No Changes in Recreational Cod Fishing Yet [PHIL-OSOPHY]

Recreational cod and haddock fishing off the New England Coast will remain the same as last year until the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries implement any changes expected in by May 1, 2019.

I am hopeful there will be positive changes coming because for the time being, recreational fishing for cod and haddock is still prohibited as of today.

States lose money every day that NOAA doesn't allow recreational fishing off the coastal waters from Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. It's one of the prime areas of ocean for recreational and commercial fishing.

NOAA says it's in the process of developing new rules for the 2019 fishing year, and I hope the policy makers come up with something better than last year. Until the new rules are announced, the recreational haddock fishery in the Gulf of Maine will have a bag limit of 12 fish with a minimum size of 17 inches. The recreational cod fishery will remain closed for now.

NOAA maintains that New  England's cod are over fished, but fishermen disagree with the government that has used, in my opinion, shaky at best scientific evidence for their findings.

Let's hope for some good news in the coming fishing year, but don't hold your breath.

Phil Paleologos is the host of The Phil Paleologos Show on 1420 WBS New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Contact him at phil@wbsm.com and follow him on Twitter @PhilPaleologos. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.