DANVERS, Mass. — February 27, 2014 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:
Meeting this week on February 25-26, the New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) took another step in the process to develop fishery measures that would protect important marine habitats in the Northeast. Most significantly, the NEFMC identified its “preferred alternatives” among a wider range of proposals that have been developed as part of Draft Omnibus Habitat Amendment 2. Preferred alternatives are not binding on the Council when final decisions are made, but are intended to give the public an idea of the direction in which a majority of its members are leaning at the time. The amendment would modify all of the Council’s fishery management plans.
Over the two days, the Council examined alternatives and options that ranged from the status quo, to opening areas currently closed to fishing, to requirements for gear restrictions in places with sensitive bottom types. It also added new packages of measures that were brought to the meeting by both fishing and environmental interests.
The Habitat Amendment is being developed by the NEFMC to identify fishery measures that would protect, conserve, and enhance essential fish habitat for the species managed by the 18-member Council. These would include stocks of groundfish (cod, haddock, pollock and several flounders),sea scallops, monkfish, Atlantic herring, hakes/whiting species and skates, among other species.