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Avoidance Network Fleet Communication Program
Copyright & copy; 2011, Coordinated by Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Fisheries Program in partnership with University of Massachusetts School for Marine Science and Technology, and University of Rhode Island Fisheries Center. Funded by National Marine Fisheries Service, Northeast Fisheries Science Center, Northeast Cooperative Research Program.
NOAA Fisheries today announced that, at the recommendation of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, we are planning to increase the overall butterfish catch limit for the current fishing year. These interim measures would result in an increase in the current butterfish acceptable biological catch from around 8 million pounds to approximately 9.3 million pounds for the remainder of the 2012 fishing year.
We also are planning to decrease the 2012 butterfish quota for the directed fishery to roughly 1.9 million pounds, as the quota is not expected to be used, and correspondingly to increase the butterfish mortality cap for the longfin squid fishery to just under 7 million pounds. By increasing the butterfish cap, which closes the longfin squid fishery when it has been fully harvested, this action will enable fishermen to continue fishing for abundant longfin squid stocks throughout the entire fishing year.
We will accept public comments on this interim final rule for 15 days, publish a rule to respond to comments and finalize these catch limits shortly thereafter.