The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has set a new rule limiting Atlantic herring catches to 2,000 pounds per trip or day in Management Area 3, effective from February 12 to December 31, 2025. This rule was put in place because it's expected that herring catches will reach 98% of the area's annual limit soon, aiming to prevent overfishing and ensure future fishing opportunities. By skipping a previously required 40,000-pound limit when catches hit 90%, NMFS plans to avoid confusion and more potential overfishing. This decision was made to protect herring stocks and abide by fishing conservation goals without further public input since the industry was already aware of these updates through earlier notices.
Simple Explanation
The people in charge of fishing rules have decided that fishermen can only catch a smaller amount of a certain type of fish called Atlantic herring in one part of the ocean this year, so there will still be enough fish for the future. They want to make sure that nobody catches too many fish and talk to people first when they make important decisions like this.