The Obama administration talks much about its support of diversity. But, apparently, not when it comes to management and regulation of the New England fishing industry. In that case, it appears the goal is to stack it with environmental activists.
Since Jane Lubchenco was appointed head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration earlier this year, the balance of power on the New England and Mid-Atlantic fishery management councils has been shifting to those with ties to environmental groups, and away from the fishermen themselves.
Perhaps it should be no surprise that the majority of new appointments to those councils have ties to the Pew Environmental Group, a subdivision of the Pew Charitable Trust, with an endowment of more than $4 billion. Lubchenco has been a beneficiary of Pew funding, and she also sits on the board of the Environmental Defense Fund.
Read the complete story at Newbury Port News.