NEFMC Votes to Pause Work on Multiple Existing Groundfish Priorities and Resubmit Amendment 25 to the Northeast Multispecies Plan
After extensive deliberation at the June meeting, the New England Council voted to resubmit Amendment 25 (A25), which would replace the current Atlantic cod stocks in the Gulf of Maine and on Georges Bank with the newly identified cod stocks in Eastern Gulf of Maine, Western Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank, and Southern New England. The resubmission will include the Council’s previously recommended cod measures from Framework 69 (FW69). The Council’s decision was based on NOAA’s disapproval of A25 in May due to procedural issues. NOAA’s disapproval letter detailed that A25 lacked critical management elements including reference points, accountability measures, and catch limits, but noted that the revised stock structure, with four cod stock units, is the best scientific information available. The “missing management elements” noted in the disapproval letter were included in the parallel action, Framework 69 (FW69), which is currently under NOAA review. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:25
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