September 23, 2010

CONTACT:

Blake Androff, 202-226-9019 (Natural Resources)

Matthew Mateo, 202-225-1188 (Bordallo – Washington, D.C.)


Washington, D.C. – House Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife Chairwoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo (D-GU) released the following statement in response to the final report by the U.S. Department of Commerce Inspector General (IG) that will be made public today, making recommendations to correct and improve policies and procedures within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Office of Law Enforcement:

“Today’s report marks the end of a long process of uncovering “systematic, nationwide issues” affecting fishing industry law enforcement, but it is only the beginning of the process that NOAA must undertake to restore transparency, accountability, and credibility to its Office of Law Enforcement.  I would like to express my sincerest appreciation to the IG for his thorough and fair investigation.

“While NOAA has begun to implement its Corrective Action Plan, it must also put into practice the recommendations made today, including “looking back” at certain cases that have been challenged by fishermen and that the IG believes warrant further review; taking appropriate personnel actions; and including first time offenses as a mitigating factor for penalty assessments.  NOAA’s timely completion of the full suite of recommendations made by the IG will set a new course for the relationship between the agency and the fishing industry and for better, collaborative management of our marine fishery resources.

“The IG also reiterates the need to create an Office of the Ombudsman within the National Marine Fisheries Service.  Unfortunately, the agency has resisted that recommendation, but I commend my colleague, U.S. Representative Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH), for introducing the “National Marine Fisheries Service Ombudsman Act of 2010” (H.R. 5180), which will establish an ombudsman to act as a neutral third party to identify points of conflict between the fishing industry and fishery managers.  I look forward to working with her to move her bill through the legislative process.”

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