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September 23, 2003
Commercial and Recreational Fishermen Ask Governor to Redirect Task Force
to Address Gaps in Existing Laws
September 23, 2003, GLOUCESTER, MA - In a joint letter to Governor Romney,
the Massachusetts Fishermen’s Partnership (MFP) and the Recreational Fishing
Alliance (RFA) asked that the work of the Ocean Management Task Force (OMT)
be re-focused on areas where law and regulatory oversight of environmentally
harmful activities is currently lacking. The letter urged that the OMT focus
attention on gaps in regulation of marine development proposals, such as
placing permanent structures like windmills and pipelines in the marine
environment, and pollution, such as wastewater treatment effluent. For the
first time, the commercial and recreational fisheries organizations have
united to address these critical concerns.
David Bergeron, Executive Director of the MFP, and Michael Doebley, Deputy
Director for Government Affairs at the RFA, attended a July 30th task force
meeting. Both were concerned by the lack of proper context explaining current
local, state, and federal law, and international treaties governing fisheries
and the marine environment.
Mr. Bergeron explained, "There is a need to review where current law is
inadequate, but it would be a missed opportunity if the Task Force tries to
reinvent the wheel in fisheries management instead of sorting out how to
assess and manage offshore developments like wind farms."
"Fisheries laws such as the Magnuson-Stevens Act and the Atlantic Coastal
Act mandate fisheries regulations for the rebuilding of stocks and care for
habitat. We are now beginning to see the positive results of soundly managed
fisheries and there will be many more success stories in the future. I did
not hear any presenters call the OMT’s attention to these facts," said Mr.
Doebley.
The ongoing implementation of the Atlantic Coastal Act and the Sustainable
Fisheries Act have secured the continuing recovery of fisheries and fish
habitat at significant economic cost to fishing communities, though the
fisheries make major contributions to the economy and quality of life in
Massachusetts. Commercial fishing and related businesses employ up to 20,000
people and produce more than $1 billion in economic activity. Commercial
fisheries support an extensive industrial infrastructure including fish
buyers, processors, offloading and pier facilities and services, fuel and ice
suppliers, haul-out services and maintenance, mechanics, electronics,
transportation, accounting and financial services, gear and equipment
suppliers, auctions, insurance and other services, brokers, exporters,
wholesalers and retailers. More than 600,000 people enjoy recreational
fishing in Massachusetts every year. Recreational fishermen drive an industry
of boat builders, tackle manufacturers, equipment retailers and marinas. As
such, it is imperative to strive to protect the fisheries in every way
possible, which includes looking beyond the coastline.
Both commercial and recreational fishermen are concerned that costs and
impacts of proposed coastal and ocean development projects are not fully
understood. With this landmark expression of their common concerns,
commercial and recreational fishery representatives are encouraging the task
force to redirect its efforts to address fishery concerns about marine
pollution and development.
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