Norman D. Dicks: “I have a letter here from the Atlantic Trawlers Fishing, Inc, the Associated Fisheries of Maine, and a whole bunch of…”

“I have a letter here from the Atlantic Trawlers Fishing, Inc, the Associated Fisheries of Maine, and a whole bunch of other groups, and they say: Dear Member of Congress: Please don't micromanage our fisheries from Washington, D.C. We represent thousands of hardworking fishing men and women from all over the country who want local fishermen to write the rules governing their fisheries instead of having Congress dictate them through an appropriations rider. Through the Nation's primary fishing law, the Magnuson- Stevens Act, Congress has given regional fishery management councils made up of fishing industry representatives and others the power to write the rules governing fishing in their area. But in a move that would tie the hands of local fishermen, Representative Steve Southerland recently sent a letter to the appropriators seeking a rider to the Commerce-Justice- Science appropriation bill that would prohibit the ``future development and implementation of new `catch share' programs for any fishery under the jurisdiction of the Fishery Management Councils'' in certain regions. Such a rider would prevent councils from eliminating command-and-control regulations that burden our small businesses, imperil our jobs, drive up our fuel costs, even put our lives at greater risk-- Shame on you. That was an edit, by the way. --and often don't successfully conserve fish populations.…”