April 20, 2020 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:
The New England Fishery Management Council covered several important scallop-related issues during its April 14-15, 2020 meeting, which was held by webinar. Current COVID-19 restrictions on travel and public gatherings prevented the Council from meeting in person. Here’s a recap of the scallop highlights.
Amendment 21: The Council approved the range of alternatives that will be further analyzed for consideration in Amendment 21 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan. This amendment is being developed to address:
- Northern Gulf of Maine Management Area issues;
- The limited access general category (LAGC) individual fishing quota (IFQ) trip limit; and
- The potential one-way transfer of IFQ from limited access vessels that hold IFQ to LAGC IFQ-only vessels.