In an abrupt reversal of policy, the Department of Commerce announced Wednesday that it has agreed to grant significant concessions to New England fishermen, particularly those who have been hurt by unfairly harsh law enforcement.
Commerce Secretary Gary Locke reopened an avenue for aggrieved fishermen to bring their complaints forward for review, promised to make the enforcement process fair and transparent and to conduct an audit of funds previously forfeited in fines to prevent future misuse.
The proposal did not address some of the industry's other complaints, such as increasing catch limits for groundfish stocks or addressing problems associated with the management system known as catch shares.
The policy change followed months of sustained political pressure from Gov. Deval Patrick and the New England congressional delegation.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of Law Enforcement was harshly criticized in an audit conducted by Commerce Department Inspector General Todd Zinser. His report found that New England fishermen were assessed huge fines, far exceeding those for violations in other parts of the country. The audit also found that money collected in fines and settlements was used as a slush fund to buy expensive vehicles, a luxury yacht and to fund overseas junkets.
Read the complete story from the South Coast Today.