April 26, 2023 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:
The New England Fishery Management Council has initiated a management action to consider allowing scallop fishery access into the habitat management area (HMA) on the Northern Edge of Georges Bank.
During its April 18-20, 2023 meeting in Mystic, Connecticut, the Council first approved a goal and objectives for this action and then initiated a habitat-scallop framework to develop a range of alternatives that will continue to address habitat protection while balancing controlled harvest of the valuable scallop resource within the HMA.
The Closed Area II Habitat Management Area covers a large part of what is commonly referred to as the Northern Edge of Georges Bank (see map below). It has the same boundaries as the Council’s Habitat Area of Particular Concern (HAPC) in Closed Area II and is designated in regulation as the Habitat Closure Area.