PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The federal government has approved a proposal to increase at-sea monitoring of some commercial fishing trips to 100%.
At-sea monitors are workers who collect data on board commercial fishing boats to help inform regulations and management of species.
A regional administrator with the National Marine Fisheries Service said the government approved the new, higher percentage of trip cover on Tuesday.
The rules apply to valuable species that are harvested in the Northeast such as cod, haddock and flounder.
The new rules will replace the old process of calculating a target for the level of monitoring coverage every year.
