U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke today gave the Northeast fishing industry almost everything it asked for in its year-long battle with NOAA and its director, Dr. Jane Lubchenco.
U.S. Rep. Barney Frank convened a press conference at the Whaling Museum that was also attended by U.S. Sen. John Kerry, Mayor Scott Lang, and Gloucester Mayor Carolyn Kirk. Gov. Deval Patrick became stuck in traffic and couldn’t make the event, said an aide.
The event was almost as big a meeting as the one 10 months ago in which local fishermen confronted regulators about the impending catch shares and catch limits that came in the spring.
This time the mood was festive as the news of Locke’s letter to Frank was unfurled by the congressman to the upbeat crowd.
Speaking of all the help he and the rest of Congress have funneled toward supporting farmers, Kerry said, “this is no different. Fishermen are the farmers of the ocean, and they deserve that assistance on a national basis.” His words raised loud applause from the room.
Gloucester Mayor Kirk evoked the meeting 10 months ago in which fishermen and their advocates dsemanded to be treated with respect by federal regulators. “Now they’re beginning to get the respect they deserve,” she said.
After balking for weeks, Locke agreed with the legislative delegation that he does have the authority under the Magnuson-Stevens Act to make emergency revisions to regulations if they are justified and can be supported by the science.
That means that any possible increases in catch limits for such things as yellowtail flounder will have to wait for the available science to be gathered from all sources — not just NOAA this time — and then be used to calculate changes. Frank said that since a court challenge is almost certain, “We want to make sure we’re going to win.”
Gov. Patrick, who wrote Locke two weeks ago with four urgent requests including this one, said in a conference call that he thinks the process could be accomplished in a matter of weeks, not months.
Locke also threw his support behind legislation filed by Frank and by U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, that would relax the governance of catch along the border with Canadian waters. No longer would the U.S. Canada Trans-boundary Resources Understanding be overruled by Magnuson, but be governed on its own as any treaty.
Since the change will likely permit more fishing for yellowtail, it will thus open up the availability of more cod and scallops in that area, said Frank, not to mention making a point about the abundance of fish.
Read the full story in the Standard-Times