L E T T E R  T O  T H E  E D I T O R

Whale Entanglement Debate

I’ve been following the whale entanglement debate closely and I have some observations as a lawyer of 59 years of practice and a former Assistant Attorney General, Deputy Attorney General and Counsel to the Legislature and a frequent lobbyist. I’m concerned. First of all, I believe that we have a very competent Commissioner of Marine Resources, but he’s not a lawyer and not used to how things work in the realm.

I think the State’s approach, whether driven by DMR or the Attorney General’s Office, is wrong, and I’ve thought that for a number of years. They want to settle with the fed’s before it’s time. It isn’t ready yet, and I’ve long held the view that faced with the prospect of destroying the lives and businesses of those who have protected the fishery, the fed’s will blink. I urged that view earlier on with George LaPointe when he was Commissioner, but I’m of the firm view that, if we’re tough enough, that we can prevail with a better solution than what appears right now. I don’t think the fed’s will shut the fishery down, ultimately, I believe we’ve got some lawyers in the Attorney General’s Office who can handle this matter and that we ought to go forward with a very strong position of telling the fed’s that they ought to go to the place that’s rumored to be warm.

My judgment after lawyering for 59 years and still at it is that now is the time to hang tough. We can cave in later. I’m proud of what Maine has done.

Attorney Jon R. Doyle,
Augusta, Maine