NEW BEDFORD – Commerce Secretary Gary Locke today denied Gov. Deval Patrick's request for an emergency increase in the catch allowances for fishermen in the Northeast.
In a letter to the governor, Locke said that he needs new data, not a scientific reinterpretation of existing data, to justify overruling NOAA's decisions about catch limits.
Locke also rejected the governor's plea for emergency funds to give fishing families relief from their losses. The data don't support the request, Locke said.
The governor deliberately framed his request with NOAA's own data on the thinking that it would be impossible for the Commerce Department to dispute its own science. That stance backfired.
Gov. Patrick responded in a statement, saying, “I am deeply disappointed in the secretary's decision not to raise catch limits within conservation limits or provide economic assistance to fishermen in need.
In a letter to Patrick, Eric Schwaab, head of the National Marine Fisheries Service, explained his evaluation of the situation and conclusion that catch limits should not be raised.
Regulators followed their established procedures and made a good scientific decision, Schwaab wrote.
As far as the scientific information Patrick used in his appeal, Schwaab wrote, “NMFS cannot consider this information either as new or as appropriate to replace the peer-reviewed assessment currently accepted as the best available science as required by the Magnuson-Stevens Act. To do so would require overturning the determination of the SSC (Scientific and Statistical Committee) and the council.”
U.S. Rep. Barney Frank told The Standard-Times he is “very angry” at Locke for issuing his letter after Frank had asked him to hold off.
“It's just wrong and we have to appeal it,” he said. “I'm very disappointed. I told them, ‘I think you've made a mistake and you should hold off.' I'm very angry at them for not doing that,” Frank said.
First word of Locke's decision came from U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass.
“I am deeply troubled by Secretary Locke's refusal to raise catch limits, despite clear evidence that it is both economically and scientifically sound,” Brown said. “Our fishermen are struggling to keep their jobs and make a living. They deserve fair treatment from the federal government, instead of job-killing regulations that prevent them from putting food on the table for all of us. This blatant disregard for our fishing industry must stop immediately, and I strongly encourage Governor Patrick to appeal this ruling and request further meetings so the Commerce Department can fully explain their misguided decision.”
In his prepared statement, Frank responded by saying, “The news from the administration is mixed at best, and although it points the way for possible longer-term increases in catch allocations, Secretary Locke has declined to use his authority to address the emergency situation fishermen face now.
Read the complete story from the Standard Times
Read the letter from Secretary Locke to Governor Patrick
Read the letter from Secretary Locke to Congressman Frank
Read the letter from NMFS Adminstrator Eric Schwaab to Governor Patrick