BOSTON – Andy Cohen, the former agent in charge at the Northeast's embattled federal fishery enforcement office has confirmed to Jay Lindsay of the the Associated Press that he will retire. Agent Cohen told the Associated Press his departure from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration after three decades was long planned. But he said putting new leadership in place would be beneficial, "symbolically, if nothing else."
On August 13, Agent Cohen stepped down from his position as Agent-in-Charge in the northeast, and was reassigned to a non-supervisory headquarters position reporting to NOAA Office of Law Enforcement Acting Director Alan Risenhoover. Since then he has not been directly involved with any enforcement actions in the Northeast."
Cohen told the AP he was proud of the work he'd done, and he was certain he'd helped protect honest fishermen. According to the wire report "He said the criticism has come mainly from people caught stealing who were upset the law was being enforced."