April 20, 2020 — Local commercial groundfishermen breathed a double-sigh of relief last week. The New England Fishery Management Council voted 12-5 to postpone final action — initially anticipated for its June meeting — on the draft amendment that will set at-sea monitoring levels in the fishery for years to come. Fishing stakeholders argued the current immersion in everything COVID-19 made it almost impossible for fishermen to study the amendment in detail for public comment and that social distancing might have precluded final action at an in-person meeting in June (as opposed to a webinar).
And on Friday, NOAA Fisheries announced it is extending by two weeks its waiver period for at-sea monitors and human observers aboard vessels fishing in the Greater Atlantic Region. So, no observers or monitors until May 2 at the earliest.