WTNH News Channel 8 / News / 1999

	Judge rejects challenge to fed fishing limits (Stonington-WTNH) _ The ongoing fish fight in Connecticut may be heating up in the wake of a federal judge's ruling. According to the ruling the state's commercial fishermen are going to have to put up with strict federal fishing limits. For years there's been a quota on how much summer flounder the fisherman can catch, and for years they've been battling it. Despite this setback they insist the system is unfair. News Channel 8's Peter Standring has the story from our Southeastern Newsroom at The Day. Down at the docks in Stonington there's a feeling of disappointment and anger. Fishermen here are getting their first glimpse of a court decision that they say robs them of their rights. Joe Rendeiro, Commercial Fisherman "This was a shock to me, I mean it really teed me off when I heard about it, I thought we had it won." He's talking about a lawsuit filed against the federal government last year over controversial fishing limits. The Connecticut fishermen were trying to get a fluke quota lifted, but have been turned down. In a 43 page decision released last night, the federal judge who heard the case rejected the fishermen's demand for changes. Essentially he said they have to live with the current quota system. That system was put into place to help boost the population of summer flounder, known as fluke. But Connecticut's attorney general says it's no longer needed and is in fact unfair and illegal. Richard Blumenthal, Attorney General: "The present system deprives them of money, it takes fish out of their boats, that they have a right to bring to our shores." This morning Blumenthal broke the bad news to the fishermen he's been fighting for, promising to stay the course and not give up. But there's no denying the frustration many of these guys are feeling. Bob Guzzo, Commercial Fisherman: "Because of where I live, dictates how much I can make, which is not right, that's it in a nutshell. If I knew I could make more money in North Carolina, I would have moved years ago!" Joe Rendeiro: "The boats out here fishing today are throwing fish away that they can't keep because of this program." Today's News Page. WTNH Home Page. ©1999 WTNH/WTNH-DT A LIN station.

Judge rejects challenge to fed fishing limits
(Stonington-WTNH) _ The ongoing fish fight in Connecticut may be heating up in the wake of a federal judge's ruling. According to the ruling the state's commercial fishermen are going to have to put up with strict federal fishing limits. For years there's been a quota on how much summer flounder the fisherman can catch, and for years they've been battling it. Despite this setback they insist the system is unfair.
News Channel 8's Peter Standring has the story from our Southeastern Newsroom at The Day.

Man filets fish Down at the docks in Stonington there's a feeling of disappointment and anger. Fishermen here are getting their first glimpse of a court decision that they say robs them of their rights.

Joe Rendeiro, Commercial Fisherman "This was a shock to me, I mean it really teed me off when I heard about it, I thought we had it won."

He's talking about a lawsuit filed against the federal government last year over controversial fishing limits. The Connecticut fishermen were trying to get a fluke quota lifted, but have been turned down.

In a 43 page decision released last night, the federal judge who heard the case rejected the fishermen's demand for changes. Essentially he said they have to live with the current quota system. That system was put into place to help boost the population of summer flounder, known as fluke. But Connecticut's attorney general says it's no longer needed and is in fact unfair and illegal.

Richard Blumenthal, Attorney General: "The present system deprives them of money, it takes fish out of their boats, that they have a right to bring to our shores."

This morning Blumenthal broke the bad news to the fishermen he's been fighting for, promising to stay the course and not give up. But there's no denying the frustration many of these guys are feeling.

Bob Guzzo, Commercial Fisherman: "Because of where I live, dictates how much I can make, which is not right, that's it in a nutshell. If I knew I could make more money in North Carolina, I would have moved years ago!"

Joe Rendeiro: "The boats out here fishing today are throwing fish away that they can't keep because of this program."

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