PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Fishery regulators are approving a plan to reconfigure closedfishing areas on Georges Bank, one of New England’s key fishing grounds.
The New England Fishery Management Council voted to make the changes on Tuesday. The council’s decision followed an April vote to keep protections to Cashes Ledge in the Gulf of Maine.
The council says its approval of the Georges Bank changes will allow New England’s economically challenged groundfishing fleet to access healthy stocks. But environmental groups criticized the move as jeopardizing the health of the ocean in favor of economic interests.
Recent changes to habitat impact the way fishermen catch important species including cod and scallops in federal waters from Maine to Rhode Island. The council is meeting this week in Newport, Rhode Island, from Tuesday through Thursday.
