April 18, 2012 – Recreational anglers taking cod in New Hampshire waters should be aware of new interim state rules, likely to take effect on May 1, 2012, which reduce the minimum length and creel limits for Atlantic cod and make our state rules compatible with new Federal regulations.
The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department is proposing to make the following changes to the rules for the recreational taking of Atlantic cod: reduce the minimum size of cod from 24 inches to 19 inches; reduce the size of fillets from 14 inches to 12 inches; and reduce the daily limit from 10 to 9 cod.
The interim rule proposal will go before New Hampshire's Joint Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules on April 20. The interim rule will be effective for no more than 180 days, during which time the N.H. Fish and Game Department will move forward to implement these measures through regular rules using the standard rulemaking process that includes a public hearing and comment period.
The interim rules are necessary because on April 2, 2012, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced that they are implementing federal rules to reduce the fishing mortality rate for Gulf of Maine cod as required under the Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Conservation Act. Federal rules for recreational fishermen will reduce the possession limit from 10 to 9 fish and the minimum size from 24 to 19 inches. The federal rules will go into effect on May 1, 2012, and will apply to fish caught in federal waters (3-200 miles from shore) and anglers on a party/charter vessel with a federal permit.