Whale Recovery Plans

Files in this series contain fisheries and maritime research and information from 1980 through 1994. Memos, proposals, reports, notes, and correspondence are interfiled with background research material. Much of the correspondence and many reports were produced by the U.S. Commerce Department or maritime and fisheries interest groups from the Atlantic seaboard, especially Maine. These files cover a wide variety of fishing issues including the depletion of the Atlantic fishing stock; the maintenance of a sustainable fishing industry; the conservation of specific types of fish and shellfish such as groundfish, tuna, and lobsters; legislation creating the Gulf of Maine Council; the economic conversion of fishing communities to other industries; and seafood inspection. Other maritime issues include port user fees and rights, boat building, the merchant marine, the Maine Maritime Academy, the coast guard, and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Significant legislation includes the Seafood Inspection Act of 1990-1991, which ultimately did not pass. Most legislation concerning fishing and maritime issues was considered by the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, particularly the Oceans and Fisheries Subcommittee. Senator Mitchell was the Environment and Public Works Committee's representative to the National Ocean Policy Study (NOPS), convened by the Commerce Committee. The large volume of these files indicates the importance of the fishing and maritime industries to Senator Mitchell and Maine. Some related files can be found in the Environmental Pollution series. Bob Carolla coordinated fisheries research and produced and maintained the bulk of this material; Peggy Dorothy took over these files in the 1990s. Mike Hastings also worked on fisheries during the early 1980s. Other staff members who created fisheries and maritime files included Robert June, a National Sea Grant Fellow, Ted Lillestolen, a NOAA Fellow, Ann Tartre, Grace Reef, and Deborah Cotter.