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By daybreak
Published: February 11, 2009
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NOAA Fisheries Service is proposing a suite of measures to immediately reduce overfishing in the Northeast multispecies fishery and ensure protection for the stocks most in need, such as yellowtail flounder and winter flounder in southern New England, and northern windowpane flounder. The measures of the interim rule will be in place until the New England Fishery Management Council completes new measures for Northeast groundfish fishery management, tentatively expected by May 2010.
Measures proposed for the commercial groundfish fishery include expansion of the area of the Gulf of Maine where each day fished is counted as two days, and a prohibition on keeping ocean pout, northern windowpane and southern New England winter flounder. Groundfish vessels using gillnet and trawl gear would also be restricted from fishing in an area of southern New England waters to further protect depleted winter flounder. The reduction in days-at-sea already scheduled to go into place May 1, 2009, would also be retained.
Several measures are being proposed under the interim action to take advantage of healthier stocks and provide vessels with more business options. The existing program that allows commercial fishermen to fish for haddock in waters on the eastern portion of Georges Bank would be continued. The limit on the amount of white hake that can be retained per day would be increased. The minimum legal size for haddock would be decreased. Some measures would be revised to provide more flexibility in transferring or leasing most limited access permits.
Comments may be submitted at www.regulations.gov until February 17, 2009. For more information, read the Federal Register notice.
source: NOAA Fish News
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Published: February 11, 2009
Print
EmailNOAA Fisheries Service is proposing a suite of measures to immediately reduce overfishing in the Northeast multispecies fishery and ensure protection for the stocks most in need, such as yellowtail flounder and winter flounder in southern New England, and northern windowpane flounder. The measures of the interim rule will be in place until the New England Fishery Management Council completes new measures for Northeast groundfish fishery management, tentatively expected by May 2010.
Measures proposed for the commercial groundfish fishery include expansion of the area of the Gulf of Maine where each day fished is counted as two days, and a prohibition on keeping ocean pout, northern windowpane and southern New England winter flounder. Groundfish vessels using gillnet and trawl gear would also be restricted from fishing in an area of southern New England waters to further protect depleted winter flounder. The reduction in days-at-sea already scheduled to go into place May 1, 2009, would also be retained.
Several measures are being proposed under the interim action to take advantage of healthier stocks and provide vessels with more business options. The existing program that allows commercial fishermen to fish for haddock in waters on the eastern portion of Georges Bank would be continued. The limit on the amount of white hake that can be retained per day would be increased. The minimum legal size for haddock would be decreased. Some measures would be revised to provide more flexibility in transferring or leasing most limited access permits.
Comments may be submitted at www.regulations.gov until February 17, 2009. For more information, read the Federal Register notice.
source: NOAA Fish News
Submit Article