When it comes to defending the science of climate change and standing up to big business, U.S. Sen. John Kerry and U.S. Rep. Barney Frank are considered among the most progressive legislators in Congress.
But when it comes to standing up to the fishing industry in their back yard and defending the science of the National Marine Fisheries Service, Kerry and Frank fold like a house of cards.
In a letter to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in December, Frank described the 10-year time limit required to rebuild fish stocks as "an arbitrary timeline" not based in science.
But the science, including stock assessments conducted by our own Northeast Fisheries Science Center in Woods Hole, is among the best in the world.
The history of New England fishery management is fraught with examples of political interference to the detriment of the resource.
Many times when federal regulators try a new approach to protect the resource and build sustainable fisheries, disgruntled fishermen turn to the politicians, who cave in and question the regulators.
Read the complete editorial at The Cape Cod Times.