Effective 0001 hours on August 11, 2008 the commercial minimum size for haddock will increase from 18” to 19”. This action is being taken to complement federal rule changes that re-established a 19” minimum size.

MarineFisheries previously had reduced the commercial minimum size for haddock from 19” to 18” in August of 2007 to complement a federal emergency rule reducing the commercial haddock minimum size due to the slow growth of the large 2003 year class. Commercial trawlers using legal-sized mesh had been documented in 2007 to be discarding excessive amounts of undersized haddock due to a slow growth rate observed in the large 2003 year class.

For more information, contact DMF at 617-626-1520 or online at www.mass.gov/marinefisheries.