Gov. Deval Patrick has stepped in to help commercial fishermen who are struggling to stay in business under restrictive federal fishing regulations.
In a letter to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke on Friday, Patrick asked for more fish, more money and better science to prevent the collapse of the state's fishing industry.
NEW BEDFORD — July 17, 2010 – After federal officials this week agreed to raise the catch limit on pollock by a factor of six, Patrick is now calling for the limits on other New England groundfish species to be increased.
In the letter, dated July 16, the governor expressed concern about the viability of the fishing industry because of "the crushing impact of federal fishing regulations on their way of life in the last several years."
In addition to raising catch limits, Patrick is calling for a review of the methods employed by regulators to determine how fishing quotas are allocated to individual boat owners, questioning its fairness.
The letter also asks the federal government to fund a comprehensive survey of groundfish stocks to reduce uncertainty about fish populations. The survey should be a cooperative venture between fishermen and scientists, the letter said.
Patrick also is seeking immediate financial support including "emergency economic relief" and the release of up to $700,000 in funds, already allocated to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration but not yet distributed, to help cover the costs of managing the controversial catch share system that took effect in May.
Read the complete story at The South Coast Today [subscription site]
NOTE: The Standard-Times is a subscription site. Unregistered visitors are able to read three stories per month, and registered visitors may view ten. For unlimited access, please follow the subscription instructions on the site.