November 10, 2011 – As of 0001 hours, November 12, NOAA Fisheries Service will be closing the Hudson Canyon Scallop Access Area to limited access general category (LAGC) individual fishing quota (IFQ) scallop vessels.
At this time, no scallop vessel fishing under LAGC IFQ regulations may declare its intent to enter or fish for, possess, or land scallops in or from the Hudson Canyon Scallop Access Area. The Atlantic sea scallop regulations require we take this action to prevent the LAGC IFQ scallop fleet from exceeding its 593-trip allocation in this area during the 2011 fishing year.
Vessels that have complied with the observer notification requirements, have declared a trip into the Hudson Canyon Scallop Access Area using the correct Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) code, and have crossed the VMS demarcation line before 0001, November 12, 2011, may complete their trip and retain and land scallops caught from the Hudson Canyon Scallop Access Area.
For questions about this closure, please call the Sustainable Fisheries Division at 978-281-9315.