Photo: Brian Skerry
September 30, 2020 (BOSTON, MA) – Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) released the following statement today commending the New England Fishery Management Council for adopting a plan to significantly increase at-sea monitoring for groundfish trips. CLF has called for 100% at-sea monitoring to gain a better understanding of what is being caught in New England waters and help species like cod recover.
“Atlantic cod is one of New England’s most iconic fish and it is in peril,” said Allison Lorenc, Policy Analyst at CLF. “Establishing a new understanding of catch through 100% monitoring will provide scientists and managers with the information they need to prevent overfishing and help species like cod recover to healthy populations. A sustainable fishery must be based on accurate data, and the fishery management council demonstrated their commitment to that today while also minimizing the economic burden on the industry.”
At-sea monitoring is necessary for New England’s groundfish fishery to collect key data for science and management. This includes the amount of fish caught – including the fish discarded overboard – where the fish is caught, and what gear is used to catch it. The plan adopted today will help ensure full accountability and accurate data collection across the fishery.
CLF experts are available for further comment.
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