Herring rules worry lobstermen
A decision by New England fishery managers to cut herring catch limits has sparked the concern of Maine's lobster industry.
The New England Fishery Management Council voted Tuesday to limit overall herring catch for the next three years to 109,000 metric tons, a 45% drop from 194,000 metric tons this year, according to the Portland Press Herald. The catch along the Maine coast was limited to 26,546 metric tons. Herring is a primary bait used by lobstermen, and though the catch limit was not as low as earlier predicted, the changes could mean bait shortages or high prices for lobstermen, Patrice McCarron, executive director of the Maine Lobstermen's Association, told the paper.
The new limits are expected to be approved by the National Marine Fisheries Service this winter and take effect in early 2010, according to the paper.
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