March 7

Regulators worry NE fishermen are cheating

The Associated Press

WAKEFIELD, Mass. — Regulators say they're worried fishermen are cheating by fishing in one area, then claiming the catch is from another.

New England fisheries are divided into different management areas, with different catch allocations for each area. For instance, there are separate catch quotas for cod in Georges Bank and cod in the adjacent Gulf of Maine.

The Cape Cod Times reports some regulators believe fishermen are catching fish in areas where they have small allocations, but reporting they were caught in areas where their allocations are larger. They say catch reports on some boats aren't matching satellite tracking of their location.

Regulators say misreporting undermines efforts to protect fish that swim and spawn in specific areas.

Industry advocates don't believe the practice is widespread but are working to eliminate it.

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