ASSOCIATED PRESS • December 13, 2021
Fishing industry managers are recommending the already-diminished U.S. cod fishery face another reduction in catch limits. Cod fishing was once a huge industry in New England, but it collapsed due to overfishing and environmental challenges. The regulatory New England Fishery Management Council has called for a reduction of the commercial Georges Bank cod catch from about 2.4 million pounds to about 540,000 pounds next year. Georges Bank is one of two key areas where fishermen catch cod. The other is the Gulf of Maine, which would remain at about 590,000 pounds next year under the council’s recommendation.