The latest charges came from Inspector General Todd Zinser, who framed the matter this way:
"I guess what came to my mind … was I wonder what the office of law enforcement would do if a fishing company that they were investigating had done the same thing during the course of their investigation."
Already forced to defend itself from charges of uneven enforcement of the rules, NOAA has another disaster on its hands.
Its director of law enforcement, Dale Jones, is reported to have ordered the shredding of files in his office's keeping after staff from the U.S. Inspector General's Office told him that they were reviewing allegations that NOAA had been heavy-handed and unfair in levying fines and penalties against New England fishermen for alleged violation of regulations.
The new allegations have further undermined NOAA's standing in the eyes of the fishing industry and have done further harm to an agency already under fire.
Read the complete story at The South Coast Today [subscription site]
note: The Standard-Times is a subscription site. Unregistered visitors are able to read three stories per month, and registered visitors may view ten. For unlimited access, please follow the subscription instructions on the site.