The New England Fisheries Management Council has issued a fact sheet to clarify the status of most New England groundfish stocks. The Council thought it might help have the correct information out there for public consumption. A summary of the findings is listed below, and the complete fact sheet is available at the link below.
Recent Information
– Redfish, American plaice, and both Georges Bank haddock and Gulf of Maine haddock are not overfished, nor is overfishing occurring.
– The Gulf of Maine cod spawning stock biomass is at least as high, or higher, than it has been in 30 years; and while overfishing is still occurring, this stock is no longer overfished.
– Cape Cod/Gulf of Maine yellowtail flounder has shown some rebounding in the last several years. The Georges Bank yellowtail stock is at the highest level seen in 30 years. (Increase not shown on chart.)
– The GARM III report confirmed that Southern New England/Mid‐Atlantic yellowtail flounder and Southern New England/Mid‐Atlantic winter flounder are at very low biomass levels.
– The condition of the Gulf of Maine winter flounder stock is uncertain; all of the winter flounder stocks will be assessed in 2011.
– While southern windowpane flounder has experienced increases, the status of northern windowpane and witch flounder, as well as ocean pout, has deteriorated.
– Pollock will be the subject of a new stock assessment in June 2010 .
The Tally
– Four stocks were classified as not overfished and not experiencing overfishing. Thirteen stocks were overfished and six were not. Eleven groundfish stocks were both overfished and experiencing overfishing.
Definitions
– An overfished stock or stock complex is one whose size is sufficiently small that a change in management
rules is required in order to achieve an appropriate level and rate of rebuilding. The Magnuson‐Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act currently mandates that overfished stocks be rebuilt as soon as possible and within a timeframe not longer than 10 years.
– Overfishing relates to the rate at which a stock of fish is harvested and occurs when that rate exceeds an acceptable level, eventually resulting in the stock becoming overfished.
Read "Groundfish Facts" from the New England Fishery Management Council.