July 2, 2012 – NOAA Fisheries Service announced on Friday that fishermen who target skate in portions of southern New England waters will be exempt from a rule requiring them to use part of their allotted days at sea to go after these fish.
The exemption applies from July through October for boats using trawl gear with large mesh (6.5 inches). This measure will provide fishermen access to skate, which are used primarily for bait in other fisheries, with little impact to other groundfish species.
Extensive studies have shown that bycatch of other fish with this gear is less than 5 percent, according to NOAA fisheries.
Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard Times.