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2020 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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December

12/23/20: January Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission Meeting Postponed, Open PDF file, 226.88 KB (English, PDF 226.88 KB)
12/11/20: Commercial Scup Possession Limit for 2021 Winter I Period set at 50,000 Pounds, Open PDF file, 227.38 KB (English, PDF 227.38 KB)
12/11/20: 2021 Period I Commercial Summer Flounder Trip Limit Increased to 2,000 Pounds, Open PDF file, 229.75 KB (English, PDF 229.75 KB)
12/9/20: 2020 Commercial and Dealer Permits Extended Through January 31, 2021, Open PDF file, 142.97 KB (English, PDF 142.97 KB)

November

11/30/20: Massachusetts Shellfish Initiative Task Force Meeting Scheduled, Open PDF file, 235.97 KB (English, PDF 235.97 KB)
11/24/20: Public Comment Sought: 2021 Winter I Commercial Scup Limit, Open PDF file, 227.9 KB (English, PDF 227.9 KB)
11/23/20: Public Comment Sought on Proposed Increase to 2021 Summer Flounder Period I (January 1 – April 22) Commercial Trip Limit, Open PDF file, 238.65 KB (English, PDF 238.65 KB)
11/17/20: DMF Renews Winter Fluke Pilot Program for 2021
11/17/20: DMF to Host Trial Webinar for Upcoming Public Hearings and Post Public Hearing Records to YouTube Channel, Open PDF file, 250.26 KB (English, PDF 250.26 KB)
11/10/20: 2020 Commercial Tautog Fishery to Close Effective November 12, 2020, Open PDF file, 232.42 KB (English, PDF 232.42 KB)
11/09/20: Atlantic Sea Herring Fishery in Management Area 1A to Close Tonight
11/04/20: Commercial Tautog Fishery to Reopen on November 6
11/2/20: November Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission Business Meeting is Cancelled, Open PDF file, 224.42 KB (English, PDF 224.42 KB)

October

10/30/20: Commercial Black Sea Bass Season Extend Through November 5
10/29/20: Summer Flounder Trip Limit to Increase to 2,000 Pounds on November 1
10/28/20: Commercial Tautog Fishery to Close Effective November 3
10/28/20: Commercial Black Sea Bass Fishery to Close Effective November 3
10/23/20: Limited Access Commercial Menhaden Fishery to Close Effective Saturday, October 24, 2020, Open PDF file, 197.29 KB (English, PDF 197.29 KB)
10/22/20: DMF Proposing In-Season Increase to Commercial Summer Flounder Limits, Open PDF file, 235.57 KB (English, PDF 235.57 KB)
10/21/20: Division of Marine Fisheries Welcomes Two New Members to the Massachusetts Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission, Open PDF file, 192.95 KB (English, PDF 192.95 KB)
10/8/20: Recent In-Season Adjustments to Commercial Summer Flounder Limits and Horseshoe Crab Open Fishing Days for Mobile Gear Fishermen, Open PDF file, 226.42 KB (English, PDF 226.42 KB)

September

9/30/20: Reminder of October through January Commercial Groundfish Closure in Massachusetts Bay and Upper Cape Cod Bay
9/29/20: Reminder on In-Season Adjustments to Commercial Summer Flounder and Black Sea Bass Limits and Expiration of Seasonal Pilot Programs
9/29/20: Commercial Scup Possession Limit for 2020 Winter II Period Set at 24,000 Pounds
9/11/20: Federal 2020 Winter II Scup Quota and Possession Limit Set; DMF Proposes to Adopt Complementary Limit
9/10/20: ASMFC and MAFMC Public Hearings on Black Sea Bass Commercial Allocation Management

