July 11, 2025 — Frustrated members of the New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) have voted to delay work on three priority groundfish projects in order to repackage and resubmit new cod fishery regulations, which were rejected at the last minute by the U.S. federal government on procedural grounds.
“Obviously, this is very frustrating, especially to everyone who put so much work into this effort,” Council Member Alan Tracey said at a June meeting. “It’s another example of where we’re put in a position where we really have no choice.”
The NEFMC has been working on a major change to New England’s commercial cod fishery, transitioning from a two-stock management plan to a four-stock management plan. The new plan would set separate catch limits for each stock – the Eastern Gulf of Maine, Western Gulf of Maine, Southern New England, and Georges Bank stocks – allowing regulators to more precisely manage the sustainability of the fishery.