Five members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation have asked the head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to investigate allegations of excessive penalties and retaliatory actions by the Northeast branch of the National Marine Fisheries Service’s law enforcement agency.
U.S. Reps. William Delahunt, John Tierney and Barney Frank and Sens. Edward M. Kennedy and John Kerry signed the May 1 letter to NOAA chief Jane Lubchenco. They pointed out that, in 12 of the past 19 years, the agency has collected total fines exceeding $400,000.
"(A) fine of tens of thousands of dollars could easily bankrupt fishermen struggling to survive in this intensely competitive business with fewer days at sea," they wrote. The congressmen also noted that many of the fines were for violations that are difficult to avoid given the complex suite of regulations New England fishermen operate under, and that they have little to do with saving fish stocks.