Comment from Joel Hovanesian, Rhode Island Fishermans Alliance

NMFS proposes a temporary Secretarial interim action under the Magnuson- Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) to implement measures intended to immediately reduce overfishing in the Northeast (NE) multispecies fishery, while addressing the need to help sustain fishing communities, without compromising rebuilding objectives. This is the first paragraph of the sumary of the proposed rule. Note the sentence that says, addressing the need to help sustain fishing communities. This action is a death sentence to the fishing comunities of New England. It will lead to destruction of infrastructure supporting a food source to our country based on extreemly poor scientific data. We must ask ourselves if we are willing to destroy the jobs associated with this industry further contributing to the economic upheaval facing the nation today. As a fulltime fisherman I can tell you that these draconian measures are not needed.