Net loss for all
Letter to the Editor

Oceana is dismayed that the National Marine Fisheries Service has said that government scientists may have erred in gathering data for the last three years ("Tough fishing regulations may have been based on bad data," Sept. 11).

Meanwhile, just one week ago the government reported its progress on groundfish management without mentioning this issue. Nor did the government consult with the parties to the litigation.

Despite the government's errors, fishery managers must continue to use the best information available to conserve and rebuild stocks such as cod and haddock.

It is unclear whether the government's mistakes would have any impact on management measures under debate, or whether the errors might require further restrictions on catches. Oceana strongly supports correcting and improving government fisheries data collection, including, most importantly, deploying observers to record fish caught and discarded. In the meantime, we must use the data we have and move forward.

Eric A. Bilsky, Washington, D.C. The writer is lead attorney for the plaintiffs in the ongoing New England groundfish litigation.

Boston Herald