A top federal fishing regulator who was visiting Maine today says the government is taking steps to restore confidence in its oversight of the industry in the Northeast. The visit of National Marine Fisheries Service Adminstrator Eric Schwaab comes as beleaguered ground fishermen prepare to launch a controversial new system of rules aimed at conserving stocks, and just a day after new allegations surface, aimed at a top enforcement official in Washington.
At about 8 o'clock this morning, with a chilly March sea breeze blowing across the docks of Port Clyde, the new administrator of the National Marine Fisheries Service got a first hand look at how a troubled industry is trying stay afloat in this midcoast fishing village.
NMFS head Eric Schwaab toured a fisherman's co-op and the nearby Fresh Catch facililty, which is experimenting with a community-supported fisheries concept. As a team of workers shelled cooked Maine shrimp nearby, Schwaab thanked his hosts for sharing some positive news, to balance out some of the negative responses he's been hearing about the new sector-based ground fishing rules that take affect in May.
Read the complete story at The Maine Public Broadcasting Network.