NEW BEDFORD — Fifteen fishing vessels from New Bedford will join a fleet of fishing boats from New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Connecticut today for a demonstration planned by commercial fishermen at Vineyard Haven.
The noon gathering at the mouth of Vineyard Haven harbor is aimed at gaining media attention for commercial fishermen during President Barack Obama's vacation on the island.
Groundfishermen in the Northeast are unhappy with the Obama administration's oversight of their industry and, in particular, with government regulations that restrict their catch to totals well below annual catch limits.
Regulators routinely reduce annual catch limits by as much as 25 percent to account for scientific uncertainty. Reliance on flawed and outdated fishery science as well as heavy-handed law enforcement policies are other issues fueling the protest, fishermen say.
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