Large New England Herring Boats to Carry Monitors

June 22, 2012

Large New England Herring Boats to Carry Monitors
By Associated Press

BOSTON New England fishing regulators on Wednesday moved to determine whether herring trawlers, with their massive nets and stunning efficiency, are wiping out Atlantic herring and doing lasting damaging to other struggling northeastern species.

The herring industry says the often repeated charge is baseless, and there’s no reliable evidence their boats are threatening either the fishing industry or the ecosystem.

On Wednesday, the New England Fishery Management Council voted to require independent monitors on every trip for the Northeast’s largest herring vessels. Both the industry and its critics backed the requirement Wednesday, confident they’ll be vindicated when the observers report what the trawlers do and don’t pull up.

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