Small Mesh Exemption Areas 1 and 2

Area

Small Mesh Areas 1 and 2 (as seen above) are defined by straight lines connecting the following points in the order stated below:

Note: Portions of Small Mesh Area 1 fall within the state jurisdictions of Massachusetts and New Hampshire. When fishing in state waters, a federally permitted vessel is subject to the more restrictive of federal or state regulations.

Note: Portions of Small Mesh Area 2 are affected by Inshore Closure Areas and are thus closed during these time periods.

Seasons

Small Mesh Area 1: July 15 – November 15.

Small Mesh Area 2: January 1 – June 30.

Gear

Trawl vessels are required to use a raised footrope trawl when fishing in Small Mesh Areas 1 and 2, depending on the species of fish targeted. A description of the raised footrope trawl can be found in the 'Commercial Fishing' section of either red hake or silver hake species pages.

Possession Limits

• Red Hake: 3,000 lb
• Whiting (Silver hake and offshore hake combined) possession limit is dependent on the mesh size being fished:
  • Mesh < 2.5 inches: 3,500 lb
  • 2.5 ≤ Mesh < 3.0 inches: 7,500 lb
  • Mesh ≥ 3.0 inches: 30,000 lb

Note: Possession limits may be reduced to 2,000 lb for whiting and 400 lb for red hake if the in-season possession limit triggers are reached.

Additional Incidental Species Allowed

While fishing in these exemption areas, vessels may not fish for, possess on board, or land any species of fish other than small-mesh multispecies (hakes) and the following species as incidental catch:

• Butterfish;
• Spiny dogfish;
• Atlantic herring;
• Atlantic mackerel;
• Scup; and
• Squid.

Transiting

When transiting the Gulf of Maine or Georges Bank Regulated Mesh Areas (RMA), any nets with a mesh size smaller than the RMA minimum mesh size must be stowed and unavailable for immediate use.