Koczera Calls For More Funding And Better Science To Aid Fishermen

A Mass. state lawmaker has some issues with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Rep. Robert Koczera says with New Bedford being a major fishing port, NOAA should be reaching out to fishermen and institutions like the UMass Dartmouth School of Marine Science to get updated information on fishery stocks in the North Atlantic.

"There's a need for a better understanding of what the current stock conditions are, and we have a very credible scientific communities, institutions and schools that should be part of the process," said Koczera.

The New Bedford Democrat is also calling on the federal government to end the practice of requiring fishermen to pay $710 per day for at-sea monitors onboard their boats.

Koczera says the payments are making it even tougher for fishermen, already struggling with catch limits, to make a living.