U.S. District Court Judge Douglas Woodlock delivered some key messages from his bench in a Boston federal courtroom Monday. But, in granting an injunction to the Gloucester Seafood Display Auction against its National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration enforcers, and in delivering some harsh words to NOAA’s federal prosecutors, Judge Woodlock may have inadvertently turned the spotlight on another issue that’s never been clearer:
It’s time for a major house cleaning within the enforcement arm of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
For years, there have been complaints that the agency enforcing commercial fishing regulations has become heavy-handed, unreasonable and vindictive in its sanctions against the fishing industry in Gloucester and elsewhere. It is now clearer than ever that NOAA is populated by agents with an agenda that goes well beyond their mission. Not only has the agency sought to impose punishment before its allegations are adjudicated, it sought to manipulate public opinion about the industry by manipulating the media. And those are moves that cannot be tolerated.