A pair of conservation groups says it has struck a deal with commercial fishermen in Greenland and the Faroe Islands to protect thousands of vulnerable Atlantic salmon.
Commercial fishing for Atlantic salmon is prohibited in the United States, where the fish's Gulf of Maine population is listed under the Endangered Species Act.
Andrew Goode, vice president of U.S. programs for the Atlantic Salmon Federation, said his organization joined with the North Atlantic Salmon Fund to close a deal with Greenland and Faroe Island fishers to allow more fish to return to the rivers of North America and Europe.
"Basically we are paying the fishermen in Greenland not to fish for Atlantic salmon and sell them commercially," Goode said.
Coastal Greenland and the waters off the Faroe Islands are important feeding grounds for the salmon. Fishermen who work those waters take fish that originate in both healthy populations and jeopardized ones in Maine and New Brunswick, Canada. The agreement places new limits on fishing.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.