November 9, 2012 — Fishery regulators this week announced a proposal to let New England fishermen use a smaller mesh size in their nets in certain areas, allowing them to target healthy stocks of redfish.
With strict catch limits on traditional stocks such as cod and yellowtail flounder, some fishermen are looking to target lesser known species such as Acadian redfish.
Stocks of redfish, also known as ocean perch, are now considered fully rebuilt after the population of this slow-growing fish collapsed during 1950s when it was heavily exploited.
Fishermen can harvest more than 18 million pounds of redfish a year but are only catching a fraction of that amount, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Service. This measure would allow groundfish vessels to harvest redfish using nets with mesh as small as 4.5 inches compared to the standard 6.5 inches now required by regulations.
Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard Times