These commercial fishermen have voted against an interpretation by the National Marine Fisheries Service of the intent of a mixed stock exception in the Magnusson-Stevens Fishery and Conservation Act. The reaction came after a recent court ruling by a federal court judge in Boston in which the judge asked the NMFS to take another look at the mixed stock exception.
It is said that the judge set aside existing restrictions, known as Framework 42, for 60 days so that the NMFS could take another look at the mixed stock exception. Erik Anderson, the president of the New Hampshire Commercial Fishermen’s Association, told that the vote Tuesday was a very significant one for the commercial fishing industry. He further said that the mixed stock exception is a tool to be used for management purposes which have not been used before.
According to federal regulators new restrictions put in place under Framework 42 as an effort to protect certain ground water fish, specifically the yellow tail flounder and to some extent cod. It is told that under Framework 42, fishermen were allowed to “lease” additional days at sea from other boats, which helped recoup some income lost by the cut in days at sea.
