This summary of the regulations and requirements for each Letter of Authorization (LOA) program under the respective Fishery Management Plans is subject to change.
Below is a list of the Letters of Authorization (LOA) that are currently available from the Greater Atlantic Region Permit Office. For further information about these LOAs, please refer to our Forms and Applications page, or contact the Sustainable Fisheries Division at (978) 281-9315.
To request one of these LOAs, contact the Permit Office at (978) 282-8438.
The following is only a summary of the regulations and requirements for each LOA program under the respective Fishery Management Plan. These requirements and the list of current LOAs are subject to change. Please contact the Sustainable Fisheries Division at (978) 281-9315 if you have any questions about any regulatory requirements or changes to an LOA program.
To participate in the exempted fishery program, vessels are required to carry the LOA on board for the entire participation period specified on the LOA.
This LOA authorizes a vessel issued a valid Federal herring permit to receive, transport, and transfer Atlantic herring (herring) caught by another herring vessel. There is no possession limit for vessels operating under this authorization.
When operating under this LOA, the vessel:
This LOA authorizes a vessel to fish with midwater trawl gear in the GOM/GB Regulated Mesh Area (RMA), including Closed Area I, Closed Area II, the Nantucket Lightship Closed Area, and other areas closed for Northeast multispecies conservation under 50 CFR 648.81, with nets of less than the minimum mesh size specified in the Northeast multispecies regulations at 50 CFR 648.80(a)(3)(ii).
Midwater trawl gear is defined as trawl gear designed to fish for pelagic species, no portion of which is designed to be or is operated in contact with the bottom at any time. The gear may not include discs, bobbins, or rollers on its footrope, or chafing gear as part of the net. No other gear capable of catching multispecies may be on board the vessel. When fishing north of 42°20' N. Latitude, the vessel may not fish for, possess, or land any other species of fish except for, blueback herring, or Atlantic mackerel.
When fishing south of 42°20' N. Latitude, the vessel may not fish for, possess, or land any other species of fish except for blueback herring, Atlantic mackerel, or squid. Appropriate federal permits are required to retain Atlantic mackerel or squid.
This LOA authorizes a vessel to fish with purse seine gear in the Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank Regulated Mesh Area with nets of less than the minimum size specified at 50 CFR 648.80(a)(3)(ii).
A purse seine is defined as an encircling net with floats on the top edge, weights and a purse line on the bottom edge, and associated gear, or any net designed to be, or capable of being used in such fashion. No other gear capable of catching multispecies may be on board the vessel. The vessel may not fish for, possess, or land any other species of fish except for Atlantic mackerel, blueback herring, or menhaden. Appropriate federal permits are required to retain Atlantic mackerel.
The mid-water trawl and purse seine LOAs have the following additional requirements: If the vessel has a Category A or B permit, fishing on a declared herring trip with midwater trawl gear, or a Category C and/or D permit fishing with midwater trawl gear in Management Areas 1A, 1B, and/or 3, it must provide notice to NOAA Fisheries of the vessel name, contact information, and the date, time, and port of departure, at least 72 hours prior to beginning any trip into these areas, for the purposes of coordinating observer deployment, and must notify NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement through their vessel monitoring system (VMS) of the time and place of offloading at least six hours prior to crossing the VMS demarcation line on its return trip to port, or, if it has not fished seaward of the VMS demarcation line, at least six hours prior to landing.
The minimum enrollment period for these LOAs is seven calendar days from the first day of the enrollment period.
Vessels issued an All Areas Limited Access Herring Permit or an Areas 2 and 3 Limited Access Herring Permit fishing on a declared herring trip, regardless of gear or area fished, or a vessel issued a Limited Access Incidental Catch Herring Permit and/or an Open Access Herring Permit and fishing with midwater trawl gear, may possess and land haddock or other regulated Northeast multispecies (Atlantic cod, witch flounder, American plaice, yellowtail flounder, pollock, winter flounder, windowpane flounder, redfish, white hake, Atlantic halibut, and Atlantic wolffish) consistent with the bycatch caps and catch allowances (which are specified in §648.86(a)(3)). Haddock or other regulated Northeast multispecies may not be sold, purchased, received, traded, bartered, or transferred for human consumption.
