Gov. Deval Patrick has decided to join the federal lawsuit of Gloucester, New Bedford, New England and mid-Atlantic fishing interests challenging the legality and constitutionality of Amendment 16, the new groundfishery management system that includes catch shares.
The governor will file an amicus brief supporting the suit, Ian Bowles, the secretary of energy and environmental affairs, said in a release Monday night.
Bowles said Patrick, who has been an active part of the legal, business and political coalition of fishing interests, believes the federal government has based its program on "inadequate science," Bowles said.
The announcement came two days after Charlie Baker, the Republican candidate for governor in this year's election, came to Gloucester to cite federal fisheries regulation as a case study in overregulation and wondered out loud why Patrick who is seeking a second term, hadn't joined the suit.
Read the complete story at The Gloucester Daily Times.