Regulations

Just because a fish is legally caught in New York or Rhode Island doesn't mean it's OK in Connecticut.

A fishing report issued by a Shoreline tackle shop after the Connecticut fluke season closed September 5 advised that the Rhode Island and New York seasons remained open and that doormats were being landed off Montauk. Solid enough information but what was left out could get an angler who brought one of those doormats back to Connecticut in trouble with the state's EnCon Police, the guys we used to know as "game wardens." The regulations of the state in which you present while in possession of a fish, not just where you catch it, determines whether it is legal or not.

To make an analogy, a Connecticut permit to carry a handgun, does not make it legal for you to do so in New York or Rhode Island. Many Connecticut anglers who would not willingly break the law do not realize that fish caught legitimately in the waters of neighboring states may not necessarily be legal at the dock in Clinton or Stonington. Advisories from tackle shops and the media sometimes ignore this fact. Indeed, a recent article on fluke fishing in a major Connecticut newspaper failed to stress this point, says David Simpson, director of the Connecticut DEEP marine Fisheries Division. "It bothered me," he says.

Simpson notes that it can be difficult for anglers in our waters to err along maritime borders in Long Island Sound and adjacent waters. He is right. You can fish inside of Fishers Island within swimming distance of the Connecticut shore and be under the jurisdiction of New York. Similarly, there is an area just west of Rhode Island's Napatree Point and south of Stonington where you might literally dunk a line in three states from the same boat.

Read the complete story from the Killingworth-Durham-Middlefield Patch

 

 

 

Northeast multispecies fishery sectors may voluntarily elect to continue dockside monitoring programs during 2011 and 2012.  Any existing agreements between sector managers and dealers should not be affected by NOAA's decision to no longer require dockside monitoring during this timeframe.

Multispecies permit holders are also reminded that under existing regulations, in 2013, industry-funded dockside monitoring will be required.

Effective September 19, 2011

    •    Dockside monitoring will no longer be mandatory for fishing years 2011 and 2012
    •    Trip-start hails will no longer be required for fishing trips.  However, all multispecies vessels must continue to submit trip-end hail reports via their vessel monitoring system prior to returning to port for each fishing trip.

 

 

 

 

 

 

NOAA has produced a fact sheet with commonly-asked questions and answers that overviews the Atlantic sea scallop management measures for Fishing Year (FY) 2011 that are currently in place (including changes based on recently implemented Amendment 15 and Framework 22 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan).

To view the fact sheet visit http://www.nero.noaa.gov/nero/regs/infodocs/scallopsQ&A.pdf  

For a more detailed explanation of existing scallop fishery regulations please visit NOAA's website http://www.nero.noaa.gov/nero/regs/

 

NOAA Fisheries (NMFS) released the following:

GLOUCESTER, Mass. – Aug. 29, 2011 – NOAA is proposing a 56-percent, or 17 million pound, increase in the amount of Northeast skate fishermen can land this year, based on updated scientific information. With this emergency action, fishermen would see the quota increase from 31 million pounds to 48 million pounds for the season that began in May and ends on April 30, 2012.

"We made a commitment to respond as quickly as possible when new scientific information affects management decisions," said Eric Schwaab, assistant NOAA administrator for NOAA's Fisheries Service. "The proposed quota increase will result in considerable increases in revenues for fishermen and positive economic effects to the businesses that support the fishery, while maintaining important conservation objectives."

The New England Fishery Management Council reviewed updated scientific information on skates showing recent increases to the skate population and asked NOAA to implement emergency measures to increase the skate quota.

The bulk of the skate catch occurs incidentally in the groundfish, monkfish and scallop fisheries. Skate wings are typically kept and sold as food. Skates are also harvested for bait for the American lobster fishery. The skate wing fishery, which receives 66.5 percent of the annual allocation, would see its quota increased from 20 million pounds to 32 million pounds in 2011.

