Facing a potential fishermen's boycott organized by Mayor Carolyn Kirk, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration today canceled a law enforcement forum scheduled for next Monday that was to have featured the same Gloucester-based federal police agent and attorney whose tactics against the industry sparked protest and a federal investigation that toppled NOAA's national police chief.
NOAA issued an e-mail in mid-afternoon indicating that the event, part of a broad effort to win over the alienated fishing industry, had been canceled "after consultation" with the mayor.
Last Friday, on learning of the plans, Kirk suggested the community might "boycott" the event unless Andrew Cohen, the agent in charge of the northeast region, and Charles Juliand, head of the regional office of general counsel, were deleted from the program.
[read the Gloucester Daily Times story in full]