- Division of Marine Fisheries
Below find the changes made to Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) fishing rules by regulation, emergency action, and in-season adjustment from January 1, 2026 – June 30, 2026. Regulatory changes follow an extensive public process and remain in effect permanently unless otherwise amended; emergency actions go into effect immediately upon adoption without public comment but for a period of 90 days only (unless extended on a permanent basis following the public process); and in-season adjustments go into effect immediately upon adoption after a truncated public process but affect that calendar year only.
Atlantic Mackerel Limits (322 CMR 6.43).
DMF liberalized its commercial and recreational Atlantic mackerel limits consistent with federal actions taken by NOAA Fisheries through the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council. On the recreational side, the daily bag limit has been increased from 20 fish per angler to 25 fish per angler with an allowance for 50 fish for anglers onboard a for-hire vessel during a for-hire trip. On the commercial side, the state waters trip limit was increased to remain consistent with the federal open access trip limit. This results in a 20,000-pound trip limit that will be reduced to 5,000 pounds when 1,100 metric tons of the annual quota remains and reduced again to 2,500 pounds when 220 metric tons of the annual quota remains (replacing a 5,000-pound trip limit that would reduce to 2,500 pounds once 80% of the annual quota was taken).
Black Sea Bass Limits (322 CMR 6.28).
DMF took several actions to liberalize the commercial black sea bass limits in response to an increase in the commercial quota for 2026 and 2027. This includes: (1) eliminating the April 1–April 22 closure period to allow trawlers to retain and land an incidental catch of 100 pounds of black sea bass consistent with the remainder of the calendar year; (2) amending the date whereby closed commercial fishing days in the directed fishery (Fridays and Saturdays) are eliminated so that it occurs on September 1 rather than September 15; and (3) amending the date when the quota-conditional trip limit increase goes into effect for the directed fishery (enabling trip limits to increase from 500 pounds to 600 pounds for pot permit holder and from 250 to 300 pounds for other non-trawl gears) to be on September 1 rather than September 15 if at least 15% of the quota remains.
Recreational black sea bass limits were also liberalized in response to favorable stock status, an increased harvest target, and expected fishery performance. The limits moved from an open season of May 17–September 1 with a 16.5” minimum size and 4-fish bag limit to a May 16–October 14 open season with a 16” minimum size and 4-fish bag limit from May 16–August 31 and a 2-fish bag limit from September 1–October 14.
Commercial Fisheries Permitting (322 CMR 7.01 and 7.04).
DMF made several amendments to its commercial fisheries permitting regulations.
This includes the adoption of a series of regulations affecting commercial striped bass permitting beginning in 2026. This included: (1) limiting entry into the fishery in 2026 to only those persons who held a regulated fishery permit endorsement for striped bass in 2024 or 2025; (2) making the regulated fishery permit endorsement non-transferable; and (3) updating the control date from June 14, 2022 to December 31, 2025. This is a first step in managing effort in this fishery to address potential reductions to commercial quotas in coming years due to declining stock abundance driven by persistent poor recruitment in the major spawning area of the Chesapeake Bay and to implement a harvester tagging program requirement by 2029. These permitting rules were first adopted on an emergency basis in late-2025. Unlike the emergency regulation, the final rule did not establish the regulated fishery permit endorsement as owner-operator. This decision was based on public comment that highlighted various situations whereby an individual’s fishing activity has historically occurred under a permit issued in another person’s name.
DMF also promulgated regulations to address the issuance of certain outdated regulated fishery permit endorsements beginning in 2027. First, DMF eliminated certain Coastal Access Permit (CAP) activity-specific sub-endorsements and allowed the activities covered by these sub-endorsements to be covered by a general CAP endorsement. This action will not affect the open access CAP-Purse Seine endorsement. Second, DMF eliminated the sea scallop shucking endorsement required to possess or land shucked meats. A shellfish permit or endorsement will still be required to possess and land sea scallop shellstock.
Commercial Scup Limits (322 CMR 6.27).
DMF liberalized the directed fishery trip limits and open fishing days for scup in June. The hook and line and pot trip limit was increased from 400 pounds to 800 pounds and the number of fishing days per week was expanded from three (Sundays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays) to five (Sundays – Thursdays). This aligned June’s limits with those in May to provide greater seasonal access to the available quota.
