FAIRHAVEN — March 20, 2012 – Dozens of fishermen from Cape Cod and the Islands came to the Seaport Inn Monday night for a public hearing on proposed changes to the way the herring fishery is regulated.
Amendment 5, as the proposal is known, has been under development for a long time, according to Lori Steele, who chairs the planning development team on herring for the council.
An 85-page public hearing document, available at the hearing, represented merely a summary of the plan, which in essence addresses four key areas of concern: improving management and administration; monitoring the total catch by providing 100 percent observer coverage; addressing river herring by-catch; and introducing restrictions on allowing herring boats into areas that are closed to groundfishing.
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