DANVERS, MA \u2013 Who among us can\u2019t see Closed Area II or the Western Gulf of Maine Closure Area in our sleep?\u00a0 The age-old, familiar boundaries of these and New England\u2019s other closed areas \u2013 some of which have been in place for two decades now \u2013 are deeply embedded in our understanding of the region\u2019s fisheries.<\/p>\n
So it might be hard to imagine an ocean landscape without a Nantucket Lightship Closed Area or with a reconfigured Cashes Ledge closure or, even more profoundly, to fathom the prospect that Closed Area I and much of Closed Area II might be open to fishing for nine-and-a-half months of the year.<\/p>\n
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These possibilities, however, are all on the table right now.\u00a0 Shrimp fishermen might gain access to coveted bottom that they\u2019ve long fought hard for.\u00a0 The Jeffreys Bank closure area might take on a different shape.\u00a0 And, new closed or restricted-gear areas might come into play in places where none existed before.<\/p>\n
This massive overhaul of protected areas has been 10 years in the making and is all contained in the New England Fishery Management Council\u2019s Omnibus Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) Amendment 2.\u00a0 The proposed amendment is an \u201comnibus\u201d action because, once implemented, it will apply to every one of the council\u2019s fishery management plans and impact every fishery under its jurisdiction \u2013 groundfish, scallops, herring, monkfish, skates, red crab, and Atlantic salmon.<\/p>\n
During a special Feb. 25-26 meeting in Danvers, the council approved an enormous range of alternatives to air at public hearings this summer, most likely in August.<\/p>\n
The options were grouped into three separate categories:<\/p>\n
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Read online\u00a0immediately and download for future reference.<\/p>\n [add_to_cart=4704]<\/p>\n DANVERS, MA \u2013 Who among us can\u2019t see Closed Area II or the Western Gulf of Maine Closure Area in our sleep?\u00a0 The age-old, familiar boundaries of these and New England\u2019s other closed areas \u2013 some of which have been in place for two decades now \u2013 are deeply embedded in our understanding of the … <\/p>\n![\"CFN_5_14cover\"](\"https:\/\/fish-news.com\/cfn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/CFN_5_14cover-243x300.jpg\")
Read the rest and much, much more in the May issue of Commercial Fisheries News.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"