CAMBRIDGE, Md., — October 20, 2013 — The Harvesters Land and Sea Coalition filed a lawsuit against the Maryland Department of Natural Resources on Friday in Dorchester County Circuit Court.
“DNR put regulations upon the menhaden fishery that, in our initial opinion, were unlawful, and after engaging council and attorneys and two months of research, found out that our initial feeling were absolutely correct,” said Rob Newberry, founding member of the harvesters coalition. “Our (watermen) backs are against the wall right now. We have nothing more to lose. We have nothing more to give up.”
The coalition initially alleged that DNR illegally set menhaden regulations upon the fishery near the end of July.
After about a month, the Administrative, Executive and Legislative Review Committee had a hearing in which state senators and delegates could vote for or against extending the emergency regulations until the permanent ones were effective in September, since there was a lapse in time for a few days from when the emergency regulations ended and the permanent ones began.
Ultimately, the regulations were extended with a 8-5 vote.
Read the full story at The Cecil Daily