The Mid-Atlantic Scallop Access Area is closed to limited access general category (LAGC) individual fishing quota (IFQ) scallop vessels effective 0001 hours, on October 2, 2019.
As of October 2, 2019, no scallop vessel fishing under LAGC IFQ regulations may fish for, possess, or land scallops in or from the Mid-Atlantic Access Area. The scallop regulations require that we close this area once we project that the LAGC fleet has used the 1,713 trips allocated to them in this area.
Vessels that have complied with the observer notification requirements, have declared a trip into the Mid-Atlantic Scallop Access Area using the correct Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) code, and have crossed the VMS demarcation line before 0001 hr, October 2, 2019, may complete their trip and retain and land scallops caught from the Mid-Atlantic Scallop Access Area.
Questions?
Contact Travis Ford, Sustainable Fisheries Division, (978) 281-9233
