Political Quotes

“last Friday night, I attended the Maine Annual Fisherman's Forum in Rockport, ME. This is a wonderful event that brings leaders from the industry together to talk about problems that the fishing industry is experiencing. We have a wonderful fresh fish dinner and then there is an auction held which annually raises thousands of dollars in scholarship money. But this year, a shadow was cast over the entire forum. We arrived at the forum only to learn that earlier that day, the National Marine Fisheries Service had unveiled a Draconian response to a Federal lawsuit that had been filed that affects the ground fishing industry. The response proposed by the National Marine Fisheries Service would have a devastating impact on our fishermen in Maine. The life of a fisherman is already a difficult one. He or she encounters rough weather, and we have suffered devastating losses of life in the fishing industry in Maine. It is a difficult life. They are proud, independent people who ask only that they be given a fair chance to earn a living. The fishermen of my State have been leaders in pioneering conservation efforts. They understand it is necessary to have some restrictions to preserve the fish stocks for future generations, but when we get into a situation where lawsuits are being filed and Federal regulators respond in a way that is completely indifferent to the needs of the fishing industry, we make the life of Maine's fishermen virtually impossible.”