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Lawmakers, council and scientists weigh limited access to Northern Edge of Georges Bank
Summary
Federal and state fishery managers, scientists and lawmakers debated whether to allow limited scallop fishing on the Northern Edge of Georges Bank, a long-closed, high‑productivity area the New England Fishery Management Council previously decided not to open because of habitat and ecosystem trade‑offs.
Senator Mark Montigny, who chaired a joint hearing of two Senate committees, pressed regulators and scientists on reopening a small portion of the Northern Edge of Georges Bank to scallop harvest, saying, “Like, I'm looking to find out why we haven't opened these grounds long ago.”
The Northern Edge is a portion of Georges Bank that has been closed to gear capable of catching groundfish since 1994 and is designated a habitat area of particular concern (HAPC). Proponents say the area holds dense scallop populations that could relieve fishing pressure elsewhere; opponents and council staff cited trade‑offs with juvenile Atlantic cod, American lobster and Atlantic herring habitat that contributed to the New England Fishery Management Council’s April 2024 vote to discontinue action to open it.
Why it matters: New Bedford and other Massachusetts ports depend heavily on scallop landings;…
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