RE “NEW fishing plan offers success’’ (Editorial, Dec. 15): Before extolling the concept of fishermen divvying up annual quotas on their catches, please consult fishermen on Cape Ann. They watched the campaign mounted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Marine Fisheries Service, the Environmental Defense Fund, and Pew Charitable Trust, first with distrust and now with disgust.
They see faulty science and a disturbing impact on fishing communities nationwide when the Environmental Defense Fund discreetly advises selected audiences that “catch shares’’ pose investment opportunities with huge returns. Coastal waters heretofore held in public trust will become a playground for wealthy investors. Independent fishermen, no longer able to support their families, will lose the way of life they have known for generations.
Suppose officials use incorrect data to derive the catch shares? The National Marine Fisheries Service admitted its data to be faulty, but insists there is insufficient time for correction. Does this engender trust in government plans?