The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has finalized a rule that amends the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan to introduce Amendment 8. This rule establishes a new Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC) control rule that considers the role of herring in the ecosystem and prohibits midwater trawling within federal waters inshore from the U.S./Canada border to the Rhode Island/Connecticut border. The aim is to sustainably manage herring resources, addressing both overfishing risks and potential conflicts between different user groups such as commercial fishermen and ecotourism operators, while ensuring herring is available as essential forage for other marine species. These measures respond to the declining herring biomass and are expected to provide both ecological and long-term economic benefits, despite potential short-term economic impacts on the fishing industry.
Simple Explanation
The NOAA made a new rule to help protect a type of fish called herring and make sure the fish don't run out. They also decided where certain fishing nets can't be used to keep everyone and everything that uses these fish happy and healthy.