Three firms including MRAG Americas, headed by a former high government fisheries official with close ties to NOAA administrator Jane Lubchenco, have been chosen to share the $6.5 million contract to provide on-board observer services to the New England fishing industry as it begins a new management regime.
Its president, Andrew Rosenberg, is a high-profile fishery scientist and former deputy director of the National Marine Fisheries Service as well a former professor and dean at University of New Hampshire.
The award was announced last week.
The National Marine Fisheries Service makes the assignments from the observer office in Woods Hole, according to a contract officer.
Several New England fishing industry leaders, and numerous fishermen, have told Saving Seafood they harbor both concern and resentment about Dr. Rosenberg's actions during his tenure at NMFS. They are investigating the possibility of avoiding MRAG's observer services in favor of companies whose leadership is not perceived as having a history of antagonism toward the fishing industry.
The other two firms sharing the contract to provide observers are East West Technical Services of New Britain, Conn., and A.I.S. Inc. of New Bedford.
The contract selection process took an unusual turn last week when MRAG posted on its Web site that it had already been granted the award before the government formalized the selection at the end of a five-day period for challenges.
Read the complete story at The Gloucester Daily Times.