This LOA authorizes a vessel issued a valid federal herring permit to transfer or receive herring at sea to/from another herring vessel, a herring at-sea processor, and/or herring carrier vessel. No vessel may transfer to, or receive from, any vessel, herring in excess of the possession limits specified in § 648.204.
In addition, the operator of a vessel that is not issued a herring permit may purchase and/or receive herring at sea for personal use as bait, provided the vessel transferring the herring has this LOA and the vessel receiving the transfer does not have gear capable of catching fish on board. When transferring Atlantic herring at sea, the owner/operator of the above named vessel must report on its fishing Vessel Trip Report and via the Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) or Interactive Voice Response System (IVR).
A Monkfish Southern Fishery Management Area (SFMA) Landing Limit Exemption A current limited access monkfish permit holder may fish exclusively under the less restrictive landing regulations for the Northern Fishery Management Area (NFMA) through this exemption.
A vessel without an operational VMS unit fishing exclusively in the NFMA for monkfish must request this LOA in order to be exempt from the more restrictive management measures of the SFMA.
This LOA can be issued anytime during the fishing year (from May 1 through April 30).
The minimum enrollment period for this LOA is seven calendar days from the first day of the enrollment period. A vessel that has declared into the NFMA may transit the SFMA, providing that it complies with the transiting and gear storage provision described § 648.94(e), and provided that it does not fish for or catch monkfish, or any other fish, in the SFMA.
A Northeast multispecies day at sea (DAS) permit holder, authorized to use the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system to declare Northeast multispecies DAS, and fishing exclusively south of the Gulf of Maine Regulated Mesh Area, may receive an LOA that exempts the vessel from the more restrictive Gulf of Maine cod landing limit. If the vessel declares through VMS, the Gulf of Maine Cod Trip Limit Exemption form should be sent, via VMS, prior to leaving the dock for each trip, instead of using this LOA. A vessel declared into the U.S./Canada Management Area is exempt from the requirement to declare exemption from the Gulf of Maine cod landing limit.
The vessel must meet the following requirements under this LOA:
A vessel must be issued a Northeast multispecies limited access (Category A-F) or open access (Category K) permit to participate in this exempted fishery. A participating vessel is limited to 30,000 lb of silver hake (whiting) and offshore hake combined per trip. Incidental catch allowed may consist of herring, longhorn sculpin, squid, butterfish, Atlantic mackerel, spiny dogfish, red hake, monkfish and monkfish parts (up to 10 percent, by weight, of all other species on board or up to 50 lb tail-weight/146 lb whole-weight of monkfish per trip, whichever is less), and American lobster (up to 10 percent by weight, of all other species on board or 200 lobsters, whichever is less, unless otherwise restricted by landing limits specified in § 697.17).
There is a minimum mesh size requirement of 3-inch square or diamond mesh to participate in this exemption fishery.
A vessel participating in both this exemption and the raised footrope trawl whiting fishery is subject to the more restrictive measures of the two programs (e.g., the use of a minimum 3- inch square or diamond mesh and the use of the raised footrope trawl).
A holder of a Northeast multispecies permit may elect to receive, from the Regional Administrator, an exemption from Northeast multispecies minimum mesh size restrictions when fishing for whiting or offshore hake in the Raised Footrope Trawl Whiting Fishery Exemption Area. Regulations for the Raised Footrope Trawl Exempted Whiting Fishery may be found at § 648.80(a)(15).
A vessel participating in this exemption program must comply with the following requirements:
An enrolled vessel may not fish for, possess, or land any species other than whiting and offshore hake, except for the following allowable incidental species: Red hake, butterfish, spiny dogfish, Atlantic herring, Atlantic mackerel, scup, and squid.
