Information revealed that U.S. Sen. John Kerry, along with U.S. Reps. Barney Frank, John Tierney and William Delahunt, have written to Jane Lubchenco, administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, requesting her to delay prosecutions of fishermen working in the Northeast. They make the case that the prosecutions may be tainted by the actual or perceived problems with the Office for Law Enforcement and the Office of General Counsel for Enforcement and Litigation.
Wide discrepancies have been discovered by the Commerce Department’s inspector general in the severity of punishment for rule-breakers. This has validated the charges of unfairness leveled for years at the federal government, particularly in the Northeast. They said that these convicts deserve the benefit of the doubt just like every American does.
It is better to wait and watch until the Office of the Inspector General can clear up any and all discrepancies in penalties, fines and enforcement procedures. Kerry told that he welcome the increasing recognition that environmental sensitivity need not result in unfairness to fishermen.
Tierney said that as per the results of the recent IG report, it is clear that a delay in prosecuting NOAA enforcement actions against local fishermen is warranted. He expect that House colleagues would conduct rigorous oversight and press for any necessary reforms so that fishermen in Gloucester and elsewhere across the commonwealth are treated fairly and appropriately.
