ROCKLAND, Maine (AP) - The New England herring fishery is slowing down for the rest of the year because fishermen are approaching their quota for the fish.
Fishermen will be unable to fish for or possess more than 2,000 pounds of herring per trip in the inshore Gulf of Maine until Dec. 31, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has ruled. The rules went into effect on Wednesday.
Herring are the subject of a large fishery on the East Coast, but the industry has struggled in recent years due to a decline in population. Fishermen caught less than 25 million pounds of the fish last year after catching more than 96 million pounds during the previous year.
Herring are especially important as lobster bait.
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