As the Department of Commerce Inspector General’s office investigates the enforcement practices of federal fishing regulators — and as fishermen out of Gloucester and throughout New England brace for a sea change in the industry’s regulatory system — city and local legislative leaders are organizing a community show of support for local fishermen and the industry.
State Rep. Ann-Margaret Ferrante, D-Gloucester, state Sen. Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester and Mayor Carolyn Kirk are planning to host a community candlelight vigil and march in support of the fishing community Wednesday beginning at 7 p.m.
The vigil is slated to begin at City Hall, with a march to the Fishermen’s Memorial’s Man at the Wheel on Stacy Boulevard. The event is being organized as a community statement against "unfair fishery enforcement practices," according to a joint statement issued by Ferrante, Tarr and Kirk.