To the editor:
Matthew Helman wants to talk about political stunts (letter, the Times, Tuesday, May 15), but in reality, he is the only one playing politics in this case.
If he would stand back and look at the big picture, instead of trying to make the important issue of the fisheries a political one, he would see that Sen. Brown has been one of the strongest advocates for the fishing industry since he was elected two years ago.
Sen. Brown has been far and away the most vocal Massachusetts elected official to call for the NOAA to stop imposing burdensome regulations that are destroying the industry.
He knows that for the fishing industry to thrive in Massachusetts, as it has in the past, regulations must be kept simple and reasonable. He has gone far enough to call for the firing of NOAA administrator Jane Lubchenco, who is hostile to the freedoms of Massachusetts fishermen.
In a recent article, Richard Canastra, co-owner of New Bedford's seaport auction, said, "Sen. Brown has been in our corner since Day 1."
It is admirable that he has taken the time to meet with and understand the problems that fishermen in Massachusetts are facing today. Sen. Brown knows that the problems are vast, but the best way to give fishermen the freedom to do their work is for government to get out of their way, not get more involved.
It is really a shame that Mr. Helman would try to play politics at the expense of our fishermen. If he had any knowledge of the situation, or truly cared about improving the fishing industry, he would not be attacking Sen. Brown, but praising him for all that he has done to fight for the fishermen of Massachusetts.
Sen. Brown's strong backing of the Massachusetts fishing industry has been a blessing, and we cannot afford to lose his voice in the Senate. If we do, we might just lose the fishing industry in Massachusetts.
Georgia Gibbons
Gloucester
