One of the major environmental groups battling the fishing industry has filed a critique — short of a formal objection — to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' request to join the federal lawsuit filed by the cities of Gloucester and New Bedford and industry plaintiffs, all of whom are challenging the catch share regulatory regimen now governing New England's groundfishery.
The Conservation Law Foundation, which previously entered the case, joining the federal government in opposition to the fishing interests — and has opposed a motion for discovery into alleged improper influences from Environmental Defense Fund and other non-government organizations — stopped short of asking U.S. District Court Judge Rya Zobel to bar the commonwealth from joining the suit as a co-plaintiff.
Instead, CLF lawyers Peter Shelley and Greg Cunningham pointed out that the commonwealth had asked to join a suit against the same regulatory document — Amendment 16 as it's called — the state's own representative on the New England Fishery Management Council had voted for in June 2009.
Attorney General Martha Coakley two weeks ago filed a lengthy amicus brief and request for permission to join the suit on behalf of Gov. Deval Patrick.
Read the complete story from The Gloucester Times.