SavingSeaFood - Cutbacks sought in regional cod catch

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Cutbacks sought in regional cod catch

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. - In a move that could bring increased hardship to an already struggling industry, a regional body that oversees fishing issues from Cape Cod to northern Maine voted yesterday to recommend that the federal government reduce substantially the amount of cod local fishermen can catch.

After a heated debate, the New England Fishery Management Council voted to recommend that the US Department of Commerce reduce the amount of cod fishermen in the Gulf of Maine can catch by as much as 4 million pounds, or about 20 percent less than the current year.

“They took a responsible course,’’ said Samuel Rauchm director of the National Marine Fisheries Service, who will consider during the next few months exactly where to set next year’s fishing limit.

At the meeting, a succession of cod fishermen said the proposed cuts, which come after scientists recently found the amount of cod in the region’s waters were much lower than previously estimated, would have a dire impact on their ability to stay in business.

Read the complete story from The Boston Globe

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