AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) _ Interstate regulators will hold hearings for fishermen throughout New England about a plan to amend some of the rules for Atlantic herring fishing.
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is soliciting comments about the amended rules. The proposal includes alternatives to the current spawning monitoring program and changes to the requirements about a boat's condition before it leaves on a fishing trip.
Fishermen caught more than 200 million pounds of Atlantic herring worth more than $29 million last year. Most of the fish were landed in Maine and Massachusetts. The fish is used as bait and food.
The hearings will take place on Jan. 4 in Narragansett, Rhode Island; Jan. 5 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and Gloucester, Massachusetts; and Jan. 6 in Augusta, Maine.