Washington, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), in light of the president’s budget, sent a letter to Commerce Secretary Locke warning about the negative economic impact of the administration’s budget priorities on New Jersey fishermen. In the letter, Pallone along with Sens. Kay Hagen (D-NC), Charles Schumer (D-NY), Richard Burr (R-NC), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Scott Brown (R-MA), and Reps. Barney Frank (D-MA), Walter Jones (R-NC) and Mike McIntyre (D-NC), expressed concerns that the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration’s catch share policy emphasizes restrictive management over research that increases quotas.
“I’m concerned that NOAA’s overly restrictive policies will shutout thousands of fishermen who want to fish along the shore,” said Pallone. “These policies will have the ripple effect of hurting business at our local bait and tackle shops, sandwich shops, fish markets and the tourism industry.”
Pallone has always been a strong for advocate proper fisheries management that is based on science and urged that more funding be directed to research over blind regulations.
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