Tag Archives: Sen. Heather Somers
Proposed bill would make offshore wind developers create compensation fund
The fund would provide compensation if construction or operation of a facility damages fisheries or the marine environment, and if the developer creates fewer jobs than promised in an agreement. Sen. Heather Somers, R-Groton, co-introduced House Bill 5223 with four Democratic state representatives, while three Republicans and two Democrats are co-sponsors. “This is new territory,” Somers said. “It’s an industrialization underneath the ocean that we have not seen before, and we do not have the data.” Somers’ district has the last commercial fishing fleet in the state, in Stonington, and she said “if the impact is such that they can no longer fish or their career is not viable, it was important for us on the committee to not prioritize one industry over another.” >click to read< 08:02
Connecticut: New dual landings law intended to benefit local fishermen
A bill introduced by state Sen. Heather Somers, aimed at easing regulations preventing local commercial fishermen from landing catches in multiple states on the same trip, has been signed into law by Gov. Ned Lamont. The law currently in effect requires fishermen to designate their catch for a specific state and offload the catch in that state, even if the fishermen were licensed in multiple states and regardless of whether the catch was made in federal or state waters. Fishermen had to make multiple trips per week far offshore to make each catch designated for each state. >click to read< 08:55
Forum in Mystic focuses on the plight of local fishermen
Local third-generation fishermen are on the brink of losing their businesses because of over-regulation by the federal government, but the public can help by writing to their legislators and buying locally caught seafood. That was the message of a public forum and panel discussion organized by Sen. Heather Somers, R-Groton, held Wednesday at the Mystic Luxury Cinemas. The forum began with a presentation from Meghan Lapp, an expert on the commercial fishing industry and its regulations. “Fishermen are not anti-regulation, but when the regulatory burdens >click to read<08:35
Industry expert Meghan Lapp says consumers have a role in saving local seafood
Finding fresh, locally caught fish isn’t easy, but if educated consumers are persistent, they will not only help local fishermen, they’ll also help rebuild weakened domestic seafood markets that have been deeply gouged by imports and regulations. Meghan Lapp, fisheries liaison for Seafreeze Ltd., a producer and trader of frozen seafood in North Kingstown, explained these points and more in her presentation, “Sea to Table: Bringing the Bounty of the Sea to You,” before an audience of about 40 people at the La Grua Center Thursday night. In attendance were state Sen. Heather Somers, R-Groton, First Selectman Rob Simmons and a number of longtime local fishermen. The Stonington Economic Development Commission sponsored Lapp’s presentation. click here to read the story 08:22
