January 30, 2020 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:
The New England Fishery Management Council discussed several offshore wind and habitat-related issues during its late January meeting in Portsmouth, NH, including a proposed exempted fishing permit (EFP) for the Great South Channel Habitat Management Area (HMA) that would allow surfclam and mussel dredging within a defined portion of Rose & Crown – one of the HMA’s research-only areas.
The HMA was created through the Council’s Omnibus Essential Fish Habitat Amendment 2, which was implemented April 9, 2018. Surfclam dredge vessels were granted a one-year exemption to continue fishing in the area. The exemption expired April 9, 2019.
The Council developed a Clam Dredge Framework as a trailing action to the amendment to consider allowing the use of clam dredge gear and, subsequently, mussel dredge gear within the HMA if the gear could be used without harming sensitive habitat.