CHATHAM – The town of Chatham is working on its official response to the Monomoy Wildlife Refuge Draft Management Plan, and the town has hired three consultants to assist with the process.
The town has contracted former Chatham fisherman Jeffrey Pike, attorney David Frulla, and Ron Smolowitz of the Coonamessett Farm Foundation.
Smolowitz said his organization is an appropriate partner for the town.
“They came to us because of our expertise with fishing gear, and the fact that we’re familiar with a lot of the gear research that’s taken place on the impact of fishing,” he said.
Smolowitz added that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s plan to place new restrictions on fisheries is a rush to judgment and hopes the foundation’s research will shed light on the matter.
“The Fish and Wildlife Service probably overreacted and hopefully we can point that out and provide a legitimate scientific defense of what’s going on currently and the fact that fishing can take place without harming the environment,” he said.
The comment period on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s proposal runs until October 10th.
