Federal ocean managers are looking to increase the amount of monitoring that goes on while fishing boats are out at sea.
Many fisheries are subjected to monitoring, which collects valuable data that inform regulations and catch quotas. The New England Fishery Management Council says it's looking at ways to beef up monitoring in some fisheries to get an idea of the amount of catch and reduce uncertainty about estimates.
The Federal Register states that the goal of the effort is to "ensure consistency in industry monitoring programs." It's also aimed at increasing monitoring in the Atlantic herring fishery, which is a major source for bait fish and food on the East Coast.
The federal government is collecting comments from the public on the proposal until Dec. 24.
