WASHINGTON, DC (March 18, 2009) – A month after seven New England senators pledged to prevent federal fishery regulators from imposing what the senators decried as a potentially industry-killing, year-long regulatory scheme, they have nothing to show for their efforts.
"We aren’t giving up the fight to defeat the agency’s proposed Interim Rule," said Melissa Wagoner, press secretary for U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy.
Yet, the National Marine Fisheries Service is reportedly within days of implementing an Interim Rule that will govern and severely limit commercial fishing in the region for a year beginning May 1.
Read the Gloucester Daily Times story in full
On the Lubchenco confirmation…
Senator John Kerry was reported by his spokeswoman, Brigid O’Rourke to be an enthusiastic supporter of Lubchenco’s nomination. "Jane is an incredibly talented scientist with years of experience that will greatly benefit Massachusetts," Kerry said through O’Rourke. "For decades, she has repeatedly shown thorough her work that the health of our environment doesn’t have to be a partisan issue. "I will work to see that her nomination is confirmed," he said through O’Rourke. O’Rourke added that Kerry has worked closely with Pew on global climate change, as well as the study of religion and democracy and he respects how serious the organization is about the research it does.
Senator Olympia Snowe stated through her press secretary, Julia Wanzco: "Dr. Lubchenco assured me in both our public and private conversations that she would give highest priority to addressing the concerns I have, and New England fishermen have, about the state of our fishing industries — and the relationship between NMFS and the fishing industry," Snowe said. "If Dr. Lubchenco is confirmed, I will certainly continue to work with her and my colleagues in Congress to ensure that our all our laws for fisheries, marine sanctuaries, and other critical ocean programs are carried out as Congress intended, including adequate accounting for the socioeconomic impacts of regulatory actions. And of course, I will hold her to the commitments she made regarding the relationship between NMFS and our fishermen," Snowe continued.
Senator Edward Kennedy, according to his press secretary Melissa Wagoner, "is still considering the nomination,"
Senators Collins, Reed, Whitehouse and Shaheen either did not return phone calls or declined to express a position.