August 4, 2021 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:
The 2021 Atlantic Cod Stock Structure Management Workshop Series is about to begin. Five separate workshops have been scheduled between August 12 and September 20. Each has its own theme, but all of the workshops are based on two common threads: (1) the new understanding that Atlantic cod may consist of five distinct biological stocks instead of two – Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank – as currently is the case; and (2) outcomes from the June series of Atlantic Cod Stock Structure Science and Assessment Workshops.
The objectives of this management-focused series are to:
- Identify potential options for cod management measures;
- Examine the advantages and disadvantages of the options;
- Identify socioeconomic impacts that should be evaluated.