September 30, 2020 — Fishing organizations including the Northeast Seafood Coalition are concerned about the potential of universal at-sea monitoring requirements for commercial groundfish vessels the New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) is currently mulling.
The Coalition, the Associated Fisheries of Maine and other Northeast organized seafood sectors have raised issues about the cost and effectiveness of the monitoring expansion. Groups submitted public comments on the NEFMC’s Amendment 23 to the Northeast Multispecies Fisheries Management Plan, which deals with changes to the monitoring requirements, the Coalition explained in a press release.