Boston — Decrying new federal regulations he said could devastate the Massachusetts fishing industry, Republican gubernatorial candidate Charles Baker called Democratic Congressman Barney Frank his “new hero” for taking on the Obama administration on the issue.
Frank, the head of the U.S. House Financial Services Committee, is frequently the target of criticism from across the aisle, often serving as a target of Republican mockery. He has called the federal regulations on New England fisheries, which took effect May 1, “completely unworkable” and a “radical change” that could harm commercial fishermen in New Bedford and Gloucester.
The regulations, aimed at limiting overfishing, implement a system of “catch shares,” which limits the total number of certain species of fish that may be caught in one season. Under the plan, fisheries and individual fishermen may buy and sell catch credits. If a company reaches its limit on any of 19 species of groundfish, regulations preclude it from catching any additional fish for the rest of the season.
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