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janrinok writes:

A Phys.Org story [phys.org] reports that the level of codfish spawning in one of the most critical fisheries in the Northeast U.S. is at an all-time low.

National Marine Fisheries Service scientists say the amount of cod spawning in the Gulf of Maine is estimated at 3 to 4 percent of its target level. That number declined from 13 to 18 percent three years ago. Scientists say low levels of reproduction in the fishery are holding re-population back.

Federal regulators cut the Gulf of Maine cod harvest quota by 77 percent before the 2013-14 fishing season, and that's still in effect. The federal New England Fishery Management Council is working on new management measures for the species.

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