Commercial Summer Flounder Limits (322 CMR 6.22).
DMF took several actions to liberalize the commercial summer flounder limits in response to an increase in the commercial quota for 2026 and 2027. For the Period I fishery (January 1–April 22), DMF increased the trip limit from 2,000 pounds to 5,000 pounds. Beginning in 2027, the Period I quota allocation will be established based on the magnitude of the quota; 30% in years when the annual quota exceeds 750,000 pounds and 15% in years when it does not. For the summertime Period II fishery (April 23–September 30), Saturdays are eliminated as a closed fishing day allowing commercial fishing seven days per week, the baseline trip limit for net gear increases from 500 pounds to 600 pounds and for hook and line gear from 325 pounds to 400 pounds, and the quota-conditional trip limit for September increases from 800 pounds to 1,000 pounds for all gear types, should at least 20% of the quota remain available on September 1. For the fall Period II fishery (October 1–December 31), the baseline trip limit for October increases from 800 pounds to 1,000 pounds with a quota conditional trip limit of 5,000 pounds, if 10% of the quota remains on October 1. In November and December, there is a new baseline trip limit of 5,000 pounds that increases to 10,000 pounds if 20% of the quota remains on November 1.
Maximum Dredge Width for Commercial Sea Scallop Dredges (322 CMR 4.06).
DMF increased the maximum sea scallop dredge width for state waters from 10 feet to 10.5 feet. This makes state rules consistent with federal rules for adjacent scallop fisheries in federal waters to enhance enforcement and compliance.
Possession, Removal, and Disposal of Fishing Gear Debris (322 CMR 4.01, 7.01, and 15.08).
IIn 2025, the Massachusetts legislature amended G.L. c. 130, §§ 31 and 32 to encourage the clean-up of fishing gear debris from our coasts and shorelines. This action rescinded the historic law that afforded all fishing gear, regardless of its operability, private property rights; distinguished fishing gear from fishing gear debris; maintained private property rights only for fishing gear; and instructed DMF to develop regulations to allow for the possession, removal, and disposal of fishing gear debris.
Consequently, DMF developed and promulgated regulations to allow: DMF and the Massachusetts Environmental Police to possess, remove, and dispose of fishing gear debris at all times and places; any person or entity to possess, remove, and dispose of fishing gear debris located shoreward of mean low water; commercial mobile gear fishers to possess, remove, and dispose of fishing gear debris captured during lawful fishing operations while maintaining a strict prohibition on injuring or tampering with fishing gear; and persons and entities to apply for a Special Project Permit to possess, remove, and dispose of fishing gear debris below mean low water.
Under these regulations shoreline clean-up efforts may occur without any permit or oversight from DMF. However, DMF encourages all participants to try to return gear to its original owner if it is salvageable and identifiable. The application for a Special Project Permit to remove fishing gear debris from our coastal waters requires the submittal of information regarding where and when this activity will be conducted, methods to remove gear and avoid gear conflicts, and the experience of the applicant. This is necessary to ensure the project is safe, effective, and does not result in injury to fishing gear.
Aquaculture gear is not included in this new regulatory framework affecting fishing gear and fishing gear debris. Instead, the clean-up of aquaculture gear and aquaculture gear debris will continue to be managed at the local level, as the municipality is the principal permitting and management authority. However, to accommodate local clean-up efforts, DMF amended its aquaculture regulations to require all aquaculture gear be sufficiently tagged or otherwise marked to identify the permit holder consistent with municipal regulations.
Learn more about the impact of this decision on 2026 clean up efforts.
Recreational Bluefish (322 CMR 6.19).
The recreational bluefish bag limit was increased by 2 fish from 3 fish to 5 fish for anglers fishing from shore or a private vessel and from 5 fish to 7 fish for anglers onboard a for-hire vessel during a for-hire trip. This is consistent with actions approved by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and NOAA Fisheries for federal waters and is expected to be implemented coastwide by most Atlantic states, in response to improving stock status.
Recreational Gulf of Maine Haddock (322 CMR 6.03).
The minimum size for recreational Gulf of Maine haddock was reduced from 18 inches to 17 inches. The season remains April 1 – February 28 with a 15-fish bag limit. This action was taken to complement federal rules implemented by NOAA Fisheries.
