January 15, 2015 — No one, least of all the organizers, believes Friday afternoon’s public meeting on the state of the commercial fishing industry at City Hall will cure all that ails Gloucester’s signature industry.
Still, the event organized by the City Council and the Fisheries Commission is expected to provide a wide-ranging overview of the current state of the industry, as well as a glimpse of its possible long-term direction.
“It’s intended to be a way for our citizens to catch up on what’s going on with the industry,” said City Council President Paul McGeary. “It’s really more of a forum where John Q. Public can come and conveniently see what’s going on.”
Despite the more informal nature of the proceedings, the lineup should include some heavy hitters. NOAA Regional Administrator John K. Bullard is expected to attend and McGeary said newly sworn-in U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton intends to come if his schedule permits.
Fishery stakeholders, such as Jackie Odell and Vito Giacalone from the Northeast Seafood Coalition, also have committed to participating, as have other fishermen, shoreside business owners and state and federal public officials or their staff.
The agenda for the meeting, scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. in the Kyrouz Auditorium, is split into two topics. The first deals with the short-term assistance and opportunities available to the beleaguered industry and its members. The second is set to address the long-term direction of the fishery. Members of the public will be given the opportunity to comment after the scheduled presentations.
Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times