The city's attorneys will oppose a request by U.S. Commerce Department lawyers to delay proceedings on the city's lawsuit challenging the new "catch shares" program and fishing industry allocations.
The Department of Justice attorneys on July 2 filed the motion with the U.S. District Court in Boston, arguing that a delay is needed to prevent two other similar cases, one in New Jersey and the other in Washington, D.C., from causing confusion through contradictory rulings.
They want the court to delay until the cases can be consolidated, likely in Boston.
But Pam Lafreniere, who represents New Bedford, said the motion is little more than a stalling tactic designed to play for time until September, at least.
She said that the Commerce Department and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration must file their answer to the lawsuit within days along with their administrative record in the matter.
Since they will have to do that regardless of what happens in the other courts or whether or not there is a delay, she said that the city intends to insist that they be filed on time.
New Bedford, Gloucester and the various fishing industry parties who joined the lawsuit have asked the court for an expedited process because of the immediate impact that the fishing restrictions and reorganization are having on the fishing industry.
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