Effective 0001 hours on Thursday, September 21st, it shall be unlawful to possess or land sea herring caught from the Massachusetts/New Hampshire Spawning Area (322 CMR 9.00). This closure expires on October 19th, but may be extended by the Director if MarineFisheries sampling of herring landings indicates that spawning is ongoing. This is one of a few spawning closures in the Gulf of Maine timed to anticipate when herring begin their autumn spawning.

Exceptions: During the closure it will be lawful to fish for, possess and land herring taken from this area provided there is no spawn herring in possession. This zero-tolerance on possession of spawn herring during the spawning closure replaces the 20% tolerance from years passed. For incidental catch in other fisheries (i.e. not directing on herring): a vessel fishing for whiting is allowed no more than 2,000 lbs. per trip of sea herring in any spawning condition caught from the Massachusetts/New Hampshire Spawning Area; and a vessel not fishing for mackerel or whiting is allowed not more than 5% by weight of the total catch of all fish on board said vessel at any given time, or 1,000 pounds of sea herring on board said vessel at any given time, whichever is the greater amount.

Please note that the Friday and Saturday prohibition on landing and possession of herring, regardless of spawning condition, caught in Management Area 1A is still in place (322 CMR 9.04).

Definitions:
Spawn herring means mature sea herring in gonad stages V and VI.

Spawning area boundaries begin at the intersection of 43°30' N latitude and the Maine coast, then in a SW direction along the coast to the intersection of 70°00' W longitude with the Cape Cod shoreline, then north along 70°00'W to its intersection with 43°30' N latitude, then along the 43°30N line back to the coast.