Tough job ahead for fisheries chief

BOSTON (AP) -- The new head of the Northeast's federal fishery office is stepping into one of the most perilous situations facing the fishing industry in years.

But John Bullard says he wouldn't have taken the job if he didn't think he could make a difference. He starts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Aug. 6.

New England's fishing industry is in the middle what some fear is a fatal squeeze between fishery science, which shows key species are in trouble, and federal law demanding tough cuts to protect the fish.

The 65-year-old Bullard is the former mayor of New Bedford. He says he'll focus on improving communications so all sides can better find solutions.

And he says everyone must work on a common vision for what the fishery should become.