The federal government is looking to hire a new chief for its fisheries law enforcement arm, after NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco revealed that the former head of enforcement, Dale Jones, has been reassigned to monitoring international seafood trade.
The shake-up in National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's enforcement program has also reassigned Charles "Chuck" Juliand, a lawyer for the agency's Northeast regional office who pursued its complaints against fishermen accused of violations.
Juliand has been reassigned to NOAA's legal team for natural resource issues, where he will work on matters related to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, Lubchenco said in a statement Monday.
A report by NOAA Inspector General Todd J. Zinser cited complaints from fishermen and their lawyers who say they were treated unfairly when trying to negotiate settlements for civil violation cases. Juliand and union officials who represent NOAA workers dispute those findings, calling them fallout from a political vendetta against the agency.
Read the complete story from The Asbury Park Press.