PORTLAND, Maine — Regulators are set to begin reviewing a report that says the amount of cod spawning in the Gulf of Maine is at an all-time low.
Scientists at the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service say the amount of cod spawning in the gulf is estimated to be only 3 to 4 percent of its target level. Their updated assessment of the Gulf of Maine cod fish stock could be used to create new regulatory measures for the fishery, but it must first be peer reviewed. An assessment oversight panel will meet with peer reviewers and New England Fishery Management Council staff on Friday to begin that process.
The peer review itself is set to take place next week, Aug. 28 and 29 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.