Northeast fishermen must use bigger nets for butterfish, starting next year
What happened
US regulators have set new catch limits for mackerel, squid, and butterfish for 2025 and 2026. Fishermen targeting butterfish will also need to use nets with larger mesh sizes.
Why it matters
The new net size means fewer small butterfish will be caught, allowing them to grow and reproduce. This change aims to keep fish populations healthy, which directly affects how much fishermen can catch in the future. It's a small but concrete shift in how a specific fishery operates.
The signal
Watch for changes in butterfish catch sizes and population numbers reported by regulators in the next few years.