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Division of Marine Fisheries

2018 DMF Advisories

DMF Advisories provide official announcements of updates to permits, public hearings, opening & closing of fishing seasons and other important news.

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Table of Contents

December

12/28/18: Director Declares 2019 Winter I Scup Possession and Landing Limits (PDF 138.85 KB)
12/14/18: Public Hearing Notice Right Whale Protections and Whelk Gauge Size (PDF 155.92 KB)

November

11/28/18: Public Comment Sought - 2019 Winter I (Jan-Apr) Commercial Scup Limit (PDF 135.86 KB)
11/19/18: 2018 Commercial Tautog Fishery to Close Effective Thursday, November 22, 2018 (PDF 178.41 KB)
11/14/18: Adjustments to Trimester 3 Atlantic Sea Herring Fishery Management in Area 1A (PDF 439 KB)
11/09/18: Increased Marine Fishery Fines and Penalties Take Effect (PDF 130.25 KB)
11/1/18: Emergency Regulation Adopted to Address Importation of Non-Conforming Striped Bass (PDF 174.14 KB)

October

10/26/18 ASMFC Public Hearing on Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management (DOC 137 KB)
10/23/18: Massachusetts/New Hampshire Sea Herring Spawning Closure Effective from October 26 – November 22 (PDF 281.38 KB)
10/11/18: Public Comment Sought on Northern Shrimp Management (PDF 180.29 KB)
10/10/18: Meeting Cancelled - October 11, 2018 Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission Business Meeting (PDF 171.63 KB)

September

09/28/18: Notice to Fishermen - Video Trawl Survey to be Conducted in Vineyard Wind Lease Area (PDF 70.33 KB)
09/28/18: Atlantic Sea Herring Management Area 1A Trimester 3 Landing Days (PDF 229.05 KB)
09/28/18: Commercial Scup Limit for Winter II Period Set at 28,500 Pounds (PDF 177.42 KB)
09/18/18: Additional Public Hearing Scheduled on Mobile Gear Fishing Rules (PDF 400.73 KB)
09/18/18: Revised Public Hearing Notice on Mobile Gear Fishing Rules (PDF 151.17 KB)
09/14/18: Adjustments to Commercial Striped Bass Open Fishing Days For Remainder of 2018 Commercial Fishing Season (PDF 314.92 KB)
09/11/18: Adjustments to Commercial Striped Bass Open Fishing Days and Public Comment Period (PDF 313.01 KB)
09/11/18: 2018 Management Area 1A Atlantic Sea Herring Trimester II Fishery Closed Effective September 13, 2018 (PDF 218.91 KB)
09/11/18: Recreational Black Sea Bass Season to Close September 13 (PDF 172.23 KB)
09/06/18: State-Waters Commercial Fishery for Sea Herring in the Gulf of Maine (PDF 179.23 KB)
09/05/18: Commercial Black Sea Bass Fishery to Close Effective Monday, September 10, 2018 (PDF 177.29 KB)

August

08/30/18: Commercial and Recreational Tautog Fishery Reminders (PDF 134.46 KB)
08/30/18: Labor Day Closed to Commercial Striped Bass Fishing (PDF 178.7 KB)
08/29/18: Notice to Fishermen - Shallow Water Geophysical Survey East of Hyannis Harbor Entrance Channel (PDF 70.5 KB)
08/23/18: Eastern Maine Herring Spawning Closure (PDF 463.45 KB)
08/23/18: Reduction in 2018 Catch Limits for Atlantic Herring (PDF 429.03 KB)
08/23/18: Important Reminders for Recreational Shark Anglers (PDF 178.3 KB)
08/22/18: Public Hearing Notice on Proposed Experimental Kelp Aquaculture Array in Buzzards Bay (PDF 5.95 MB)
08/17/18: Public Hearings on Summer Flounder Commercial Issues Amendment (PDF 150.47 KB)
08/10/18 OC 2-6, CCB 9,17,20 and SC 53-64 Shellfish Opening Notice (PDF 160.19 KB)
08/10/18: 2018 Commercial Summer Flounder (Fluke) Fishery Closure (PDF 178.33 KB)
08/09/18: OC 2-6, CCB 9, CCB 17, CCB 20, & SC 53-64 Shellfish Closure Notice (PDF 154.27 KB)
08/07/18: OC 2-10 & CCB 1-14 Shellfish Opening Notice (PDF 159.6 KB)
08/05/18: OC 2-10 & CCB 1-14 Rainfall Closure Notice (PDF 155.12 KB)

