Fishermen's effort throughout the New England groundfishery has been severely curtailed under a series of new federal regulations, with most stocks taken in only small numbers over the first month and a half of sector fishing based on allocated catch shares, the first official landings data shows.
After about 12 percent of the fishing year, only two stocks — cod from the eastern side of Georges Bank, and Georges Bank yellowtail — have given up close to 12 percent of the year's allocation, according to data released Friday by the National Marine Fisheries Service.
Otherwise, catches are between 7.9 percent and 0.1 percent of allocation — confirming signs that the fleet has held back from fishing in the first weeks under the new Amendment 16 and catch share management format.
Read the complete story at The Gloucester Daily Times.