Proposed amendments to Division of Marine Fisheries regulations

The following is a list of notices, by date of publication, for proposed Division of Marine Fisheries regulations. Click on the links below to view the hearing notices and proposed regulations.

All persons interested in submitting comments on the proposed regulations may do so in writing by the date indicated in the notice. Refer to the full notice for the mailing address for submitting comments. All comments received by the date indicated in the notice will be reviewed and considered.

Upcoming Public Hearings and Comment Periods

Under the provisions of G.L. c. 30A, and pursuant to the authorities found at G.L. c. 130, §§ 2, 17A, 21, 38B, and 80, the Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) is taking public comment on a series of proposed regulatory amendments at 322 CMR 4.00, 6.00, and 7.00. The draft regulations seek to (1) adjust and increase the commercial fishing limits for summer flounder, black sea bass, and scup and recreational limits bluefish; (2) reallocate quota from the bait fishery for horseshoe crabs to the biomedical fishery; (3) create a uniform sea scallop maximum dredge width rule between state and federal jurisdictions; (4) eliminate outdated and superfluous regulated fishery permit endorsements; and (5) allow any existing Coastal Lobster Permit holder whose corresponding vessel holds a federal lobster trap permit to permanently surrender their Coastal Lobster Permit to DMF in a one-time exchange for an Offshore Lobster Permit.

DMF will accept written public comments through Friday, February 27, 2026 at 5PM. Please submit written comments by e-mail ([e-mail]) to the attention of Director McKiernan. DMF will also host an in-person public hearing on Tuesday, February 24, 2026 from 6 – 9PM at Admiral’s Hall located 1 Academy Drive in Buzzards Bay, MA on the campus of Massachusetts Maritime Academy. If you are unable to attend the in-person hearing, it will be available as a listen-in-only webinar viz Zoom (register here) and will also be posted to DMF's YouTube Channel of Wednesday, February 25, 2026. 

DMF will review and consider public input in the development of final regulations. DMF anticipates the final recommended final regulatory actions will be presented to the Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission at their March 17, 2026 business meeting. The business meeting is currently scheduled for 9AM at the Division of Fish and Wildlife's Field Headquarters, 1 Rabbit Hill Road, Westborough, MA. Meeting materials are generally published 5-days prior to the business meeting. Please visit the MFAC's website for more details about this Commission and to obtain meeting agendas and materials .

For more information about these proposed regulations, please visit the links below:

1. Public Hearing Notice
2. Strikethrough Regulations
3. Recreational Bluefish Limit Proposal
4. Commercial Summer Flounder Proposal
5. Commercial Black Sea Bass Proposal
6. Commercial Scup Proposal
7. Horseshoe Crab Quota Reallocation Proposal
8. Scallop Dredge Width Proposal
9. Permit Endorsement Consolidation and Recission Proposal
10. Coastal to Offshore Lobster Permit Exchange for Dual Permit Holders