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:

1. Public petition to allow commercial fishermen using pots or hook and line to fish for scup on Sundays (322 CMR 6.28) during the summer-time directed fishery season that begins August 1;
2. Public petition to allow commercial scup pot fishermen to retain up to 100-lbs. of black sea bass per 24-hour day during the summer-time black sea bass fishery open season that begins August 1 (322 CMR 6.28);
3. DMF proposal to comply with annual catch targets of the interstate management plan for scup and summer flounder (fluke) by:
   • liberalizing the recreational fishing season for scup by opening the fishing season during the month of September at a 25-fish daily possession limit (322 CMR 8.06); and
   • increasing the recreational minimum size limit for fluke from 17” to 17 ½” (322 CMR 6.09).
4. Public petition to allow commercial fishermen to fish for squid using otter trawls during May 1 through May 15 within 3 miles of shore from Succonesset Pt. in Mashpee to Pt. Gamon in Yarmouth (322 CMR 3.04, 6.22, 6.28, 6.39); and
5. DMF proposal to complement the 2,500-lb. federal squid trip limit enacted when 80% of the quarterly Loligo squid quotas have been reached (322 CMR 6.39).

A public hearing has been scheduled for Tuesday, March 28, 2006 (6PM) at the Plymouth Harbor Radisson Hotel (180 Water St., Plymouth)

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, March 31, 2006.