"These closures do provide additional protection for groundfish," argued Patricia Kurkul, the regional administrator for the National Marine Fisheries Service, which oversees the council. "I think this is premature."

The council voted 10-4 against the request.

In December 1994 the National Marine Fisheries Service closed nearly 6,600 square miles of fishing grounds in three areas off the Cape Cod coast to protect spawning fish and help rebuild cod, haddock and flounder populations that had fallen to historic lows, mainly as a result of overfishing.

Council member Sally McGee, New England policy director for the Environmental Defense Fund, urged the council to finish a plan to identify and protect fish habitat throughout the region before considering eliminating protections.

Read the complete story from The Cape Cod Times.