Fishing managers: Oil drilling in Atlantic is a bad idea

PORTLAND, Maine – Northeast fishing managers say offshore drilling for oil and gas off New England and the mid-Atlantic states is a bad idea because it could jeopardize marine life and industries.

The New England Fishery Management Council agreed to send a letter to the federal Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management on Tuesday calling for the exclusion of East Coast waters from oil and gas exploration in the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf region. The council reports to the federal government and its recommendation applies from Maine to North Carolina.

The council says energy exploration and extraction in the area is an inappropriate risk that “may harm living marine resources and the communities that depend on them.” The council managers waters where commercial fishermen seek valuable species such as cod, lobster and scallops.