A minority report raising questions about the fairness and legality of decisions by the New England Fishery Management Council to use differing formulas in splitting up the total allowable catch of groundfish next year has been filed with the U.S. Secretary of Commerce.
David Goethel, a commercial fishermen and a council member from New Hampshire, noted his dissent at the conclusion of the council meeting in Portland, Maine, last month, and has now released the text of his letter to Commerce Secretary Gary Locke
Formal, written minority reports are said to be relatively rare, and they have no statutory standing, according to Pat Fiorelli, a spokeswoman for the council, which is the part-time legislative and policy-making body for the federal fishery in New England.