NARRAGANSETT, R.I. (AP) — Federal fishing regulators say they are slowing down the catch of a species of fish that has declined in harvest over the years.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the per-trip possession limit for northern red hake was cut back from 3,000 to 400 pounds per day on Wednesday. The regulation applies until the end of the fishing year on April 30.
NOAA says the restriction is required because the northern red hake fishery was projected to reach or exceed an allowed level of harvest this month.
The annual harvest of red hake has declined since the 1980s, when fishermen frequently brought more than 4 million pounds of the fish to docks. The haul is now typically closer to 1 million pounds. The most productive state in 2016 was Rhode Island.
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