August 17, 2012 — The new administrator for the Northeast Region of the National Marine Fisheries Service told the dozens who came to see him at Viking Village in Barnegat Light earlier today that he is committed to keeping working seaports open and viable.
"When condos replace fishing communities, that is a really sad thing," John Bullard said. Bullard, who is a native of New Bedford, Ma., told a Patch reporter he felt right at home while visiting Long Beach Island this week.
Bullard said the main issue that seems to be on every fishermen's mind seems to be working alongside and within federal regulations. He noted that a recent Act that protects East Coast Atlantic sturgeon has prompted concerns about accidental capture.
Barnegat Light Mayor Kirk Larson agreed, adding that there is quite a bit of regulation at the state level – particularly from the Department of Environmental Protection – that has led to contraints on the fishing industry, particularly local party boats.
Bullard took over his new position Aug. 6, and he told a Patch reporter that the fact that his first eight days in office were spent in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania and New Jersey was deliberate. He said one of the biggest criticisms of his office is that there is too much focus on New England. "That is why I am down here …[our office] covers from Hatteras to Maine, so I am trying to understand the top issues in all those areas."
Read the full story in Barnegat-Manahawkin Patch