SEAFOOD.COM NEWS [SCOM] — April 24, 2014 — Beginning May 1 all limited access Mid-Atlantic scallopers will be prohibited from taking any yellowtail founder on declared scallop trips.
NMFS said removing the incentive to target yellowtail should reduce overall mortality rates of the species in the scallop fishery compared to measures that would require full retention of legal-sized yellowtail flounder.
NMFS said all yellowtail catches much be reported and will apply against the scallop fishery's annual allocation for the fish.
Even under the new rule the scallop fleet will still have to adhere to yellowtail sub-annual catch limits and will be subject to the associated accountability measures if one or both of the sub-ACL's is exceeded.
Only those on declared scallop trips are subject to the ban.
This story originally appeared on Seafood.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.