Amidst the dispute soaring over NOAA''s catch-shares policy and management regulations considered scientifically unjustified and socially unacceptable among New England''s fishery industry, Sen. John F. Kerry stepped in, saying that he''s going to convene Congressional hearings on this issue, reports Menakhem Ben-Yami.
The Democratic presidential nominee in the 2004 presidential election did it after a day-long visit to New Bedford and an hour-long meeting with fishermen. Kerry said that he plans to talk to US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and NOAA representatives about a wide range of regulatory issues that are devastating small fishermen.
Kerry said the scope of the committee hearings will include the catch shares policy and the underlying science, and that he also wants to know why New England fishermen had been penalised far in excess to fishermen elsewhere. Sen. Kerry is, since the 2009 death of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
If Sen. Kerry, who's considered one of the most influential US legislators, is indeed taking the side of the fishermen in their quarrel with NOAA/NMFS he may become instrumental in the sanctioning by the US Senate of the Amendment sponsored by Congressmen Walter Jones (R-North Carolina), Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and Frank Pallone (D-New Jersey) and already approved by the US House of Representatives by 259-159 vote. This Amendment puts a stop to further spending on Catch-Shares programs, a heavily-promoted but controversial fisheries policy of Dr Jane Lubchenco, the head of NOAA.
Some fishermen criticised John Kerry as “Johnny-come-lately jumping on the bandwagon”, while others welcomed his intervention, hoping that he'll act and vote in favour of Jones’ Amendment. No doubt such Senate's approval would represent a slap in the face of the NOAA's Catch-Shares policy, and may even start a process of its withdrawal.
