The following comments were received by Saving Seafood from elected officials from Maine to New York
Massachusetts Lt. Governor Timothy Murray
“Today’s announcement from the US Department of Commerce is good news for Massachusetts fishing families, and builds on Governor Patrick’s leadership on their behalf. Expanding the opportunity for fishermen to submit cases for special review, claiming potentially unfair and excessive enforcement is a significant step forward in rebuilding trust between our fishing communities and the federal agencies that regulate them. We applaud Secretary Locke for taking these actions. We also hope that the department will work as quickly as possible to address the economic impacts on fishing communities and develop up-to-date cooperative stock assessments.”
Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.)
“I’m very grateful for today’s announcement, and for the candid, good faith conversations and negotiations we’ve shared. (On March 3, Kerry met with Secretary Locke and Administrator Lubchenco and spoke with White House Chief of Staff and former Commerce Secretary William Daley, and on March 11 again met with Administrator Lubchenco and spoke with Secretary Locke to discuss the dire needs of Massachusetts fishermen. Senator Kerry also followed up with a letter recommending a number of emergency steps to help the Massachusetts fishing industry.)
It’s a solid and welcome first step to repair the relationship between the Department of Commerce, NOAA, and our fishing communities that has been strained in recent years,” said Sen. Kerry. “Our fishermen, fishing communities and the Massachusetts congressional delegation have been ringing this alarm bell and this is very welcome news that the government is responding. This is a first step but an important one and the hard work continues. Our fishermen have a deep hole to dig out of just to survive, and they desperately need the government at all levels to help them dig. Today the Commerce Department picked up the shovel. Many more actions are needed to address the economic impacts on our fishermen and I will continue my very close collaboration with the Administration to make sure we’re all pushing and pulling in the same direction.”
“I encourage anyone who believes they were fined unfairly for fisheries violations to take advantage of the appeal window and submit a complaint,” said Kerry. “These changes overall will help ensure that money isn’t being taken out of the pockets of our hard working fisherman.”
Senator Scott Brown (R-Mass.)
Senator Scott Brown told Saving Seafood "I’m pleased that the New England delegation’s efforts have led to the Commerce Department reversing their misguided decision that would have prevented our fishermen from getting a fair review. Today’s announcement is good news for fishermen everywhere that have been unfairly targeted by an unaccountable NOAA enforcement system."
Congressman Barney Frank (D-Mass.)
Congressman Barney Frank told Saving Seafood “We appreciate this response from the Obama administration to our requests for fairness for fishermen,” said Frank. “These announcements do a great deal to provide fairness to people who have suffered from what has acknowledged to be unfair treatment in the past. It is equally important that the administration implement these safeguards to prevent similar mistakes from occurring in the future.”
The Congressman continued: “I appreciate the willingness of the Commerce Departments to listen to us and we appreciate the intervention and the willingness of the White House and the Commerce Department ultimately to respond in this way to our request. We look forward to building on this positive step forward and to even more such improvements in the future.”
Congressman John Tierney (D-Mass.)
“Today’s announcement is welcomed news for the fishing community in my district and across the Commonwealth. For some time, I have been advocating for the Secretary to address these issues, specifically as it relates to higher fines, enforcement cases and the appropriate use of the monies within the Asset Forfeiture Fund. By taking these steps, the Department is showing a commitment to promoting accountability and ensuring fairness. I will continue to work with my colleagues and the Department to ensure the appropriate implementation of the policies, procedures and regulations announced today."
Senator Olympia Snowe (R-Maine)
“I appreciate the Department of Commerce finally recognizing the severity of the problem,” said Senator Snowe. “As I raised to Administrator Lubchenco last fall and stated to Assistant Administrator Schwaab last week at a review of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, we must build a ‘culture of trust’ between the regulated and regulators. I appreciate the Department’s significant decision to address past fines and also increase transparency for the entire penalty policy. In addition, I welcome a holistic review of the complicated regulations that govern fisheries enforcement and a more transparent, coordinated approach to assessing fines and penalties. I will continue to work to ensure that federal policies work for our fishermen while also restoring our critical resources.”
Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-NY)
“NOAA is finally doing the right thing for Long Island’s hard-pressed fishing community. It is high time they stepped up to right the wrongs caused by the excessive and unjust way that its enforcement agents targeted Long Island fishing community,” said Schumer. “This is a huge victory in our efforts to ensure local fishermen are treated fairly and in protecting the industry on Long Island from the economic damage caused by NOAA’s poorly managed enforcement regime.”
Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand (D-New York)
“Fishermen and businesses who have been unfairly hurt by NOAA’s enforcement practices deserve to have their complaints heard. It is encouraging to see Secretary Locke and NOAA officials are taking a step in the right direction. I look forward to seeing the result of the asset forfeiture fund audit.”