FINAL ACTIONS MAINTAIN EMERGENCY MEASURES ON RECREATIONAL COD FISHING IN GULF OF MAINE COD MANAGEMENT AREA AND 250-LB. COMMERCIAL YELLOWTAIL FLOUNDER TRIP LIMIT.

At a January 18, 2007 business meeting, the Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission (MFC) approved as final recent emergency regulations governing the recreational harvest of cod in the Gulf of Maine (GOM) Cod Management Area and commercial harvest of yellowatil flounder. Specifically, the Division of Marine Fisheries (MarineFisheries) is enacting as final:

Recreational Cod

a 24” cod minimum size in the GOM Cod Management Area;
a 2-cod private recreational possession limit not to exceed 75-lbs. per vessel in the GOM Cod Management Area during November through March (a 10-cod limit during April through October for private recreational anglers);
a prohibition on the possession and landing of cod harvested from the GOM Cod Management Area by persons aboard for-hire vessels during November through March (a 10-cod limit during April through October aboard for-hire vessels); and

Commercial Yellowtail

a 250-lb. commercial trip limit for yellowtail flounder year-round.

These rules are consistent with recent federal actions taken to regulate the commercial and recreational harvest of groundfish (see Framework 42 to the Federal Management Plan for Northeast Multispecies). However, MarineFisheries and the MFC determined that a complete prohibition on fishing by private anglers during the winter and spring months was not necessary to meet the Gulf of Maine’s targeted catch reduction.

Map of Recreational Cod Management Areas

For more information contact Melanie Griffin at 617.626.1528.