Last week's decision by U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke to refuse a request by the governor of Massachusetts to raise catch limits for groundfish in the Northeast has angered New England fishermen and politicians. None more so, perhaps, than leading Congressional Democrat Barney Frank of Massachusetts. In an editorial published this week in the Standard-Times of New Bedford, Frank called the move an "assault" on the fishing industry.
Maine Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican, agrees. "I'm very disappointed in the Secretary's decision," Collins says. She also says she was surprised it.
"I felt that the entire New England delegation made a very strong case for him to invoke his emergency authority to raise the catch limits, and I'm very concerned that his failure to do so may be catastrophic for what remains of our fishing community and fishing industry in New England," Collins says.
Locke said back in October that he was open to ordering increases in the catch, but needed evidence to support it. Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick responded in November, sending a letter and scientific report to Locke that said unnecessarily low catch limits were creating an "economic disaster" for local fishermen.
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