September 21, 2017 — The New England Fishery Management Council, which has not convened a full council meeting in Gloucester since November 2006, will address a proposed amendment to limit access to the whiting fishery when it convenes here next week.
The council, set to meet Sept. 26 to 28 at the Beauport Hotel Gloucester, also is expected to spend significant time on groundfish issues, including the groundfish monitoring amendment.
The whiting amendment, according to the council’s agenda, will be one of the first issues facing the council when the three days of meetings open Tuesday at the harborside hotel in The Fort neighborhood.
The council’s whiting committee will present its report centered around Amendment 22, which deals with limiting access, permitting and possession limits within the whiting fishery actively fished by many Gloucester boats.
Whiting, popular in areas of New York City and Philadelphia, also is at the center of local efforts to promote under-utilized species of fish from local waters to retailers, restaurants and the consuming public.