NEW BEDFORD, Mass., — July 11, 2013 — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is proposing to reopen parts of three groundfishing areas that have been closed for almost two decades in an effort to provide further fishing opportunity to groundfishermen.
"We believe this will help fishermen operating under lower quotas this year for several key groundfish stocks such as cod," NOAA spokeswoman Maggie Mooney-Seus wrote in a statement.
The three areas, known as Closed Area I, Closed Area II and the Nantucket Lightship Closed Area, are located to the south and east of Cape Cod on Georges Bank. They were originally shut to groundfishing in 1994 to reduce fishing efforts and protect spawning fish. NOAA is proposing to open portions of these areas to "selected gear" to allow fishermen to target haddock, skates and monkfish.
John Quinn, a member of the New England Fishery Management Council, praised the proposal Wednesday, calling it "very good news." While he said it is "certainly not going to cure the problems we have," he called it a "good-faith attempt" on the part of NOAA.
"It will allow fishermen to fish in areas with a much higher density of fish, which means less time at sea and less expenses for them," he said.
Seafood consultant Jim Kendall said the proposal would be beneficial but "really doesn't add anything to the plate" because fishermen are still restricted in the number of fish they can catch.
Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard Times