PORTLAND, Maine — Fishing managers are recommending a shift in the amount of fish New England's beleaguered cod fishermen can catch for the next few years.
The New England Fishery Management Council met Wednesday to consider quotas for several species of important food fish. One of the species is the Gulf of Maine cod, which was once the backbone of the New England fishing industry.
The council voted to raise the commercial cod fishing quota for Gulf of Maine cod from 207 metric tons this year to 280 metric tons for the next three years. The council voted last year to slash the total Gulf of Maine cod catch limit from 1,550 metric tons to 386 metric tons.
The council also voted Wednesday to cut quota for Georges Bank cod.