Chatham, Mass. — Commercial fishermen have reached an agreement with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) regarding a change in a final rule for the Atlantic herring fishery issued in November 2009. The rule outlined new protocols that herring midwater trawl ships must follow in order to fish in an ocean area closed to nearly all types of fishing gear to protect groundfish nursery areas southeast of Cape Cod.
Captain Peter Taylor of Chatham, Mass., along with fellow fishermen Bob St. Pierre and Stuart Tolley, filed the suit in December 2009, requesting that the court require NMFS to reconsider a loophole that weakened the new protocols and declare the loophole illegal under the Magnuson-Stevens Act, our nation’s fisheries law.
“Groundfish fishermen have sacrificed a lot over the years to help rebuild these important fish populations,” said Taylor. “Access to groundfish closed areas requires strict oversight so closing this loophole will allow for better data on bycatch and a realistic view of what midwater trawlers are catching out there.”
Read the complete story form Earth Justice.