Effective at 0845 hours on November 29, 2018, the possession and trip limits for Georges Bank cod are adjusted, as summarized in the table below, for the remainder of the 2018 fishing year, through April 30, 2019.
| Permit Type | Current Possession/Trip Limits | New Possession/Trip Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Day-At-Sea (DAS) | 100 lb/DAS, up to 200 lb/trip (outside of Eastern U.S./Canada area) | 250 lb/DAS, up to 500 lb/trip |
| 100 lb/DAS, up to 500 lb/trip (inside the Eastern U.S./Canada area) | ||
|
1,000 lb per trip (Closed Area II Yellowtail Flounder/Haddock SAP for targeting haddock) |
500 lb per trip | |
| Handgear A | 100 lb/trip | 250 lb/trip |
| Handgear B | 25 lb/trip | unchanged |
| Small Vessel Category* | 100 lb/trip | 250 lb/trip |
*The Small Vessel Category trip limit of 300 lb of cod, yellowtail flounder, and haddock combined remains in place.
If you are not participating in a Special Access Program, have declared your trip through the vessel monitoring system (VMS) or interactive voice response (IVR) system, and have crossed the VMS demarcation line prior to 0845 hours on November 29, 2018, you may land up to new possession and trip limits for that trip.
If you are participating in the Closed Area II Haddock Special Access Program, have declared your trip through VMS or the IVR system, and have crossed the VMS demarcation line prior to 0845 hours on November 29, 2018, you are not subject to the new possession and trip limits for that trip.
Please note that the Georges Bank cod trip limit for vessels participating in the Closed Area II Haddock Special Access Program has been reduced to 500 lb per trip to make it consistent with the trip limit when not participating in a Special Access Program. This reduction in the trip limits for vessels participating in the Special Access Program is expected to prevent an overage of the common pool’s annual quota allocation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is this action being taken?
We are increasing the possession and trip limits to provide additional fishing opportunities and facilitate harvest of the quota for Georges Bank cod.
How much of the quota has been caught?
As of October 13, 2018, only 11 percent of the Georges Bank cod annual quota has been caught. Quota monitoring reports are updated on the internet.
What happens if the Trimester Total Allowable Catch is exceeded? Underharvested?
If the Trimester 1 or Trimester 2 Total Allowable Catch for a stock is exceeded, the overage is deducted from the Trimester 3 Total Allowable Catch. Any unused portion of the Trimester 1 or Trimester 2 Total Allowable Catch for the stock is carried forward to the following trimester. No unused portion of the total annual quota may be carried over to the following fishing year.
What happens if the annual quota is exceeded?
If the 2018 fishing year quota is exceeded, the amount of the overage will be deducted from the common pool’s quota for fishing year 2019.
