March 23, 2018 — HAMPTON, N.H. — A commercial fisherman who sued the federal government over at-sea monitoring costs was thrilled Thursday when it was announced the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration would fully fund the program under the omnibus government spending bill.
David Goethel, of Hampton, said he learned about the funding Wednesday.
“I’ve been sitting on this for 18 hours. I was like a cat that swallowed a canary. I didn’t want to spit out any feathers,” Goethel said Thursday afternoon.
NOAA used to pay at-sea monitoring fees but reduced contributions in recent years. Fishermen say their costs can be up to $700 per day.
Goethel’s wife, Ellen, said the news brought tears to her eyes.
“I can’t overstate enough how much this means to the fishermen of New England,” Ellen Goethel said.
The couple learned the news through an email from Erica Anhalt, a legislative assistant for U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-NH.
On Thursday morning, Shaheen issued a public statement.
“New Hampshire fishermen face enough daunting challenges — the last thing they need right now is to be further burdened with a costly regulatory fee,” said Shaheen.
Read the full story at the Union Leader