Two months ago, on April 5, noting that as "the end of the fishing season draws to a close, it is evident that several individual fishing stocks quotas remain[ed] to be filled," Senator John Kerry, Congressman Barney Frank, and Congressman William Keating asked Commerce Secretary Gary Locke to "consider increasing the percentage of unmet quota that can be rolled-over into the 2011-2012 fishing year."
The lawmakers pointed out that "only 67% of the total allocation of George's Bank Cod has been caught and only 16.5% of the George's Bank Haddock."
Yesterday, Secretary Locke responded, saying that his department he shares the lawmakers "desire to allow the maximum amount of fish to be caught under established limits and [is] reviewing the possibility of increasing the percentage of permitted rollover." The secretary stated: "It is important that we collaborate with the New England Fishery Management Council (Council) to consider the interrelated biological, economic, and legal issues that arise with this proposal."
The 2010-2011 fishing year has already ended.
Read the request to Secretary Locke.
Read the response from Secretary Locke.