Regulations

June 5, 2015 — On Wednesday, NOAA Fisheries announced emergency management measures for the blueline tilefish fishery in the Greater Atlantic Region at the recommendation of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council. The measures, which went into effect on Thursday for vessels fishing north of the Virginia/North Carolina border, are:

•Commercial possession limit of 300 pounds per trip;

•Recreational limit of 7-fish per person, per trip;

•Requirement that commercial and charter/party vessels must hold a valid open access golden tilefish permits to land blueline tilefish.

Read the full story at Asbury Park Press

June 3, 2015 — The following was released by the NOAA:

Today, NOAA Fisheries announces emergency management measures for the blueline tilefish fishery in the Greater Atlantic Region at the recommendation of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council. The purpose of this emergency action is to limit fishing mortality on unregulated blueline tilefish.

The measures, which go into effect Thursday, June 4 for vessels fishing north of the Virginia/North Carolina border, are:

• Commercial possession limit of 300 pounds whole weight per trip;
• Recreational limit of 7 fish per person, per trip;
• Requirement that commercial and charter/party vessels must hold a valid open access golden tilefish permits to land blueline tilefish.

This temporary rule will be in place for 6 months, and may be extended for an additional 6 months, while the Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic Councils develop a long-term management plan for the stock.

Read the background on the rule, the permit holder letter,and the emergency rule as filed in the Federal Register.

We are accepting comments on this rule through Monday, July 6, online at the Federal eRulemaking Portal beginning tomorrow, or via regular mail to NMFS, Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office, 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark the outside of the envelope “Comments on Blueline Tilefish Emergency.”

Vessels fishing for or possessing blueline tilefish south of the Virginia/North Carolina border must follow regulations in place for the Southeast Region.

Questions? Contact Jennifer Goebel, Regional Office, at 978-281-9175 or Jennifer.Goebel@noaa.gov.

June 2, 2015 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries announces that a voluntary vessel speed restriction zone (Dynamic Management Area – DMA) has been established 35 nautical miles ESE of Nantucket to protect an aggregation of 3 right whales sighted in this area on May 28. 

This DMA is in effect immediately and remains in effect through Saturday, June 13. Mariners are requested to route around this area or transit through it at 10 knots or less.

This DMA is bounded by the following coordinates:

 41 25 N

40 46 N

069 41 W

068 48 W 

(Right Whale DMA. Credit: NOAA Fisheries)

ACTIVE SEASONAL MANAGEMENT AREAS (SMAs)

Mandatory speed restrictions of 10 knots or less (50 CFR 224.105) are in effect in the following areas:

Great South Channel U.S. SMAs (through July 31, 2015) 

Download the Whale Alert App for iPad and iPhone: stellwagen.noaa.gov/protect/whalealert.html

For an automatic return email listing all current U.S. Dynamic Management and Seasonal Management Areas, please send a blank message to: nmfs.gar.rightwhale@noaa.gov

 Details and graphics of this and all other ship strike management zones currently in effect: www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/shipstrike

Approaching a right whale closer than 500 yards is a violation of federal and state law. Please report all right whale sightings to: 866-755-NOAA (6622)

June 2, 2015 — GLOUCESTER, Mass. — The following was released by NOAA:

Today, NOAA Fisheries published a proposed rule in the Federal Register that would change some of the requirements for upgrading vessels listed on Federal fishing permits.

The proposed rule eliminates:

• The one-time limit on vessel upgrades, but keeps in place the 10% limit on length increases and 20% limit on horsepower increases; and,
• Gross and net tonnages from vessel baseline specifications considered when determining whether a replacement vessel is allowed under the permit.

As part of this action, NOAA Fisheries is also proposing to remove the requirement for vessels owners to submit “did not fish” reports for the months or weeks when their vessel was not fishing.

Read more information on this proposed rule, and send your comments in via the Federal eRulemaking Portal by July 17, 2015.

Questions? Contact Jennifer Goebel, Regional Office, at 978-281-9175 or Jennifer.Goebel@noaa.gov.

May 18, 2015 — The following was released by NOAA:

As part of the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan, new rules regarding trap/pot gear and gillnets go into effect on June 1, 2015.

Read our fact sheet about these new rules.

Also, please note that we are proposing to modify the minimum number of traps per trawl requirements in certain state waters including portions of Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Maine.

The proposed new requirements would allow singles to be fished in certain areas, and would require everyone fishing singles in these select waters to distinctively mark their gear.

The rule also proposes unique gear marking for all trap/pots and gillnets in Jordan Basin and Jeffreys Ledge, two important habitats for right whales.

The fact sheet about the proposed changes is now available.The comment period for this rule closed on April 20, 2015.

Questions? Contact Jennifer Goebel, Regional Office, at 978-281-9175 or Jennifer.Goebel@noaa.gov

May 2, 2015 — In saltwater fishing news this week, MarineFisheries has adopted a new measure to prevent unlawful “stockpiling” of striped bass on closed commercial fishing days for the striped bass fishery. Stockpiling refers to harvesting fish on a closed commercial fishing day to be sold on a following open commercial day, which is illegal.

Beginning on June 20 through the end of the commercial season, commercial striped bass fishermen fishing recreationally on a closed commercial fishing day must remove the entire right pectoral fin from any striped bass 34 inches or greater that they retain. To aid in enforcement, this rule also applies to any person fishing aboard a vessel that is either named on a commercial striped bass permit endorsement or carrying the holder of a commercial striped bass permit endorsement.

Concurrently, dealers are prohibited from purchasing and selling any striped bass that has had its right pectoral fin removed as such a fish designates a recreationally-caught fish and therefore is illegal to buy and/or sell.

Commercial striped bass regulations establish a start date of June 23 for the seasonal fishery and open fishing days of Monday and Thursday. For 2015, this means the commercial fishery begins on June 25. Accordingly, the requirement to remove the right pectoral fin is active this year from June 20-24, followed by every Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday until the season closes (quota dependent).

Read the full story from the New Bedford Standard-Times

April 30, 2015 — State legislators announced today that the New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) voted down the proposal to close 55-square-mile of Stellwagen Bank to recreational anglers, charter boats, and for hire vessels.

Stellwagen Bank. Photo Courtesy of NOAA

Stellwagen Bank in the Western Gulf of Maine remains one of the more prosperous areas for fishermen and the charter fleet to bring home the days catch of haddock, pollock, tuna and sharks during the fishing season, and the proposal would have designated the fishing grounds for habitat and fisheries research, according to a news release.

“I am pleased that the New England Fishery Management Council took both economic and environmental factors into consideration in their decision not to close Stellwagen Bank to our recreational fishermen,” Congressman Bill Keating said in the announcement. “Captain Mike Pierdinock and Beth Casoni should be applauded for their leadership on behalf of the recreational fishing industry. While it is important that we first and foremost promote efforts to protect the health and sustainability of our stocks, we must also recognize opportunities where we can protect both industries.”

Read the full story at the Marshfield Mariner