CHATHAM, MA (January 22, 2009) — Federal regulators have announced a set of interim rules governing the commercial groundfish fishery which critics say could seriously undercut the industry without adequately addressing the problem of overfishing.
The draft rules proposed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) would take effect May 1, and govern commercially important species like cod, haddock and flounder. They are designed to govern the fishery until the New England Fishery Management Council finalizes its next major revision to the fishery management plan, known as Amendment 16.
Under the draft interim rules, regulators would expand the area of the Gulf of Maine where each day fished is counted as two days; there would also be a prohibition on keeping ocean pout, northern windowpane and southern New England winter flounder. Gillnetters and trawlers would be prohibited from an area of southern New England waters to further protect winter flounder. The reduction in days-at-sea already scheduled to go into place May 1 would also be retained.
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