August

08/27/20: Menhaden Episodic Event Set Aside Fishery Closure; Quota Managed Fishery to Resume, Open PDF file, 188.8 KB (English, PDF 188.8 KB)
08/21/20: DMF Makes In-Season Adjustments to Commercial Striped Bass, Black Sea Bass, and Summer Flounder Fishing Limits
8/18/20: NOAA Fisheries Enacts Final Interim Rule Extending Recreational Gulf of Maine Cod and Haddock Seasons, Open PDF file, 243.24 KB (English, PDF 243.24 KB)
08/13/20: DMF to Reopen Commercial Menhaden Fishery on Limited Basis
8/10/20: 2020 Recreational Black Sea Bass For-Hire Season Extended
08/10/20: DMF to Take Comment on In-Season Adjustments to Commercial Limits for Certain Quota Managed Fisheries
8/6/20: Limited Access Commercial Menhaden Fishery to Close Effective Friday, August 7, 2020, Open PDF file, 132.41 KB (English, PDF 132.41 KB)
8/4/2020: DMF has begun the process of providing federal CARES relief to the fishing and seafood industries, Open PDF file, 226.75 KB (English, PDF 226.75 KB)

July

7/29/2020: Commercial Tautog Tagging Program Update, Open PDF file, 255.83 KB (English, PDF 255.83 KB)
7/23/2020: DMF Modifies its Period II Summer Flounder Pilot Program to also Allow Trawlers to Possess and Land Consecutive Days Trip Limits of Horseshoe Crabs and Black Sea Bass , Open PDF file, 218.41 KB (English, PDF 218.41 KB)
07/14/2020: DMF Develops Website on the Aquaculture Permitting Process, Open PDF file, 145.97 KB (English, PDF 145.97 KB)
07/13/20: Groundfish Monitoring Amendment 23 Public Training Webinar & Opportunities for Comment, Open PDF file, 217.57 KB (English, PDF 217.57 KB)
07/10/20: Public Hearing on Closure of Cape Cod Canal to Commercial Striped Bass Fishing, Open PDF file, 243.05 KB (English, PDF 243.05 KB)

June

06/27/20: Commercial Limited Access Menhaden Fishery Trip Limit Reduced to 25,000 Pounds, Open PDF file, 132.71 KB (English, PDF 132.71 KB)
06/26/20 Menhaden (Pogies) experience a die-off along the Merrimack River, Open PDF file, 267.17 KB (English, PDF 267.17 KB)
06/17/20: 2020 Commercial Striped Bass Limits
06/12/20: Free Saltwater Fishing Days: June 20 & 21, Open PDF file, 292.78 KB (English, PDF 292.78 KB)
06/08/20: Small Mesh Trawl Fishery for Squid to Close Effective June 10
06/03/20: Cape Cod Canal Closed to Commercial Striped Bass Fishing

May

05/18/20: For-Hire Fishing to Reopen in Massachusetts on May 25, 2020
05/14/20: DMF Renews Period II Summer Flounder Pilot Program
05/14/20: Effort Control Measures Set for Season 1 Sea Herring Fishery in Area 1A
05/08/20: May Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission Meeting Postponed to May 21

April

04/30/20: DMF to Rescind Seasonal Fixed Gear Closure Extension Effective May 1
04/30/20: DMF to Rescind Seasonal Small Vessel Speed Limit Effective May 1
04/27/20: DMF Extends Seasonal Fixed Gear Closure Through May 7
04/27/20: DMF Extends Seasonal Speed Limit in Cape Cod Bay Through May 7
04/22/20: Cape Cod Bay Fixed Gear Closure Update, Open PDF file, 67.06 KB (English, PDF 67.06 KB)
04/16/20: Recreational Striped Bass Fishing Measures for 2020
4/16/20: Commercial Black Sea Bass, Summer Flounder and Horseshoe Crab Limits
04/16/20: Commercial Striped Bass Fishing Regulations for 2020
04/16/20: Recreational Bluefish Regulations for 2020
04/16/20: Changes to Menhaden and Sand Lance Bait Fishery Limits for 2020
04/13/2020: April Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission Meeting Cancelled and May Meeting Rescheduled
04/13/2020: Declaration to Participate in 2020 Directed Sea Herring Fishery in Management Area 1A
04/01/20: 2020 Horseshoe Crab Spawning Closure Dates

