September 16, 2020 — Now two years and change in development, the New England Fishery Management Council measure that could determine the fate of the Northeast groundfish fishery is set for final action on the middle day of the council’s upcoming three-day meeting.
The agenda for the council’s Sept. 29 through Oct. 1 meeting, originally scheduled for Gloucester and now consigned to a webinar, sets aside all of Sept. 30 for groundfish-related issues — including the highly contentious Amendment 23, which will set future monitoring levels aboard sector-based Northeast commercial groundfish vessels.
The council is considering four alternatives: Putting monitors on 25%, 50%, 75% or 100% of all sector-based groundfish vessels trips. It has designated 100% coverage as its preferred alternative.
In January, NOAA Fisheries set the target level for 2020 at-sea monitoring at 40% of all sector-based groundfish trips. It’s highly unlikely the agency will hit that target this year after the COVID-19 pandemic kept monitors off boats for about five months.
The council’s preferred choice of 100% monitoring levels helped establish an obvious and stark divide between the fishing industry and conservationists, as if they needed the help.