SALEM, MA (February 10, 2009) – Maybe, just maybe, what’s left of the commercial fishing industry on the North Shore will survive, thanks to a man in a black robe.
It looked dubious as recently as last month. While plenty of fishermen, politicians and scientists have been willing to challenge the National Marine Fisheries Service’s regulatory squeeze in recent years, none has had the authority to back up those challenges.
That all changed recently. U.S. District Judge Edward Harrington does have such authority, and has at least temporarily eliminated the current draconian restrictions on fishing with a blistering opinion that chastises the regulators for failing to abide by their own written obligations. Finally, there is someone who recognizes the rights of humans as well as fish, and has the legal muscle to do something about it.
Read The Salem News commentary in full
For additional SavingSeafood coverage, see this related story: Fishing chiefs grapple with mandate suspension