fraud. Some fishing groups question whether such a business is even warranted.
Flett, who grew up around the docks at the tip of Long Island in New York, acknowledges he did not expect such resistance on so many levels.
[Read the full story in The Boston Globe]