New England fishermen are prepared to let their voice heard in Washington at a Feb. 24 protest on Capitol Hill. Local officials and concerned members of the fishing community brainstormed a message to deliver to Washington, D.C., at the “United We Fish” rally. Fishermen and related business leaders from the Gloucester area, New Bedford, Maine and Rhode Island voiced their suggestions and asked questions about the coming protest.
It is expected that United We Fish rally would draw thousands of people to the steps of the Capitol, and local officials do not want to waste the opportunity for Gloucester and New England’s voice to be heard. A fishing expert said that this is an important moment in history for the survival of the commercial fishing industry.
Protestors should arrive in DC with a clear and simple message to be effective. The protest is also significant because it brings together many separate but related groups. All of them understand the need for healthy fisheries but feel that the current laws and regulations are not based on sound science, or are excessive and unnecessary.
The primary focus of the protest is the perceived negative impacts of the Magnuson Stevens Conservation and Management Act (MSA) of 2006. Fishing organizations, recreational and commercial fishermen, legislators and ordinary concerned citizens are uniting their efforts to protest the increasing closures of fishing grounds, and restrictions on types and amounts of fish to be caught.
Another key area of the protest is the anticipated implementation of a “catch share” program in May which would only allow fishermen a specific percentage or share of the total allowable fishing catch.
