PORTLAND, Maine—A year after adopting a radical new system for regulating New England fisheries, federal officials announced Monday they're increasing limits on 12 out of 20 groundfish stocks when the new season begins May 1.
Higher catch limits will be a relief for fishermen who saw across-the-board restrictions on all species last year, when fishermen were first allowed to join "sectors" with specific allotments. This year, the number of fishermen participating in sector management has grown 10 percent.
For the new season, bigger catch limits for 11 stocks including Georges Bank cod (20 percent) and Gulf of Maine cod (6 percent) follow some success in ongoing efforts to rebuild stocks, federal regulators said. Higher limits on the 12th, Georges Bank yellowtail flounder, were negotiated with Canada.
Eric Schwaab, head of the National Marine Fisheries Service, said preliminary information from the first year of sector management is encouraging.
"However even with the higher catch limits in this new fishing year we understand these are still difficult times for many in the industry," he said.
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