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Feds Seek Input On Plan to Protect Deep Sea Corals

Gulf of Maine Deep Coral Science Team 2014
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NURTEC-UCONN, NOAA Fisheries, UMAINE
Pollack and herring swim past newly-discovered Primnoa coral in the Schoodic Ridges of the Gulf of Maine in 2014..

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. - Federal fishing regulators want input from fishermen about how they can protect deep-sea coral off of New England while limiting impacts on commercial fishing.

The New England Fishery Management Council is holding a pair of meetings on the subject in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The council says it is looking for feedback about fishing activity that takes place within proposed coral protection zones.

The council says it is also looking for help in refining the boundaries of its management areas so it can protect corals while still allowing fishing.

The meetings will be held on March 13 and 14 in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and March 15 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.