BOSTON — Attorney General Martha Coakley is urging Congress to pass legislation that would reimburse local fishermen for legal fees incurred while appealing penalties.
In letters sent to the chairmen of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation and the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources, Coakley expressed her support for two bills filed by U.S. Sen. John Kerry and U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, which amend the federal Magnuson-Stevens Act Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
The bills were filed following an investigation by a federal Inspector General that found that the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration Office engaged in enforcement practices that were excessive and unreasonable. It also found that the appeals process was designed to create a disincentive for fishermen to appeal those fines, creating a lack of confidence on the part of fishermen that the appeal process was fair, transparent and impartial.
The bills would establish a formal process to reimburse local fishermen for legal fees incurred while appealing those excessive fines.
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