NEW BEDFORD — So few monkfish are being caught by the Northeast fishing fleet that NOAA Fisheries said it is lifting the cap on monkfish for the vast majority of boats in the Northern Fishery Management Area, which is north of Nantucket.

The action is in response to a request from the New England Fisheries Management Council to make it possible for quota-deprived fishing boats to catch more fish.

In May, boats fishing under days-at-sea monkfish permits had the quotas lifted. The new rule extends that to boats fishing with groundfish or scallop days-at-sea permits, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

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