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New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell says as many as 80 fishermen could be affected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's decision to withdraw the operations plan for Sector IX earlier this week and halt all groundfishing in that sector immediately.

The federal government says a group of commercial fishing operations dominated by a magnate known as "The Codfather" will be shut down for the rest of the season.

According to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, the Port of New Bedford has the highest valued fish catch in the nation for the 17th year in a row. According to NOAA's annual Seafood report, fishermen landed $327 million worth of fish in New Bedford last year, and 77% of that catch was sea scallops...

The Conservation Law Foundation has sent three letters to several individuals associated with the prosecution of Carlos Rafael, expressing deep concern over the case.

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - Marine authorities in the U.S. and Canada say they will marshal resources to try to find out what's behind a string of deaths of endangered North Atlantic right whales. Representatives of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Fisheries and Oceans Canada announced the effort on Friday...

NANTUCKET, Mass. (AP) -- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is asking boaters off the southern New England coast to slow down because of the presence of rare whales. The federal agency says endangered right whales were spotted in the area July 16 ...

NEW BEDFORD - New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell says organizations bent on shutting down the fishing industry in the United States have expressed interest in Carlos Rafael's soon-to-be forfeited fishing permits. Rafael was found guilty this year of falsifying catch records in order to evade federal regulations...

John Bullard formally announced today that he is retiring from his position as NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Administrator. The former New Bedford mayor has been serving in the top job for NOAA's Gloucester-based office since 2012...

NEW BEDFORD - A New Bedford seafood wholesaler is under federal investigation. A multi-agency raid was conducted late Thursday morning at Lou-Joe's Fresh Seafood on Washburn Street. Members of the IRS Criminal Investigations unit, Massachusetts Environmental Police, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration were seen going in and out of the building before noon...

NEW BEDFORD — As part of his plea deal with federal authorities, it's expected the "Codfather," as he's known, will forfeit his fishing licenses and they will be auctioned off throughout the region.