Effective at 0001 hours on October 12, 2023, the possession and trip limits for Gulf of Maine (GOM) cod are decreased as shown in the table below:
|
Permit Type |
Current Possession/Trip Limits |
New Possession/Trip Limits |
|
Days-At-Sea (A DAS) |
150 lb (68 kg) per DAS, up to 300 lb (136.1 kg) per trip |
50 lb (22.7 kg) per DAS, up to 100 lb (45.4 kg) per trip
|
|
Handgear A |
150 lb (68 kg) per trip |
50 lb (22.7 kg) per trip |
|
Handgear B |
25 lb (11.3 kg) per trip |
Unchanged |
|
Small Vessel Category |
150 lb (11.3 kg) per trip, within combined 300 lb (136.1 kg) trip limit for cod, haddock, and yellowtail flounder |
50 lb (22.7 kg) per trip, within combined 300 lb (136.1 kg) trip limit for cod, haddock, and yellowtail flounder |
This action is necessary to prevent the common pool from exceeding its GOM cod sub-Annual Catch Limit for fishing year 2023.
If you have declared your trip through the Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) or through the Interactive Voice Response system in FishOnline, and crossed the VMS demarcation line prior to 0001 hours on October 12, 2023, you are not subject to the new trip limits for that trip.
This bulletin serves as a Small Entity Compliance Guide, complying with section 212 of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996.
