GLOUCESTER, Mass. (AP) - The administrator of a federal fisheries office says the government is behind schedule on actions related to oceans management because of the long shutdown.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is charged with regulating fishing and marine issues for the U.S. government. Michael Pentony, the administrator of its Greater Atlantic Region Fisheries Office, says Monday the office is "behind schedule on many, many critically important actions."
Pentony says fishing boats haven't been able to fish because they could not get permits. He says there also weren't enough resources to fully monitor protected ocean resources. Some fisheries have also been unable to operate at full capacity.
Pentony says it will take time to "work through the significant backlog of time-critical work" that built up during the 35-day shutdown, which ended Friday.
