October 31, 2013 — The following opinion piece was written by Peter Shelley of the Conservation Law Foundation (CLF):
It is always interesting but rarely informative to read the often whining editorial opinions that emanate from the nation’s richest fishing port, New Bedford. The recent column, “Don’t take NOAA for an answer” (New Bedford Standard Times, October 28, 2013), is no exception.
Why former Congressman Frank—the reigning political champion for the chronic overfishing that led to the loss of so many groundfishing jobs and fish product in the region—would find anything to “gloat” about from a report that supports fishery management actions in New England that he routinely opposed and that fundamentally blesses a fishery law that he voted against is beyond my ken.
The report, “Evaluating the Effectiveness of Fish Stock Rebuilding Plans in the United States,” was prepared for the National Research Council by an eminent international panel of fisheries experts. It is a good read and an important document. But you have to actually read it, not just grab talking points that suit pre-existing opinions or biases. The report actually reaches none of the conclusions claimed for it by the Standard Times column.
Read the full opinion piece by Peter Shelly at TalkingFish