Congresswoman Chellie Pingree today asked the nation’s top fisheries regulator to hold a hearing in Maine and allow more time for comment on proposed bluefin tuna fishing regulations.
“The Obama Administration is proposing rules that would impact Maine fishermen, but aren’t giving Maine fishermen a chance to weigh in on the rules without having to drive to Massachusetts for a hearing next week,” Pingree said. “Dropping everything and going to Gloucester with no more than a week’s notice just isn’t practical for many commercial fishermen.”
Today Pingree called Eric Schwaab, head of the National Marine Fisheries Service and urged him to schedule a hearing on the proposed rules in Maine and extend the comment period. Four hearings on the proposal have been scheduled up and down the East Coast, but the only New England hearing is next week in Massachusetts.
Last year Pingree criticized the Obama Administration for considering an endangered species listing for bluefin tuna. “I’m concerned that the Administration isn’t in touch with what is actually happening in Maine,” she said. “For decades Maine tuna fishermen have acted responsibly, they’ve conducted research at their own expense and done everything they can to make sure that tuna aren’t over fished. Now I’m concerned that they will be subjected to unnecessary regulations that could put them out of business.”