Federal fishing managers say rules for recreational fishing of cod and haddock off New England are staying the same for the time being, and that means fishing for cod in the Gulf of Maine is still prohibited.
The Gulf of Maine's the body of water off Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. It's an important piece of ocean for recreational and commercial fishermen. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says it's developing rules for the new fishing year, which begins May 1, but rules aren't yet ready.
That means the 2018 rules will stay in place until further notice. The recreational haddock fishery in the Gulf of Maine will have a bag limit of 12 fish. The recreational cod fishery will remain shut down. NOAA says New England's cod are overfished.
