Fishermen facing extinction by Obama, NOAA, Lubchenco, Sen. Kerry seeks bailout for fishing industry

• 8/18/10, "The Fishy Politics of Fisheries," American Thinker by Mike Johnson

"John Kerry and seven other senators from the northeast have sent a letter to President Obama asking for millions to buy out fishermen who have been forced into dire circumstances by our government. Kerry's plan would use $100M to buy boats and government permits from fishermen, ostensibly to reduce fishing capacity and thus relieve the pressure on fish stocks. This is poppycock!

• There is no need to further reduce the pressure on fish stocks. Obama's handpicked ecozealot, Dr. Jane Lubchenco, administrator of NOAA and former bigwig
  
• at the Environmental Defense Fund, has personally driven fisherman allocations drastically below those levels that
  
• even her own scientists say are sufficient to sustain and allow growth of the stocks.

Dr. Lubchenco wants the industry to shrink. She envisions a fixed number of catch share permits allocated within a small community of fishing boats. Let the fittest fishermen survive.

Kerry would remove permits as he removes fishermen, driving the industry to extinction."...

• ***

• NOAA has been corrupt for many years, but Obama's pick is blocking inspectors from seeing that the crimes are stopped and from punishing the perpetrators. Some called for Lubchenco to step down but Obama defended her. Tens of millions in fines against fishermen were used by NOAA personnel to finance extravagant lifestyles.
  

12/18/08, "Lubchenco will helm National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration," Washington Post, Juliet Eilperin

• 6/28/10, "Getting help from the press," Gloucester Times, Nancy Gaines, Lubchenco founded a group to train global warming scientists to use media to shape government policy.

7/13, "Lawyer cites ethics issues with NOAA Counsel funds," Gloucester Times, Richard Gaines

• (Following recent investigation of NOAA, the US Inspector General was met by a lack of cooperation from NOAA counsel Lois Schiffer, a Lubchenco hire).

7/13, Gloucester Times: "The letter also openly challenges Schiffer's written plan not to look back at any miscarriages of justice by NOAA lawyers and agents. Due to Internet transmission problems, Schiffer's office could not be presented with questions about today's story until nearly deadline, so no responses were available....

• "Congressional reaction to the (US Inspector General's) IG's report has been angry and varied.

Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said the evidence points to the existence of a multi-million dollar "slush fund" that helped dispossess fishermen struggling with excessive regulations. Schumer called on NOAA to "hold people responsible,

• sell off the cars and boats and other unauthorized purchases and fund fishermen who were unjustly or excessively fined and whose fishing seasons have been shortened."

"The IG's report discredits the whole rotten operation," Congressman (Barney) Frank said in a telephone interview Tuesday."...