Federal regulators are tightening catch limits for recreational fishing of cod and haddock in the Gulf of Maine.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is reducing the number of haddock that anglers can take each day and it’s limiting the number of days they can be fished.
The agency is also continuing its ban on recreational cod fishing.
The rule changes took effect last week.
Both moves are intended to protect cod, which are often caught by accident when fishing for haddock. Fish stock assessments show the population of cod is at a historic low.
Allison Ferreira is a NOAA spokesperson.
“We hope it will recover if we are diligent in our efforts to reduce catch, both recreational and commercial, but that’s all we can do is hope for the best.”
Some fishermen claim that fish stock estimates of cod are inaccurate.
The move comes as the state’s Fish and Game Department is looking to impose similar limits in state waters. The public comment period for those proposed changes ends tomorrow.
