In the wake of US District Court Judge Edward Harrington’s ruling on 1/26/09, the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries plans to meet with the National Marine Fisheries Service at the federal agency’s earliest convenience to discuss the court’s ruling and NMFS’s response to it.  DMF’s primary objectives are to ensure continuation of present fishing opportunities, reduce regulatory confusion, and craft fishery regulations that conserve fish stocks as well as fishing communities. While the Division continues to work with federal fisheries officials to provide the industry with clarity and predictability for the remainder of this federal fishing year, the agency urges fishermen to continue to fish conservatively while the 60-day suspension of Framework 42 is in effect. The Division will post important updates to its website, but we urge permit holders to communicate with federal officials to determine the status of federal regulations.