The NEFMC reviewed several proposed alternatives for inclusion within the Omnibus Essential Fish Habitat Amendment 2 and, when and where possible, identified which of those alternatives they preferred.
WASHINGTON (Saving Seafood) — February 26, 2014 — The New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) concluded their two-day full Council meeting today. The NEFMC reviewed several proposed alternatives for inclusion within the Omnibus Essential Fish Habitat Amendment 2 and, when and where possible, identified which of those alternatives they preferred.
Among these alternatives was an industry proposed plan, submitted by the Associated Fisheries of Maine, the Northeast Seafood Coalition, and the Fisheries Survival Fund, which will be reviewed alongside the other Amendment 2 alternatives at a public hearing, to be held sometime in the spring or summer.
The alternatives being considered for inclusion in the Omnibus Amendment will determine how existing habitat areas across the northeast (Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank, Channel / Southern New England) and pre-existing mortality closures in Georges Bank are updated so that they may be managed in accordance with the most recent data.
These areas include the western, central, and eastern portions of the Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank and the Northern Edge, and the Great South Channel and Southern New England habitat areas. The industry's proposal, which will help to support scallop and groundfish fishermen in Georges Bank and the Northern Edge, will be considered alongside an alternative presented by several environmental groups, including the Pew Environment Group, the Conservation Law Foundation, Earth Justice, and Oceana.
While the final vote on these alternatives will likely not take place until the NEFMC's September Council meeting. The results of today's meeting move the Omnibus Amendment, which has been under development for almost 10 years, closer to completion.
Read the industry plan