BOSTON — April 29, 2013 — At the northeast corner of the Boston Fish Pier, not far from an unloading boat, Massachusetts’ elected leaders from the U.S. Senate and House and lawmakers from the State House came together in an 11th hour rally to convince the White House or the outgoing acting Secretary of Commerce to overrule the leaders of NOAA and grant a regulatory reprieve to the Northeast grroundfishry.
Barring the extraordinary, draconian cuts in landings for the 2013 fishing season will take effect on Wednesday — May 1, the start of the new fishing year.
Cuts in landings of Gulf of Maine Cod, the lifeline for the inshore fleet based in Gloucester, would be 77 percent of this year’s allocation. Landings of cod and yellowtail in offshore Georges Bank would be cut by more than 60 percent, paralyzing the fleet from New Bedford.
It was Attorney General Martha Coakley, a leading advocate for the fishing industry along with Gov. Deval Patrick who put it directly to NOAA’s Gloucester-based Northeast regional administrator while addressing the 300-400 fishermen present as well.
“I hope, Mr. Bullard,” she said, speaking beneath a big canvas tent, “that you can take the ‘no’ out of NOAA.”
John Bullard, who stood in the audience that numbered about 250 people, told the Times moments later he has heard nothing from higher authorities, so “the course hasn’t changed.” NOAA, however, has still not posted on the Federal Register the catch limits for groundfish for the 2013 fishing year.
Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times