By Patrick Whittle - The Associated Press
PORTLAND, Maine - One of the two critical areas where New England fishermen search for cod may be in even worse shape than suspected.
Fishing managers already knew Georges Bank's cod were thin. New data from the Northeast Fisheries Science Center says research boats caught less of the fish per trip this past spring than all but one spring season dating back to 1968.
Georges Bank is a broad swath of elevated sea floor off of Massachusetts. The Gulf of Maine cod fishery is the other key cod ground and regulators say it is also in dire shape.
The status of the Georges Bank cod is the subject of a presentation to federal fishing managers on Wednesday. The New England Fishery Management Council will consider the issue at its meeting in Plymouth, Massachusetts.