April 28, 2024 — The following was released by New England Fishery Management Council:
The New England Fishery Management Council has agreed to develop a new amendment to the Northeast Multispecies (Groundfish) Fishery Management Plan (FMP) to incorporate four new Atlantic cod assessment units into the FMP.
This action, now designated as Amendment 25, was discussed during the Council’s April 16-18, 2024 meeting in Mystic, Connecticut. It is the first step in the Council’s work to adjust the way it manages Atlantic cod based on the new scientific understanding of the composition of this species.
The Council will receive a progress report on Amendment 25 during its June 2024 meeting in Freeport, Maine. It expects to take final action in September 2024 when it meets again in Gloucester, Massachusetts.
IMPORTANT: This amendment will NOT modify the current management units for cod. It is intended to be a simple action to add the new assessment units to the management plan. Currently, the FMP identifies two cod stocks: Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank. The amendment will modify the plan to instead identify:
• Eastern Gulf of Maine cod;
• Western Gulf of Maine cod, including winter and spring spawners;
• Georges Bank cod under new assessment boundaries; and
• Southern New England cod (see graphic below).