Effective at 16:15 hours on April 18, 2023, statistical areas 513, 514, 515, 521, and 522 are closed for the remainder of Trimester 3, through April 30, 2023. During this closure, Northeast Multispecies common pool vessels fishing with trawl gear, sink gillnet gear, and longline/hook gear, except for Handgear A and B permitted vessels using handgear or tub trawl, may not fish for, harvest, land, or possess regulated multispecies in or from this area. The Closure is required because the common pool is projected to have caught 90 percent of the Trimester 3 Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for white hake. This area will reopen at the beginning of Trimester 1 of fishing year 2023, at 0001 hours May 1, 2023.
Common pool vessels that have crossed the vessel monitoring system demarcation line and are currently at sea on a groundfish trip may complete that trip in all or part of the Trimester TAC Area that has been closed.
Questions?
Fishermen: Spencer Talmage, Regional Office, 978-675-2176
Media: Contact Andrea Gomez, Regional Office, 978-675-2199
