NMFS weighs emergency action to lift northern monkfish trip limits


GLOUCESTER, MA – Groundfish fishermen will be able to land significantly more monkfish during the 2013 fishing year if the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) takes emergency action to “suspend” existing monkfish possession limits in the Northern Fishery Management Area, which covers the Gulf of Maine and northern Georges Bank.

The monkfish resource is not overfished and overfishing is not occurring, yet landings in the north have fallen far short of catch limits in recent years, reaching only 63% of the target limit in 2011.


The industry desperately needs any additional revenue that could be derived from this action. —Jim Odlin

 

 

 

 

Steven Kennedy/CFN photo

 

Read the rest and much, much more in the April issue of Commercial Fisheries News. Read online immediately and download for future reference.

LoadingUpdating...