By JENNIFER SMITH jennifer.smith@newsday.com
HAMPTON BAY, New York – August 12, 2010 – From catch limits to skepticism over the way federal scientists count fish populations, Long Island fishermen had a number of bones to pick with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrator Jane Lubchenco on her first visit to the region Thursday.
About two dozen commercial fishermen, seafood dealers and representatives of the recreational fishing industry attended the Hampton Bays meeting, which was arranged by Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.).
Speakers were civil but the mood was tense, a reflection of strained relations between regulators and Northeast fishermen in recent years. Some fishermen are wary of Lubchenco, a marine biologist, because of her past ties to organizations they say have an anti-fishing bent, such as the Environmental Defense Fund and the Pew Oceans Commission.
Many fishermen who spoke said they were struggling financially. They blamed strict rules driven by what they called inaccurate and outdated fish population data that does not reflect the current abundance of scup, summer flounder and other economically important species.
"Nobody wants to see overfishing," said Schumer, who was joined by Rep. Tim Bishop (D-Southampton). "But they want to see the science done in a rational way that allows them to stay in business and let their children go into business."
Schumer and others also pressed Lubchenco to make amends for wrongdoing uncovered by a recent audit of federal fisheries police. The audit found heavier fines were imposed on Northeast commercial fishermen than those in other regions and that the agency spent the money on unauthorized cars, boats and travel.
Read the complete story in Newsday
Please note, Newsday is a subscription site