NEW BEDFORD — The New England Fishery Management Council voted this week to relax the restrictions on skate but stopped well short of approving a catch limit proposed by Mayor Scott W. Lang.
In its proposal, which still needs approval from the National Marine Fisheries Service, the per-trip landing limit will be raised from 500 pounds to 2,600 from May 1 to Aug. 31. It would then rise to 4,100 pounds starting Sept. 1.
Beyond that date, when a "trigger" of 85 percent of the total allowable landings is reached, the possession limit would drop to 1,250.
With the current 500-pound limit, Lang argued in a letter earlier this month to New England Fishery Management Council Director Paul J. Howard, boats couldn't make any money and 300 jobs in the local skate fishery were being eliminated.
New Bedford Mayor Scott Lang expressed disappointment with the decision, saying the limits are still unreasonably low and demonstrate the government's continuing mistrust of the fishing industry.
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