The herring fleet and the lobster industry, which takes the vast majority of the catch for bait, were given some small, but important relief from harsh projected cutbacks in catch limits for the next three years.
Parsing admittedly cryptic advice from its Scientific and Statistical Committee, which had projected a steep reduction in the catch of the linchpin forage fish — valued more highly by lobsters, striped bass and cod than humans — the New England Fishery Management Council agreed nearly unanimously to ease a bit off the restriction.
The vote to ease up the catch limit from 90,000 to 106,000 tons was 15-1. Only Sally McGee, the representative of the Environmental Defense Fund, opposed the decision to ease the original recommendation by the science committee.
The extra 16,000 tons were promised to the deep sea area of Georges Bank to draw the big trawlers away from the coast and limit pressure on the inshore stocks, according to debate comments.
Read the complete story at The Gloucester Daily Times.