A group of activists delivered 558 signed postcards to U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe’s Portland office today calling for congressional hearings on new commercial fishing rules scheduled to take effect May 1.
Fair Fish Portland, with support from Peace Action Maine and other local groups, is opposing the new system of catch shares, which will allow groups of fishermen to catch certain amounts of fish. Fishermen also can buy and sell their catch quotas, which critics say will lead to rapid consolidation and the end of the traditional small-scale family fishing businesses.
Fair Fish Portland, a campaign of Washington-D.C.-based Food and Water Watch, collected the signatures from citizens and business owners. The group is targeting Snowe because she is the ranking Republican on a subcommittee that oversees fishing regulation.