July

07/30/18: Commercial Limited Access Menhaden Trip Limit Reduced to 25,000 Pounds Effective August 1, 2018 (PDF 73.73 KB)
07/27/18: Mystic River Fish Kill (PDF 342.61 KB)
07/27/18: Notice to Fishermen - Bay State Wind Geotechnical Surveys (PDF 70.38 KB)
07/19/18: Updated Management Measures for Trimester 2 Atlantic Sea Herring Fishery in Management Area 1A (PDF 312.66 KB)
7/05/18 DMF News for Quarter 1 & 2 of 2018 Now Available (PDF 268.43 KB)

June

06/14/18: Notice to Fishermen - Bay State Wind Benthic Surveys (PDF 69.8 KB)
06/14/18: Free Saltwater Fishing Days: June 16 & 17 (PDF 113.79 KB)
06/12/18 Scoping Hearings on Federal/Interstate Bluefish Management (PDF 159.64 KB)
06/07/18: Shellfish Opening on June 17 (N7.0 & N7.6 Inner and Outer Essex Bay) (PDF 65.99 KB)
06/07/18/: Seafood Marketing Steering Committee Meeting Postponed (PDF 119.59 KB)
06/07/18: State-Waters Small Mesh Squid Fishery to Close on June 10th (PDF 68.83 KB)
06/06/18: Public Hearing and Comment Period on Proposed Nantucket Sound Kelp Project (PDF 871.71 KB)
06/06/18: Public Hearing and Comment Period on Proposed Chatham Kelp Project (PDF 2.7 MB)

May

05/30/18: Notice to Fishermen: Vineyard Wind Data Collection Buoy and Environmental Surveys (PDF 70.7 KB)
05/29/18: Shellfish Opening (N7.4 & N7.5 Lower and Middle Castle Neck River ) (PDF 214.69 KB)
05/27/18: Shellfish Closure Notice (N7: Essex Bay) (PDF 136.84 KB)
05/21/18: Days Out Set for Trimester 2 Area 1A Sea Herring Fishery (PDF 126.43 KB)
05/18/18: ASMFC Public Hearing & Comment Period on American Eel Management (PDF 130.18 KB)
05/18/18: Bay State Wind Surveys Notice to Fishermen (PDF 69.75 KB)
05/18/18: Plymouth Wastewater Plant Dye Study (PDF 125.36 KB)
05/15/18: Trap Gear Closure and Speed Limit in Cape Cod Bay Lifted Today (Tuesday, May 15, 2018) (PDF 177.3 KB)
05/07/2018 Revised Recreational Fishing Season for Black Sea Bass (PDF 129.7 KB)
05/04/18: Trap Gear Closure in Cape Cod Bay Extended to May 15 (PDF 88.8 KB)
05/04/18: Spring Trawl Survey Begins Monday, May 7th (PDF 145.93 KB)
5/1/2018 Recreational Georges Bank Cod Limit Implemented (PDF 137.34 KB)

