Federal Officials Lift Fishing Ban On Fishermen Impacted By 'Codfather' Scandal In New Bedford

Fishermen who worked for the New Bedford fishing magnate known as "The Codfather" will be allowed to return to work after a federal ban grounded their vessels for months.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Thursday it approved an arrangement allowing area fishermen to reconcile more than 700,000 pounds of fish Carlos Rafael mis-reported between 2012 and 2015.

Rafael, the owner of one of the nation's largest commercial fishing operations, is serving a nearly four-year prison sentence for evading fishing quotas and smuggling his profits overseas.

The New Bedford Standard-Times reports some 80 fishermen have been unable to fish since the groundfishing ban was imposed last November.

U.S. Sen. Ed Markey and other members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation who had called for ending the ban praised Thursday's decision.