<your name>
<your return address>
<your city, state and zip>

Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez
Office of the Secretary 
Room 5516
U.S. Department of Commerce 
14th & Constitution Ave. NW 
Washington, DC 20230

<date>

Dear Secretary Gutierrez,

	If you truly believe that “the commercial and recreational fishing industries are vital to the health of our economy1,” then how do you intend to reduce overfishing while saving the coastal economies?  The fishing industry cannot survive more cutbacks in days at sea, but fish stocks cannot survive without more fishing cutbacks.
	The only solution is to support both the fish and the fishermen.  It is already difficult for fishermen in the Georges Bank area to make a living; with only your proposed 36 days of fishing2, how do you expect fishermen to survive and be able to support their families?  If the government is going to take away their way of life, then they should compensate fishermen for their lost days at sea.  More specifically, the government should pay fishermen to ground their boats for at least a year, allowing the fish stocks time to recover.
If fish stocks were to be rebuilt, it would mean economic gain for everyone, but they need time to recover.  We have spent decades over-exploiting these resources; isn’t it time to put some serious effort into saving them?  I look forward to hearing your answers to these important questions.

Sincerely,

<your name>

1.	Buchanan, Susan. “Marine Fisheries Bill Released.” NOAA Magazine. 19 Sept. 2005. 
2.	Lovewell, Mark Allen. “Secretary of Commerce Proposes Even Stricter Groundfish 
Rules.” Vineyard Gazette. 3 Mar. 2006.