NOAA Fisheries Service is continuing emergency measures to reduce the target total allowable catch and associated days-at-sea allocations in the Atlantic deep-sea red crab fishery, based on recent scientific information.
The red crab stock was assessed by the Data Poor Stocks Working Group in the fall of 2008, and a final report published in January 2009 indicates that the current estimate of maximum sustainable yield for red crab is no longer reliable.
This extension of the emergency rule is intended to prevent unsustainable fishing of red crab while the New England Fishery Management Council develops management measures to address the new assessment results.
For more information, read the Federal Register notice or contact Moira Kelly at 978-281-9218.
source: NOAA Fish News