Under the provisions of M.G.L. c. 30A and pursuant to the authority found at M.G.L. c. 130 §§ 17, 80 and 104, the Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) has scheduled public hearings and a public comment period on emergency regulations that amend 322 CMR 6.00 to establish the 2018 recreational black sea bass, summer flounder (fluke), scup, and cod. The hearing schedule and proposals are as follows:
10:00 AM
June 14, 2018
SMAST East
836 South Rodney French Blvd
New Bedford, MA
- 2018 Recreational Black Sea Bass Limits (322 CMR 6.28). This action establishes an open fishing season of May 19th – September 12th, providing 13 additional open fishing days at the end of the season. The bag limit and minimum size will remain status quo.
- 2018 Recreational Summer Flounder Limits (322 CMR 6.22). This action establishes an open fishing season of May 23rd – October 9th, providing an additional 15 open fishing days. Additionally, it increases the bag limit by 1-fish from 4-fish to 5-fish. The minimum size will remain status quo.
- 2018 Recreational Scup Limits (322 CMR 6.27). This action reduces the scup minimum size from 10” to 9”. The bag limit and seasons will remain status quo.
- 2018 Recreational Gulf of Maine Cod Limits (322 CMR 6.03). This action prohibits the possession of Gulf of Maine cod by all recreational fishermen. This is consistent with current federal rules.
- 2018 Recreational Georges Bank Cod Limits (322 CMR 6.03). This action increases the minimum size for Georges Bank cod from 22” to 23”. This is consistent with current federal rules.
Instructions for Written Comments
Written public comments will be accepted until 5PM on June 12, 2018. Address all comments to Director Pierce at marine.fish@state.ma.us or 251 Causeway Street, Suite 400, Boston, MA 02114. A full copy of the emergency regulations is available through Jared Silva (617-626-1534 orjared.silva@state.ma.us).
I understand the closing of Cod …but every time I go out on a Haddock trip it is frustrating to throw back so many beautiful Cod. I would like to see the commercial fishing industry seek alternative fishing methods. It is insane to see “shorts” being thrown back after being netted ….dead. How about keeping everything your net catches for your quota and if you are in an area where there are too many shorts –then move. Don’t keep raping the nursery ! Look at Norway and how their Cod fishing has rebounded. They were in the same downward spiral but had the smarts to change their fishing methods before it was too late
Haddock fishing this time of year is mostly done in shallow water where cod are aggregating – it gives the false impression that the cod stocks are healthier than they are. Cod should be present in many more places where they are conspicuously absent from because of over fishing and dragging.
Agree with Scott that the commercial fleet should be assessed with much higher mortality than they are – and the reason why MA shut down cod on recreational fisherman (while as the same time the commercial fleet got an increase in their quota through 2020) is because of how mortality is factored in. Incidentally, NOAA just granted limited commercial access to Cashes Ledge which is like the only live bottom in New England off limits to dragging and should be kept that way.
If a dragger brings in more than his quota of cod he’s assessed a fine. How many dragger captains do you imagine are going to bring to port cod once they have met their quota and will have to pay a penalty for it by the pound at the dock? Dead discards.
The fisheries regulators are overrepresented by industry interests purely interested in making as much money as they can right now, to hell with the future, science, regulations – they always know best.
Join the Coastal Conservation Association, the American Littoral Society, the Conservation Law Foundation if you want someone to push back against commercial forces that results in worse fisheries and fewer fish to catch.
I keep saying NOAAcis purposely trying to tank the mass so they can shut Down recreational fishing (Hunting ) of any kind they hate us.
NOAA gets paid from your Tax Dollar and Funds received from Recreational Licensing. My take? Your Assessment is over-reach and sounds a bit paranoid.