Connecticut lawmakers call on inspector general to investigate fishing regulations

PrintU.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, both D-Conn., along with U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Second District, on Tuesday called on the inspector general of the Department of Commerce to investigate what they call an inequity in regulations that puts New England fishermen at a disadvantage. “We write to raise a growing concern of our constituents in the fishing industry who are facing extreme economic hardship related to the structure of fisheries management across the Northeast and mid-Atlantic,” wrote Blumenthal, Murphy and Courtney. “On several occasions during town halls and meetings in Connecticut with many of the fishermen who operate in the state, we have repeatedly heard concerns that black sea bass, summer flounder, and scup have migrated northward, but the state-by-state allocations for these species still reflect historical numbers when they were in greater abundance in the mid-Atlantic,” the lawmakers wrote. Read the rest here 18:53

4 Responses to Connecticut lawmakers call on inspector general to investigate fishing regulations

  1. DickyG says:

    This should not about taking fish quota away from any one group of fishermen and “awarding” it to another. Southern fish that have moved northward have not abandoned their Southern waters they have SPREAD out and are able to increase their range and therefore their feeding grounds due to the increased temperatures. Seeing Southern fish in Northern waters has more to due with increasing stock populations as it has to do with increasing temperatures.

    What we desperately need is accurate and objective, non-agenda driven, cooperative fisheries research (scientists on successful fishing vessels)—not the bogus survey data from the R/V Much Too Bigelow squeezed through a psychotic population dynamics computer model from the vaulted Northeast Fisheries Science Center!

  2. DickyG says:

    This should not be about taking fish quota away from any one group of fishermen and “awarding” it to another. Southern fish that have moved northward have not abandoned their Southern waters they have SPREAD out and are able to increase their range and therefore their feeding grounds due to the increased temperatures. Seeing Southern fish in Northern waters has as much to due with burgeoning stock populations as it has to do with increasing temperatures.

    Here’s a hot news flash for NOAA’s population dynamics fisheries researchers: There are plenty of fish out there…ENOUGH for the Northern boats AND the Southern boats! What is lacking is an adequate Total Allowable Catch and quotas that reflect the actual abundance of all the stocks in all the fisheries: North, South, East and West.

    We desperately need accurate and objective, non-agenda driven, cooperative fisheries research (scientists on successful fishing vessels)—not the bogus survey data from the R/V Much Too Bigelow squeezed through a psychotic population dynamics computer model. And all this spurred on by the “vaulting ambition” of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center to save the fish by squelching fishing!

  3. Jim Kendall says:

    Good luck getting the Inspector General to investigate, insinuate or interfere with any issues pertaing to NOAA/NMFS. He’s likely to have one of their dogs of war come after him as they did with that Congresswoman Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D Texas, attacking IG Todd Zinser!

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