March

03/27/20: MFAC Business Meeting Rescheduled to April 1, 2020 at 9AM
03/23/20: March 25, 2020 Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission Business Meeting Postponed
03/16/20: DMF Permit Update and Advisory, Open PDF file, 165.08 KB (English, PDF 165.08 KB)
03/12/20: Cancelled - Tonight's (March 12, 2020) Public Hearing at MA Maritime Academy, Open PDF file, 154.09 KB (English, PDF 154.09 KB)
03/12/20: March 12th Public Hearing to Continue as Scheduled, Open PDF file, 188.92 KB (English, PDF 188.92 KB)

February

02/21/20: DMF to Increase 2020 Period I Summer Flounder Trip Limits to 2,000 Pounds Effective February 23, 2020, Open PDF file, 223.38 KB (English, PDF 223.38 KB)
02/21/20: DMF to Temporarily Lift the Massachusetts Bay Commercial Groundfish Closure for April 2020, Open PDF file, 188.61 KB (English, PDF 188.61 KB)
02/14/20: Public Comment Sought on Proposed Action to Temporarily Lift the State-Waters Groundfish Closure for April 2020, Open PDF file, 280.49 KB (English, PDF 280.49 KB)
02/13/20: ASMFC to Hold Public Hearing on Atlantic Herring on March 2, 2020, Open PDF file, 224.99 KB (English, PDF 224.99 KB)
02/12/20: Public Comment Sought on Proposed In-Season Increase to 2020 Summer Flounder Period I Commercial Trip Limit, Open PDF file, 222.35 KB (English, PDF 222.35 KB)
02/07/20: Winter Omnibus Public Hearing, Open PDF file, 294.89 KB (English, PDF 294.89 KB)

January

01/31/20: Notice to Fishermen - North Shore Geophysical Survey Completed, Open PDF file, 346.26 KB (English, PDF 346.26 KB)
01/28/20: DMF Schedules Scoping Meetings to Discuss Anticipated Changes to Federal Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan, Open PDF file, 255.98 KB (English, PDF 255.98 KB)
1/23/20: Reminder Large Whale Seasonal Trap Gear Closure Effective on February 1, Open PDF file, 474.87 KB (English, PDF 474.87 KB)
1/22/20: Reminder - January Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission Meeting Cancelled, Open PDF file, 244.88 KB (English, PDF 244.88 KB)
01/14/20: Applications Sought for New England Fishery Management Council, Open PDF file, 128.29 KB (English, PDF 128.29 KB)
01/14/20: Striped Bass License Plates in Production!, Open PDF file, 219.25 KB (English, PDF 219.25 KB)
01/14/20: Supplemental Scoping Hearing for Bluefish Allocation and Rebuilding Amendment, Open PDF file, 149.47 KB (English, PDF 149.47 KB)
01/10/20: Opening Notice for Plymouth Harbor (CCB 42.0), Open PDF file, 187.32 KB (English, PDF 187.32 KB)
01/08/20: Scoping Hearings for Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Commercial/Recreational Allocation Amendment, Open PDF file, 142.9 KB (English, PDF 142.9 KB)
01/08/20: Notice to Fishermen - North Shore Geophysical Survey Scheduled to Begin on January 15, 2020, Open PDF file, 347.1 KB (English, PDF 347.1 KB)
01/03/20: 2020 Winter I Scup Limits Set at 50,000 Pounds , Open PDF file, 248.22 KB (English, PDF 248.22 KB)
01/03/2020: 2020 Recreational Fishing Limits Set for Fluke, Scup, and Black Sea Bass; Bluefish Rules Pending, Open PDF file, 132.73 KB (English, PDF 132.73 KB)

Contact

Phone

Main (617) 626-1520

Online

Email marine.fish@mass.gov
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Fax

(617) 626-1509

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