April 2, 2012 – A potentially disastrous fishing shutdown in New England has been staved off for at least a year, as federal officials on Monday announced a “transitional catch limit” to reduce the total take of Gulf of Maine cod by 22 percent instead of 80 percent.
It’s the biggest attempt yet to avert shutdowns under federal fisheries law, since New Jersey recreational advocates won a three-year extension for restoring the summer flounder population.
A political push by the New Jersey recreational industry got a three-year delay in harsh management measures to restore the summer flounder stock, and now the biggest spawning of young fish seen since the early 1980s is working its way into the population.
Read the complete story from The Asbury Park Press.