Federal regulators say it appeared that cod stocks were rebuilding, but new data indicates that the stock is being overfished again.
Just three years ago it looked like cod levels in the Gulf of Maine were rebuilding. But preliminary data just released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration indicates that the stock is being overfished again and cannot be rebuilt by the 2014 deadline set by fisheries managers.
This has led to concerns that the federal government could impose more fishing cuts. "Cod stocks that small boat fleets depend on is not where we thought is was," says Pat Fiorelli, spokeswoman for the New England Fisheries Management Council. "It's been reduced, for whatever the reason–probably be forced to take some kind of action, which is the horribly worrisome part."
Fishermen say they've been working hard to conserve fish stocks so they find it hard to understand why numbers are going down.
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