Kerry Hosting Hearing On Mass. Fisheries

[Mass]

http://www.wbur.org/2011/10/03/fisheries-hearing

Kerry And Brown Host Hearing On Mass. Fisheries
BY WBUR NEWS & WIRE SERVICES Oct 3, 2011, 8:04 AMCOMMENTSE-mail
BOSTON — U.S. Senators John Kerry and Scott Brown are hosting a field hearing in Boston on the state of the Massachusetts fishing industry.

The hearing is scheduled for Monday morning at the Massachusetts State House.

Kerry said the panel will examine the social and economic effects of the contentious new fishing system after its first year. Kerry said they will also discuss steps to improve the plan while providing an open forum for dialogue between the state’s fishermen and regulators at state and federal agencies.

Jane Lubchenco, head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is among the witnesses scheduled to testify.

Jackie Odell of the Northeast Seafood Coalition in Gloucester, which represents more than 250 fishing operations, said one pressing concern is a measure that will soon shift the cost of at-sea monitoring onto the fisherman.

“If we don’t determine a way to have those costs be paid for for next year, those costs are going to have a real significant impact, at this point, on fleet diversity,” Odell said.

Critics of the new catch-share system also say it adds to the trend of revenues becoming consolidated among the largest fishing operations.

Reps. Barney Frank, John Tierney, Stephen Lynch and William Keating are also scheduled to attend the hearing, as are New Bedford Mayor Scott Lang and Gloucester Mayor Carolyn Kirk.

The WBUR Newsroom and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

[karynnj]

1. The BG saying that Kerry and Brown are hosting the hearing ignores

that Brown is not even on the Commerce Committee - and he like the Congressmen were invited to Kerry's hearing. (This seems another case where they - unlike the sticklers they were in giving Kerry credit for anything, they give Brown more credit than he deserves. ie Brown signing on as a co-sponsor is news, Kerry being the lead Democratic sponsor does not count if the Republican name comes first.)

All earlier reports made it clear Kerry pulled this together. Here are two - http://www.gloucestertimes.com/opinion/x1190856100/Editorial-Fisheries-hearing-will-speak-volumes-of-NOAA-chiefs-status http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20111003/NEWS/110030365/-1/NEWSMAP

Here is a link to a Kerry oped on the hearing - http://www.gloucestertimes.com/opinion/x597289364/Sen-Kerrys-View-Restoring-hope-for-our-fishermen

[karynnj]

2. Kerry's website has his opening statement

and those of the witnesses. http://kerry.senate.gov/work/issues/issue/?id=AD0D4992-191F-4A5E-9DF1-234EB22BB6C9