Richard Maximus Strahan v. Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (SPR 20250481)

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts William Francis Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth Public Records Division Manza Arthur Supervisor of Records February 19, 2025 SPR25/0481 Katrina Chicojay Moore, Esq. Associate General Counsel Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs 100 Cambridge Street, Suite 900 Boston, MA 02114 Dear Attorney Chicojay Moore: On February 18, 2025, this office received your petition on behalf of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (Office) seeking permission to charge for time spent segregating or redacting responsive records. G. L. c. 66, § 10(c); G. L. c. 66, § 10(d)(iv); see also 950 C.M.R. 32.06(4). As required by law, it is my understanding that the Office furnished a copy of the petition to the requestor, Richard Maximus Strahan. G. L. c. 66, § 10(c); G. L. c. 66, § 10(d)(iv)(2). In three separate requests on February 4, 2025, Mr. Strahan requested: [1] All records of lobsterpot fishing gear inspected in Massachusetts coastal waters during 2023 & 2024 including the following: [t]he license number found on the fishing gear[;] [t]he license number of the found fishing gear permit holder[;] [t]he licensed fishers name and business/residential address[;] [t]he licensed fisher’s e-mail address[;] [t]he licensed fisher’s phone number[;] [t]he year the license was originally issued[;] [t]he date and time of the said inspection[; and] [t]he location of the found gear in lat/long[;] [2] All records of sighted entangled whales from 2000 to the present off the Massachusetts coast that Mass Environmental Cops (MEC) reported to the scene of the entangled whale…[t]he license number of the fishing gear found on the whale…[t]he name, phone number and email of the said license fisher…[a]ll records (including pictures, video and emails etc.) of any investigative effort by the MEC regarding any said incident of a sighted entangled whale[;] [3] All records of sighted entangled sea turtles from 2000 to the present off the Massachusetts coast that Mass Environmental Cops (ECC) reported to the scene of an entangled sea turtle…[t]he license number of the fishing gear found on the One Ashburton Place, Room 1719, Boston, Massachusetts 02108 • (617) 727-2832• Fax: (617) 727-5914 sec.state.ma.us/pre • pre@sec.state.ma.us

Katrina Chicojay Moore, Esq. SPR25/0481 Page 2 February 19, 2025 sea turtle…[t]he name, phone number and email of the said license fisher…[a]ll records (including pictures, video and emails etc.) of any investigative effort by the MEC regarding any said incident of a sighted entangled sea turtle[;] [4] All records of all citations of violations issued to commercial fishers arising out of their fishing gear at some point being found on an endangered whale and/or sea turtle…[t]he name, phone number and email of the said license fisher…[a]ll records (including pictures, video and emails etc.) of any investigative effort by the EEC regarding any said incident of a sighted entangled sea turtle[;] [5] All correspondence with the Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown MA and/or the MA Division of Marine Fisheries to solicit information on the license numbers and the owner of the fishing gear that the CCP recovered from endangered whales and sea turtles during its disentanglement efforts[;] [6] The state email address[es] of [three identified individuals] [7] All records of lobsterpot fishing gear inspected in Massachusetts coastal waters during 2023 & 2024 including the following: [t]he license number found on the fishing gear[;] [t]he license number of the permit holder, its name and business/residential address, e-mail address &phone number[;] [t]he year the license was originally issued[;] [t]he date and time of the said inspection[;] [t]he location of the found gear in lat/long [8] All records of sighted entangled whales from 2000 to the present off the Massachusetts coast that Mass Environmental Cops (MEC) reported to the scene of the entangled whale…[t]he license number of the fishing gear found on the whale…[t]he name, phone number and email of the said license fisher…[a]ll records (including pictures, video and emails etc.) of any investigative effort by the MEC regarding any said incident of a sighted entangled whale[;] [9] All records of sighted entangled sea turtles from 2000 to the present off the Massachusetts coast that Mass Environmental Cops (ECC) reported to the scene of an entangled sea turtle…[t]he license number of the fishing gear found on the sea turtle…[t]he name, phone number and email of the said license fisher…[a]ll records (including pictures, video and emails etc.) of any investigative effort by the MEC regarding any said incident of a sighted entangled sea turtle[;] [10] All records of all citations of violations issued to commercial fishers arising out of their fishing gear at some point being found on an endangered whale and/or sea turtle…[t]he name, phone number and email of the said license fisher…[a]ll records (including pictures, video and emails etc.) of any investigative effort by

Katrina Chicojay Moore, Esq. SPR25/0481 Page 3 February 19, 2025 the EEC regarding any said incident of a sighted entangled sea turtle[;] [11] All correspondence with the Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown MA and/or the MA Division of Marine Fisheries to solicit information on the license numbers and the owner of the fishing gear that the CCP recovered from endangered whales and sea turtles during its disentanglement efforts[.] On February 19, 2025, subsequent to the opening of this petition, Mr. Strahan emailed the Office and this office, and stated, “[t]his is a revised version of the 4 February 2025 Petition previously served on [the Office]…Consider this version is the active petition seeking copies of public records…” Conclusion In light of the decision to modify the scope of the request, I find it is unnecessary to opine on the Office’s fee petition at this time. I encourage Mr. Strahan and the Department to continue to communicate directly in order to facilitate producing records more efficiently and affordably. See G. L. c. 66, § 10(b)(vii). Sincerely, Manza Arthur Supervisor of Records cc: Richard Maximus Strahan