April

4/30/18: Reminder that 2018/2019 Spiny Dogfish Trip Limits Set at 6,000 lbs (PDF 68.6 KB)
04/26/18: Notice to Fishermen - Vineyard Wind Geotechnical Survey (PDF 69.81 KB)
04/25/18: Emergency Regulations Implemented to Protect Right Whales (PDF 91.87 KB)
04/24/18: Voluntary Speed Limit to Protect Right Whales (PDF 71.7 KB)
04/13/18: New Recreational Fishing Limits: Fluke, Black Sea Bass, Scup & Tautog (PDF 62.77 KB)
04/09/18: Commercial Fishing Limit Adjustments for 2018 (PDF 75.94 KB)
04/09/18: Seasonal Surf Clam/Ocean Quahog Dredge Closure in Southwestern Cape Cod Bay (PDF 138.98 KB)
04/04/18: Regulation Changes Affecting Recreational Gulf of Maine Cod and Haddock and Georges Bank Cod (PDF 72.96 KB)
04/04/18: 2018 Horseshoe Spawning Closure Dates (PDF 94.9 KB)
04/02/18: 2018 Vp Control Plan Information and Training Meetings Scheduled (PDF 72.49 KB)

March

03/21/18: Meeting Scheduled and Public Comment Sought on 2018 Recreational Fishing Limits for Fluke, Black Sea Bass and Scup (PDF 84.07 KB)
03/20/18: Declaration to Fish in for Sea Herring in Management Area 1A during Trimester 2 (PDF 122.72 KB)
03/09/18 Shellfish Openings in Plymouth, Kingston, Duxbury, Cohasset, and Bourne (PDF 165.18 KB)
03/08/18 Shellfish Opening Notice: N4, N7, and N9 (PDF 165.05 KB)
03/08/18 Shellfish Opening Notice (PDF 165.87 KB)
03/05/18: Statewide Shellfish Closure Update (PDF 59.87 KB)
03/01/18: Coast-Wide Shellfish Closure (PDF 156.72 KB)

February

02/28/18: Public Meetings Scheduled and Comment Sought on Seasonal Vessel Speed Restrictions in Cape Cod Bay to Protect RIght Whales 
02/08/18: Public Comment Sought on Potential 2018 Recreational Gulf of Maine Cod and Haddock Limits (PDF 78.41 KB)

January

01/31/18: DMF New Bedford Office Relocating (PDF 119.38 KB)
01/31/18: North Shore Year-Round Mobile Gear Closure Area Pilot Program Decision (PDF 125.5 KB)
01/17/18: Public Scoping Meeting - Commercial Menhaden Management (PDF 134.39 KB)
01/12/18: DMF News Q3 & Q4 2017 Now Available! (PDF 10.71 MB)
01/11/18: Notice to Fishermen - Bay State Wind Survey (PDF 70.09 KB)
01/09/18 Recreational Black Sea Bass Pubic Hearing Relocated (PDF 174 KB)
01/06/18: Notice of Vineyard Wind Connector Public Meetings on January 8, 2018 (PDF 70.45 KB)
01/05/18: Shellfish Opening: N3-N7 (PDF 66.27 KB)
01/05/18: Shellfish Opening: Merrimack River Estuary & Northern Plum Island River (N2.1) (PDF 141.02 KB)
01/05/18: Shellfish Opening: Portions of Nantucket (NT7-NT11, NT13 and NT14) (PDF 165.49 KB)
01/05/18: Shellfish Opening: Cape Cod (CCB1-CCB51 & SC1-SC64), Martha's Vineyard (V1-V36), Portions of Mass Bay (MB1-MB11) (PDF 165.78 KB)
01/05/18: Shellfish Opening: Buzzards Bay (BB1-BB58) and Elizabeth Islands (E1-E14) (PDF 164.96 KB)
01/05/18: Coast-Wide Shellfish Closure (PDF 155.78 KB)
01/03/2018: Applications Sought for New England Fishery Management Council (PDF 107.84 KB)
01/02/18: DMF to Discontinue Wintertime Fluke Weekly Landing Limit Pilot Program and Other Period I Fluke Decisions (PDF 77.21 KB)
01/02/18: Reminder of Seasonal Trap Closure to Protect Right Whales (PDF 288.98 KB)
01/02/18: Public Comment on North Shore Wintertime Exempted Sea Scallop Fishery (PDF 142.4 KB)
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