A little more than a month after President Obama signed enabling legislation filed by members of New England's congressional delegation, NOAA officials announced Thursday that negotiators obtained Canada's agreement to increase the allocation of yellowtail flounder available to U.S. fishermen along the boundary through Georges Bank.
The announcement by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration confirmed that the legislation enabling the agreement was signed by Obama on Jan. 4 after being initiated by U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine, Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank, and members of the New England congressional delegation.
Frank's office noted that the increase in the deal with Canada — which amounts to 2.5 million pounds — "relaxes the grip yellowtail flounder had on the ability of New England fishermen to catch all species of groundfish and scallops."
The new limit is 44 percent higher than what had been proposed for Georges Bank yellowtail in the coming year, according to Frank's office.
Read the complete story from The Gloucester Times.