The U.S. Commerce Department inspector general today reported finding multiple cases of likely abuse of police or legal authority in the federal fisheries law enforcement system, and argued that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration needs to "look back" and redress miscarriages of justice against fishermen in Gloucester and elsewhere.
The final report into NOAA law enforcement abuses also singled out an unidentified senior attorney assigned to the Northeast region, based here, for actions that showed "animus toward" members of the fishing industry.
The record of written and spoken thoughts composed a record of "judgment and conduct unbecoming a federal government attorney charged with enforcing the law."
The findings conclude nearly 15 months of investigative work by teams assigned to Commerce Department IG Todd Zinser, sparked by claims of a vendetta against the Glouceser Seafood Display Auction by agents and lawyers in the NOAA offices of law enforcement. NOAA's Northeast regional offices in Gloucester's Blackburn Industrial Park govern and enforce federal fishing regulations from Maine to the Carolinas.
Read the complete story from The Gloucester Daily Times.