The vessel must adhere to the applicable small-mesh multispecies possession limits while fishing in the exemption area.
| Codend Mesh Size | Possession Limit (whiting and offshore hake combined) |
|---|---|
| Less than 2.5 in | 3,500 lb |
| Greater than 2.5 in but less than 3.0 in | 7,500 lb |
| Equal to or greater than 3.0 in | 30,000 lb |
The exemption program does not apply to the Cashes Ledge Closure Areas or the Western Gulf of Maine Closed Area. A vessel participating in the Raised Footrope Trawl Whiting Fishery may participate in other small-mesh exemption areas, provided the vessel adheres to the more restrictive gear, possession limit, and other requirements for the entire participation period specified on the vessel’s LOA.
In order to be exempted from the Nantucket Lightship Closed Area (CA), a charter/party vessel must have an LOA issued by the Greater Atlantic Regional Administrator. Fish managed by either the New England Fishery Management Council or the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council that are harvested or possessed by the vessel may not be sold, bartered or traded or intended for sale, barter or trade, regardless of where caught. Species such as tuna and striped bass may be landed for sale provided the vessel has the proper permits; and the vessel may have no gear other than rod and reel or handline gear on board. A participating vessel issued this authorization is subject to its requirements and conditions for a minimum of 7 days from the letter’s start date.
YES: Go to question 2.
NO: LOA does not apply.
YES: LOA does not apply.
NO: Continue to question 3
YES: LOA does not apply.
NO: Continue to question 4
YES: You need a Nantucket Lightship Closed Area Charter/Party LOA
NO: LOA does not apply.
In order to be exempted from the Western Gulf of Maine and Cashes Ledge Closed Area, a charter/party vessel must have an LOA issued by the Greater Atlantic Regional Administrator.
Fish managed by either the New England Fishery Management Council or the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council that are harvested or possessed by the vessel may not be sold, bartered or traded or intended for sale, barter or trade, regardless of where caught. Species such as tuna and striped bass may be landed for sale provided the vessel has the proper permits; and the vessel may have no gear other than rod and reel or handline gear on board.
The vessel may not use a Northeast multispecies DAS, fish on a sector trip, or fish under the provisions of a Handgear A, Handgear B, or Small Vessel (Category C) permit during the entire period for which the LOA is valid. A participating vessel issued this authorization is subject to its requirements and conditions from the letter’s start date through the end of the fishing year (i.e. there is no withdrawal certificate associated with this LOA).
YES: Continue to question 2
NO: LOA does not apply
YES: LOA does not apply
NO: Continue to question 3
YES: LOA does not apply
NO: Continue to question 4
YES: LOA does not apply
NO: You need a Western Gulf of Maine and Cashes Ledge Closed Area LOA
YES: You need a Western Gulf of Maine and Cashes Ledge Closed Area LOA
NO: Do not apply for an LOA
In order to be exempted from the Gulf of Maine Rolling CA for charter/party fishing, a charter/party vessel must have an LOA issued by the Regional Administrator.
Fish managed by either the New England Fishery Management Council or the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council that are harvested or possessed by the vessel may not be sold, bartered or traded or intended for sale, barter or trade, regardless of where caught. Species such as tuna and striped bass may be landed for sale provided the vessel has the proper permits; and the vessel may have no gear other than rod and reel or handline gear on board.
The vessel may not use a Northeast multispecies DAS, fish on a sector trip, or fish under the provisions of a Handgear A, Handgear B, or Small Vessel (Category C) permit during the entire period for which the LOA is valid. A participating vessel issued this authorization is subject to its requirements and conditions from the letter’s start date for a minimum of 90 days.
YES: Continue to question 2
NO: LOA does not apply
YES: LOA does not apply
NO: Continue to question 3
YES: LOA does not apply
NO: Continue to question 4
YES: LOA does not apply
NO: You need a Gulf of Maine Closed Area LOA
YES: You need a Gulf of Maine Closed Area LOA
NO: Do not apply for an LOA
A vessel subject to the minimum mesh size restrictions may transit through the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank Regulated Mesh Area with nets on board with a mesh size smaller than the minimum mesh size specified and with small mesh exempted species on board.
