FAIRHAVEN, Mass. — August 23, 2012 — ane Derego's life changed on New Year's Day in 2008 when her husband had a stroke while taking a shower. Her husband, a lobster and conch fisherman, has been unable to fish ever since.
The Deregos lived off their savings for two years while her husband went to rehab, but, "His arm didn't come back and he can't move his fingers," she said, "so in 2010, we decided to sell the boat."
Mrs. Derego has been unable to sell their boat even though there were willing buyers. The buyers wanted to buy it with the conch license, but when the Deregos called the state, "We heard there was a freeze on conch licenses and that it was not transferable anymore."
She added, "I found out that it had to do with the horseshoe crabs," which are used as bait.
Mrs. Derego said the Division of Marine Fisheries is doing a study on them.
"I've had people who want to buy the boat with the license, but they won't release the license."
On Tuesday, Mrs. Derego brought her appeal to Senator Scott Brown who held a special gathering with the wives of fishermen at Seaport Inn & Marina.
"He's going to work on it for me," she said after the meeting, "and try to get me some help."
Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard Times.