NEW: Hinckley to Address Commercial and Recreational Fisherman in Washington
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
US Senate Candidate Barry Hinckley will be a featured speaker at the Keep Fishermen Fishing rally in Washington DC, March 21, 2012. Hinckley joins Massachusetts Senators Scott Brown and John Kerry in a bi-partisan effort to modify the Magnuson-Stevens Act.
The Magnuson act is the primary instrument of ocean resource conservation and regulated economic exploitation. The law requires that over-fished stocks be rebuilt on a 10-year timeline. It is a requirement that the administration's top fisheries official, NOAA administrator Jane Lubchenco, has conceded cannot be defended ecologically, and is seen by critics as the reason for overly restrictive catch limits as regulators limit harvesting to meet rebuilding deadlines.
Hinckley believes that more flexibility is needed to protect the livelihood of Rhode Island commercial fishermen and the sport of Rhode Island’s recreational anglers.
“Rhode Island needs a Senator in Washington who will work with our fishing industry to make sure that both fishing stocks are protected and that the fishing industry in Rhode Island can continue to provide Rhode Islanders with good jobs,” said Hinckley. “The most endangered species in the fishing industry are fishermen themselves. I grew up in a family boat building business. I watched over the years as the government brought more and more bad news to our family business. Constant over-regulation from numerous government agencies steadily made it more difficult for us to make ends meet.
“I witnessed firsthand how overzealous government regulations decimated the boat building industry in Rhode Island and I am committed to finding common sense solutions to make sure the career politicians don’t destroy yet another Rhode Island employment mainstay,” Hinckley explained.
Magnuson-Stevens also brought Rhode Island a new requirement for a salt water fishing license, that was passed over the veto of then Governor Donald Carcieri and is expressly in conflict with Rhode Island’s constitution. Article I, Section 17 says, “The people shall continue to enjoy and freely exercise all the rights of fishery including but not limited to fishing from the shore.”
“We have allowed Federal Regulators to usurp this constitutionally protected freedom with the requirement for a salt-water fishing license here in Rhode Island,” concluded Hinckley. “Enough is enough.”
The rally is expected to draw some 5000 fishermen, both commercial and recreational, from around the country to highlight the plight of this industry.
