Mayor Scott Lang, who locked arms with Congressman Barney Frank and Gov. Deval Patrick last month in a political Phalanx that convinced federal officials to liberate an additional $40 million in the allowable scallop catch, has set up a meeting of fishery stakeholders to jump-start the problem-solving process.
Lang told his Ocean and Fisheries Council, a regional assembly of fishing interests, Monday that he would schedule a meeting with invitees — including agents of environmental groups — in March, 30 days ahead of the next meeting of the New England Fishery Management Council.
"We'll do what the government is supposed to be doing," said Lang, "(and) present our findings to the government so that they will say, 'Why didn't we think of that?'"
The New England management council, an arm of the National Marine Fisheries Service, next meets April 27-29, in Mystic, Conn.