GLOUCESTER, Mass. — April 11, 2013 — 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.
According to industry members, that’s because fishermen are bound by unnecessarily restrictive trip limits, which are forcing the fleet to forego hundreds of thousands of dollars in potential income.
Given that Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank cod quotas will be cut by 77% and 55% respectively in 2013, many say that relief on the monkfish end is more important than ever.
“The industry desperately needs any additional revenue that could be derived from this action,” said Jim Odlin of Atlantic Trawlers Fishing Inc. in Portland, ME.
Monkfish possession limits are extremely complicated and vary by permit category and fishing area. The proposed suspension would apply only to vessels that are issued both a federal limited-access Northeast multispecies permit and a limited-access monkfish Category C or D permit. Furthermore, vessels released from trip limit requirements would need to continue using groundfish days-at-sea to catch monkfish, as is currently required.
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