BOSTON—The U.S. Commerce Department's Inspector General says his office will review how the federal government makes fishing rules after a request by two Massachusetts Congressmen.
U.S. Reps. John Tierney and Barney Frank requested the review by Todd Zinser in August, after an independent report found a lack of confidence in fishery science and lack of accountability among federal rulemakers.
They said Zinser could help ensure fishery law was being carried out fairly.
Zinser agreed to the review in a letter dated Thursday.
He said a main focus of his investigation would be to determine whether regulators are following a requirement in the law that they consider the social and economic effects of fishing rules on local fishermen and communities.
Frank and Tierney have argued that requirement is consistently ignored.
