The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s enforcement oflaws meant to protect wild fish stocks is on trial today in federalDistrict Court in Boston, where a judge may rule on the government’sdecade-long prosecution of the Gloucester Seafood Display Auction.
At issue is whether NOAA’s efforts to close theauction for 10 days on a probation violation is a valid application ofa six-year-old settlement or an act of after-the fact retributionagainst a business that has repeatedly declared its innocence andaccused NOAA of vindictive behavior — and drawn extensive support frompublic officials from here to the State House and the halls of the U.S.Senate.
If the auction wins and its punishment is thrown out,settlements with fishermen from coast to coast will be called intoquestion, weakening the federal government’s ability to enforce the lawand stop overfishing, the assistant U.S. attorney representing NOAA hassaid in court documents.