BOSTON, MA (February 7, 2009) — New Hampshire Sen. Judd Gregg stands to be only the fourth New Englander to serve as the nation’s Commerce secretary, the first in more than 30 years, and the appointment could prove to be a boon to the region’s troubled fishing industry.
The secretary not only oversees business development for the country, but also the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Its Fisheries Service, in turn, regulates fishing in the United States.
Just last fall, Gregg signed a letter with other New England senators urging then-Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez to declare a fishery resource disaster in the northeast. It was to be the first step in obtaining financial relief that could help the groundfishing fleet survive until stocks rebound.