The Northeast Seafood Coalition has submitted public comments for the proposed rules for the Northeast Fishery Management Plan that reiterate its lack of confidence in NOAA's current system of scientific assessments for groundfish.
The comments from the Gloucester-based NSC, submitted to NOAA Fisheries before Tuesday's deadline, question the reported status of the witch flounder stock and sets the fishing advocacy group in opposition to the proposed allowable biological catch limit of 460 metric tons or the 2016 fishing season.
"NSC expressed concern with the reported status of witch flounder during the public process," the coalition said in its comments, which also reference the group's "expressed concern that catch rates within the fishery are completely inconsistent with the reported stock status from the assessment."
That concern with the methodology and accuracy of the stock assessments by the national Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is a familiar refrain throughout the NSC comments.