The skate bait fishery, which is allocated 33.5 percent, would retain 16 million pounds, 6 million pounds more than it was originally allocated when the fishing year began on May 1. The current possession limits on the amount of skates that can be kept per fishing trip would be maintained.

"Increasing the quota, while maintaining skate possession limits at current levels, will lengthen the fishing season, preserve fishing opportunities throughout the 2011 fishing year and allow fishermen to retain more skates when both price and demand for skate wings are better later in the season," said Patricia Kurkul, northeast regional administrator, NOAA's Fisheries Service.

Seven species of skate are managed as part of the skate complex including barndoor, thorny, smooth, winter, little, clearnose and rosette. Possession of barndoor, thorny, and smooth skates remains prohibited.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GLOUCESTER, Mass. — August 23, 2011 — NOAA Fisheries Service Announced the Closure of the 2011 Period 1 Spiny Dogfish Fishery.  NMFS sent the following letter to permit holders, dated August 22.

2011 PERIOD 1 SPINY DOGFISH CLOSURE

Dear Spiny Dogfish Pennit Holder:

The 2011 Period 1 quota for spiny dogfish fishery has been harvested. Effective August 26,2011, the fishery for spiny dogfish is closed. You may not fish for, possess, transfer, or land any spiny dogfish in state or Federal waters until November 1,2011, when Period 2 quota becomes available.

You may also receive permit holder letters, including closure notices, bye-mail by clicking on "Permit Holder Letters" on our website at http://www.nero.noaa.gov. This small entity compliance guide complies with section 212 of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of1996. This notice has been approved by the Regional Administrator.

 

Effective August 30, 2011, the trip limits for Gulf of Maine cod and Georges Bank cod will be reduced  for vessels fishing in the common pool fishery under a Northeast multispecies day-at-sea (DAS).

This action does not change the landing limits for vessels with the following permit categories:

    ⁃    Handgear A-300 lb/trip of cod
    ⁃    Handgear B-75 lb/trip of cod
    ⁃    Small Vessel-300 lb/trip of cod, haddock, and yellowtail flounder combined

 

Read the complete document from NOAA

 

 

 

 

 

 

NOAA has issued the following notice to Loligo Squid permit holders

As of 000 I hours, August 23,20 II, vessels issued Federal LoNgo squid (LoNgo) permits may not possess or land more than 2,500 Ib of LoNgo until the start of Trimester 3 on September I, 20 II. Federally permitted dealers may not purchase more than 2,500 Ib of LoNgo from 0001 hours, August 23,2011, until the start of Trimester 3 on September 1,2011.

Read the entire notice from NOAA Fisheries

 

 

 

 

 

NOAA Fisheries Service is extending the emergency revision to the butterfish allowable biological catch, which is scheduled to expire on September 12, 2011 through the end of the 2011 fishing year (December 31, 2011) or until superseded by 2012 mackerel, squid and butterfish catch specifications.

Specifically, this temporary rule maintains the increase in the butterfish acceptable biological catch from 1,500 mt to 1,811 mt, and allocates the entirety of the increase to the the Loligo squid fishery, based on the most recent and best available scientific information.

For more information from NOAA click here.

 

 

 

 

 

NOAA Fisheries Service today announced that it is making an inseason adjustment to the  2011 Winter II Quota to allow the rollover of unused commercial scup quota from the Winter I period to the Winter II period.

Read the complete notice.

 

 

 

 

 

On July 26, 2011, a letter my have been sent to you which contained an error from NOAA in the calculation of the IFQ allocation.  NOAA will be sending you a revised letter next week to explain the error and to provide a corrected allocation.

NOAA urges you to refrain from leasing or transferring IFQ pounds based on the revised pounds contained in the July 26, 2011 letter.

If you would like to complete an IFQ transfer (permanent or lease) before you receive the corrected letter, NOAA recommends that you use the allocation that you received in February 2011 as the basis for the transfer.

If you have questions in the meantime, please don't hesitate to contact NOAA at 978-282-8483.

NOAA apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause.