The U.S. commerce secretary Friday denied a request by the governor of Massachusetts for emergency increases in fish catch limits, saying there's no new science to justify them.
Secretary Gary Locke had said in October he was open to ordering increases, but needed evidence to support it.
Gov. Deval Patrick responded in a November, sending a letter and scientific report to Locke that said unnecessarily low catch limits were creating an "economic disaster" for local fishermen. The report estimated a $40 million hit in direct losses and foregone catch.
But on Friday Locke said the state report offered no new science to justify raising catch limits, but simply offered an analysis of old data that had already been rejected by regional regulators at the New England Fishery Management Council.
"I need scientific data not previously considered by the council because the Magnuson Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (the nation's fisheries law) does not permit me to overrule council decisions on the basis of a disagreement over scientific judgment," Locke wrote in letter to Patrick, dated Friday.
Locke added, "I stand ready to increase catch limits whenever new scientific data are available that meet the requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Act."
Patrick said Friday that state agencies had given Locke "more than sufficient evidence" that an increase in catch limits was justified and badly needed.
Read the complete story by Jay Lindsay of The Associated Press at Bloomberg Businessweek.