When the law is not the law--destroying the New England fisheries

The Gloucester Times reported today that a long-standing Congressional mandate (1954) that 60% of tariffs on imported seafood were to be directed to fishing industry projects has been ignored virtually since it came into existence. Instead the monies have been "redirected" to the NOAA. How's that for gallows humor. The NOAA, which has been suffocating the local fishing industry with its everchanging regulations, has also been pocketing the money the industry needs to recapitalize and rejuvenate itself.

Oh yes, I guess I forgot one important thing. Over the past ten years, the diversion has only been $400 million. In 2009, the total tariff was $108 million. Under the law, $65 million should have been spent on the fishing industry. Instead, the total allotment was------ZERO.

But at least the NOAA has those sporty new SUV's they use to patrol Provincetown Harbor to make sure the 3 fishing boats docked in what was a thriving port aren't breaking the law by overfishing.

I wonder how our wonderful rice growers in Texas would respond to a similar "diversion." And then there's all those patriotic farmers growing corn for ethanol. I don't think they'd take this very well. But this is fishing where we seem determined to erase the last ship from our fishing ports.