This exemption program requires the following:
YES: Continue to question 2
NO: LOA does not apply
YES: Continue to question 3
NO: LOA does not apply
YES: LOA does not apply
NO: Continue to question 4
YES: You need a transit exemption LOA
NO: LOA does not apply
YES: You need a transit exemption LOA
NO: LOA does not apply
A vessel holding this LOA may fish with gillnet gear in the Southern New England Little Tunny Gillnet Exemption Area when not operating under a Northeast multispecies DAS with mesh size smaller than the minimum required in the Southern New England Regulated Mesh Area.
All gillnets must have a minimum mesh size of 5.5-inch (14.0- cm) diamond mesh throughout the net. All nets with a mesh size smaller than 5.5 inches diamond mesh must be stowed and unavailable for immediate use.
Fishing is confined to September 1 through October 31.
The Greater Atlantic Regional Administrator shall conduct periodic sea sampling to evaluate the likelihood of gear interactions with protected resources. The vessel may fish only for, possess on board, or land little tunny, as well as bonito, as an allowable incidental species.
Vessels fishing under this LOA may also retain:
A vessel issued a Northeast multispecies permit may transfer from one vessel to another, for use as bait, up to 500 lb of whiting and unlimited amounts of red hake, per trip, provided:
The combined whiting and offshore hake possession limit is automatically reduced by 500 lb for every trip made by the vessel during the participation period, regardless of whether a transfer of small-mesh multispecies at sea occurred or whether the actual amount that was transferred was less than 500 lb. A separate authorization must be obtained to transfer Atlantic herring, Illex squid, longfin squid, or butterfish.
A vessel issued a valid High Seas Fishing Compliance permit under 50 CFR part 300 is exempt from:
The vessel must fish exclusively in the NAFO Regulatory Area and must also have all gear properly stowed while transiting the EEZ. The vessel must comply with the High Seas Fishing Compliance permit, all NAFO conservation and enforcement measures, and must notify the agency through its vessel monitoring system (VMS) that it will be embarking on a NAFO trip.
A holder of a federal summer flounder moratorium permit may elect to receive, from the Greater Atlantic Regional Administrator, an exemption from summer flounder minimum mesh size restrictions when fishing in the Summer Flounder Small-Mesh Exemption Area from November 1 through April 30.
A vessel must be enrolled in the exemption program for a minimum period of 7 days. This exemption program does not exempt a vessel from minimum fish size requirements. A vessel participating in the exemption program may not fish west of the line that follows 72°30.0’ W longitude, and if transiting the area west or south of the line, must stow fishing gear in a manner so that it is not available for immediate use.
The Summer Flounder Small-Mesh Exemption Area does not exempt the vessel from any possession limits imposed by any state. If a participating vessel also possesses a Northeast multispecies permit, there are additional small-mesh restrictions in this small mesh exempted area. A vessel fishing in the Summer Flounder Small-Mesh Exemption Area may not possess or land more than 200 lb of summer flounder when fishing with mesh smaller than the minimum mesh size requirement of 5.5-in diamond or 6.0-in square from November 1- April 30.
A holder of a federal skate permit may request and receive, from the Greater Atlantic Regional Administrator, an exemption from the skate wing possession limit restrictions to land whole skates for use as bait.
A vessel participating in the skate bait exemption program must comply with the following requirements:
The Skate Bait LOA does not exempt the participating vessel from any DAS requirements of the Northeast multispecies, monkfish, or scallop fisheries. Therefore, unless a skate bait vessel is fishing in a skate exemption area or is fishing with exempted gear (as defined in the Northeast multispecies regulations), it must still fish on a Northeast multispecies, monkfish, or scallop DAS.
This LOA is required to fish for spiny dogfish in the Nantucket Shoals Dogfish Exemption Area. A vessel issued this LOA may use gillnet or trawl mesh smaller than required by the Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank Regulated Mesh Areas (6.5 in. square or diamond trawl codend mesh; 6.5 in. throughout the entire gillnet) to catch spiny dogfish.
Trawl gear is not permitted in the portion of the exemption area that overlaps with the Nantucket Lightship Habitat Closure Area (shown in chart below).
When transiting the Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank Regulated Mesh Areas, any nets with a mesh size smaller than the regulated mesh area minimum mesh size must be stowed and unavailable for immediate use.
