Under the provisions of M.G.L. Ch 30A and pursuant to the authority found in M.G.L. Ch. 130 ss. 17, 17A, 80 and 104, Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) and the Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission (MFAC) have scheduled hearings on the following proposed regulations for management of multispecies groundfish species in waters under the jurisdiction of the Commonwealth:

1. Accept comments on recent emergency actions (322 CMR 6.03) to:
   1. adopt a 250-lb. commercial trip limit for yellowtail flounder year-round;
   2. adopt a 24" minimum size for recreationally caught cod in the Gulf of Maine Cod Management Area;
   3. prohibit customers aboard for-hire vessels to land or possess cod from the Gulf of Maine Cod Management Area during November through March; and
   4. decrease the recreational cod possession limit from 10 to 2 per person up to a 75-lb. limit per vessel for anglers fishing from private vessels or from shore during November through March.
2. Accept comments on a public petition to prohibit gillnet fishing for groundfish in waters under the jurisdiction of the Commonwealth (322 CMR 4.05, 4.08, 4.09, 4.11, 4.13, 6.26, 8.10, 8.11, 8.12, 8.15, 12.02, 12.05, 12.08, & 12.13).

Public hearings scheduled for:
Monday, December 18, 2006 (6:30PM) at the Annisquam River Marine Fisheries Station
(30 Emerson Avenue, Gloucester) and Tuesday, December 19, 2006 (6:30PM) at the Radisson Hotel - Plymouth Harbor (180 Water St.)

Comments received by e-mail (marine.fish@state.ma.us), fax (617.626.1509), or
mail (251 Causeway St., Suite 400; Boston, MA 02114)
will be accepted until 5PM on Friday, December 22, 2006.