WASHINGTON – A federal court on Wednesday upheld large sections of New England’s new fishing regulations designed to protect stocks from overfishing while still meeting fishermen’s needs.

But U.S. District Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle handed conservation groups a key victory in their challenge of the new rules, finding that the government must set up a better program for monitoring bycatch – unintentional take of often protected fish, turtles or other mammals.

The regulations, known as Amendment 13, scaled back the number of fishing days and closed some fishing grounds. They have been an ongoing point of contention between fishermen who found them too limiting, and environmental groups that deemed them inadequate. Developed by the New England Fisheries Management Council, the rules went into effect last May 1, and in her ruling Huvelle said she wanted to issue her decision before the fishing season begins this May.