A vessel issued this LOA may not fish for, possess on board, or land species other than spiny dogfish, except the following: Longhorn sculpin; silver hake—up to 200 lb; monkfish and monkfish parts— up to 10 percent, by weight, of all other species on board or up to 50 lb tail weight/166 lb whole-weight of monkfish per trip, whichever is less; American lobster—up to 10 percent, by weight, of all other species on board or 200 lobsters, whichever is less; skate or skate parts—up to 10 percent, by weight, of all other species on board provided the vessel is issued the appropriate federal permits.
A vessel with a valid longfin squid, Illex squid, and/or butterfish permit must apply for an LOA to transfer and receive longfin squid, Illex squid, and/or butterfish at sea.
If the vessel has been issued this LOA and has a valid longfin/butterfish or Illex moratorium permit, it may both transfer and receive these species at sea.
If the vessel has been issued a valid incidental squid and butterfish permit, it may transfer these species at sea, consistent with the applicable possession limits, but may not receive them. Current possession limits are: 2,500 lb of longfin per trip, 10,000 lb of Illex per trip, and 600 lb of butterfish per trip, unless the directed butterfish fishery closes prior to October 1; then the butterfish possession limit is 250 lb per trip.
In order to use midwater trawl gear to fish for Atlantic mackerel or squid in the Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank Regulated Mesh Areas, including Closed Area I, Closed Area II, the Nantucket Lightship Closed Area, and other areas closed for Northeast multispecies conservation under 50 CFR 648.81, with nets of less than the minimum mesh size specified in the Northeast multispecies regulations at 50 CFR 648.80(a)(3)(ii), a vessel must be issued this LOA in addition to the appropriate federal fishing permits.
Midwater trawl gear is defined as trawl gear designed to fish for pelagic species, no portion of which is designed to be or is operated in contact with the bottom at any time. The gear may not include discs, bobbins, or rollers on its footrope, or chafing gear as part of the net. No other gear capable of catching multispecies may be on board the vessel.
When fishing north of 42°20' N. Latitude, the vessel may not fish for, possess, or land any other species of fish except for Atlantic herring, blueback herring, or Atlantic mackerel. When fishing south of 42°20' N. Latitude, the vessel may not fish for, possess, or land any other species of fish except for Atlantic herring, blueback herring, Atlantic mackerel, or squid.
In order to fish for Atlantic mackerel with purse seine gear in the Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank Regulated Mesh Areas, with nets of less than the minimum size specified at 50 CFR 648.80(a)(3)(ii), a vessel must be issued this LOA in addition to the appropriate federal fishing permits.
A purse seine is defined as an encircling net with floats on the top edge, weights and a purse line on the bottom edge, and associated gear, or any net designed to be, or capable of being used in such fashion.
The vessel may not fish for, possess, or land any other species of fish except for Atlantic mackerel, Atlantic herring, blueback herring, or menhaden. Appropriate federal permits are required for these species, with the exception of blueback herring and menhaden.
There is a minimum enrollment period of several calendar days for each LOA. The vessel will not be officially withdrawn from the exemption program until it requests and receives a Withdrawal Notice issued by NOAA Fisheries.
A vessel fishing under these authorizations is not allowed to fish for, possess, or land Northeast multispecies, unless it has been issued an All Areas Limited Access Herring Permit (Category A) and/or an Areas 2 and 3 Limited Access Herring Permit (Category B) regardless of gear or area fished, or a vessel issued a Limited Access Incidental Catch Herring Permit and/or an Open Access Herring Permit that fished with midwater trawl gear in Herring Management Areas 1A, 1B, or 3 consistent with the vessels possession limits.
Those possession limits are unlimited for haddock and 100 lb, combined, of other regulated Northeast multispecies (Atlantic cod, witch flounder, American plaice, yellowtail flounder, pollock, winter flounder, windowpane flounder, redfish, white hake, Atlantic halibut, and Atlantic wolffish).
The Fishadelphia team. Credit: Dr. Talia Young.
Four North Atllantic right whales.
A Northeast Fisheries Science Center biologist collecting data during buoyless lobster trap tests.
Atlantic sea scallops