The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is allocating $16 million from its 2009 budget to help the Northeast groundfishing industry transition to new management rules.
NOAA recently implemented interim rules to reduce overfishing and rebuild groundfish stocks in the Northeast, according to the Ellsworth American. Of the $16 million available, $6 million will be used for research to improve surveys of fish stocks, and $10 million will be used to develop data reporting and fish monitoring systems.
NOAA is working with the New England Fishery Management Council to develop new groundfish management measures.
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