Massachusetts Town Enacts Ban on What?!

Government bans are becoming increasingly common, but this may be the worst one yet.

Officials in Marblehead, Mass., earlier this month decided that the town's docks had become overcrowded with fishers -- so the board voted to ban all fishing from public piers.

Marblehead's overcrowded docks. (screen grab)

Screen grab.

Naturally, a few Bay Staters are upset with the decision.

“I say no way, let us fish,” one teen told CBS Boston. “Why not let us fish down here?”

Harbormaster Webb Russell explains that the docks were being crowded by people from outside of Marblehead. In fact, according to the CBS Boston report, many of the people in the above photos are from the Cambodian community.

“It was a little bit out of control,” Russell said. “The volume of people fishing down the gangway here, side-by-side.”

But, again, some Marblehead residents are unhappy with the decision.

“Several of my friends who grew up in this town since the age of 4 say they feel disgusted by the situation,” said Marblehead resident Michael Bourne.

“The result is, there are no Cambodians who are going to be fishing here as long as this ban is in place,” he added. “Whatever your heritage you should be allowed to gather in this town.”

Considering that the ban affects several members of the Cambodian community, a few have wondered whether the new law has subtle racial undertones.

“I completely disagree with that,” said Russell, “in my eyes it was just overcrowding. It doesn’t matter what race was there.”

Marblehead isn’t the only community struggling with overcrowded docks, CBS Boston reports.

Chatham, Provincetown, and Gloucester have similar problems.

But, hey, if you’re willing to shell out $500 to be considered a “commercial interest,” they’ll allow you to fish in Provincetown. So at least there's that.

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Featured image screen grab.