Federal fishing regulators are limiting the amount of herring that fishermen can catch off New England until the end of the year.
Atlantic herring are the subject of a large fishing industry in the Northeast. They’re used for bait and food.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said it’s implementing a 2,000-pound herring possession limit per trip in the inshore Gulf of Maine until Dec. 31. The agency said it’s taking the step because 92 percent of the catch limit in the area has been harvested.
NOAA said no herring fishing is allowed in the area from Jan. 1 to May 31, so the fishery won’t be able to fully resume in the inshore gulf until June.
Herring are economically important in New England because they’re used as lobster bait.