PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Bluefish are overfished, and federal regulators are cutting the amount that fishermen can harvest in the coming years.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said commercial fishermen will be able to bring 2.77 million pounds of the fish to land in 2020 and 2021. That’s a reduction of 25%.
The recreational fishery is also being reduced 39%, to 9.48 million pounds, NOAA said. The agency said the new catch limits are necessary to prevent overfishing.
Fishermen catch bluefish from Maine to Florida. The fish were worth more than $2.3 million at the docks to commercial fishers in 2018. They’re also very popular with sport fishers.
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