NEW BEDFORD — Maryland has its blue crabs. Maine has its lobsters. Rhode Island has its quahogs. Alaska has its king crabs. And New Bedford has its scallops.

Now a bill before the Legislature filed by state Sen. Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester would give Bay State groundfishermen, who land 70 percent of the catch in New England, some traction in the seafood marketing business.

The bill emerged out of the state's Seafood Marketing Commission and would brand Massachusetts-landed fish along the lines of the U.S. Department of Agriculture "Buy Local" campaign.

Rep. Antonio Cabral, D-New Bedford, was among those testifying last Friday to the Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture on behalf of the bill.

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