Recent Announcements

• July 14, 2008 - Haddock Rope Trawl (Previously Called The “Eliminator Trawl”) Approved For Use In The Following Two Special Management Programs: The Regular B DAS Program & The Eastern U.S./Canada Haddock SAP. Authorization To Use This Trawl Gear In Either Of These Programs Will Be Effective On August 13, 2008.
• July 14, 2008 - Effective August 11, 2008, The Minimum Commercial Fish Size For Both GOM & GB Haddock Will Be 19 Inches (Total Length). In Addition, The TAC Of GB Yellowtail Flounder For FY 2008 Is Being Adjusted To Account For Overharvest Of The FY 2007 Yellowtail Flounder TAC. There Also Will Be Additional Fishing Opportunities In The U.S./Canada Management Area As Of August 1.
• June 18, 2008 - New Sector Timeline For Fishing Year 2010 (May 1, 2010 - April 30, 2011) Replaces Deadlines Issued In February 22, 2008 Permit Holder Letter. This Mailing Includes A Sector Question & Answer Document And A Data Request Fact Sheet.
• June 16, 2008 - Clarification To Ensure Timely And Adequate Selection Of Vessels For Observer Deployment In The U.S./Canada Management Area (Either The Eastern Area, Western Area, Or Eastern U.S./Canada Haddock Special Access Program)
• June 16, 2008 - Effective July 16, 2008, There Is An Incidental Monkfish Catch Limit Of 50 lb Tail Weight (166 lb Whole Weight) Per Trip In The Three Existing NE Multispecies Scallop Exemptions Areas
• May 30, 2008 - Zero Trips Are Authorized Into The Closed Area II Yellowtail Flounder Special Access Program For The 2008 Fishing Year (i.e., Through April 30, 2009)
• April 25, 2008 - Effective May 1, 2008, The GB Yellowtail Flounder Trip Limit Is Reduced From 10,000 Lb Per Trip To 5,000 Lb Per Trip For Limited Access NE Multispecies DAS Vessels Fishing In The U.S./Canada Management Area
• March 28, 2008 - U.S./Canada Management Area
  • A Delay in the Opening of the Eastern U.S./Canada Area from May 1, 2008, until August 1, 2008, for NE Multispecies DAS Vessels Fishing with Trawl Gear
  • NE Multispecies DAS Vessels Fishing with Longline Gear May Fish in the Eastern U.S./Canada Area as of May 1, 2008, but the Maximum Amount of Cod That May Be Caught (Landings & Discards) During the May Through July Period Will Be Limited to 33.4 mt
  • U.S./Canada Management Area TACs for Fishing Year 2008
• March 12, 2008 - Clarification Of Regulations Governing The Declaration Of Activity Codes Via The VMS, And The Declaration That A Vessel Is Fishing Under A DAS Under The IVR, Or Call-in System, Prior To Leaving Port
• February 29, 2008 - Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) Question and Answer Guide
• February 22, 2008 - Clarification of January 29,2008, Permit Holder Letter Informing of Important Deadlines for All Limited Access NE Multispecies Vessels Interested in Participating in a Sector for Fishing Year 2009 (May 1, 2009, Through April 30, 2010). This Letter Also Revises the List of Sectors Proposed in Amendment 16 to the NE Multispecies FMP to Include Updated Contact Information for Many of the Sectors
• February 6, 2008 - Northeast Fisheries Observer Program Request Notice
• February 6, 2008 - The Minimum Size For Both Georges Bank And Gulf Of Maine Haddock Will Remain At 18 Inches (Total Length) Through August 10, 2008.  Unless Otherwise Notified, The Minimum Size Will Revert To 19 Inches On August 11, 2008
• February 5, 2008 - Measures In The Northeast Multispecies FMP That Have Been Corrected And/Or Clarified By A Recent Final Rule
• January 29, 2008 - Important Deadlines For All Limited Access NE Multispecies Vessels Interested In Participating In A Sector For Fishing Year 2009 (May 1, 2009, Through April 30, 2010)
• January 23, 2008 - As of January 24, 2008, all federally permitted vessels are prohibited from harvesting, possessing, and landing GB yellowtail flounder from the entire U.S./Canada Management Area for the remainder of the 2007 fishing year (through April 30, 2008)
• January 9, 2008 - As Of January 10, 2008, The Georges Bank Yellowtail Flounder Trip Limit For All NE Multispecies DAS Vessels Fishing In The U.S./Canada Management Area Is 1,500 Lb Per Trip
• January 7, 2008 - Further Information About Current Regulations Regarding The Trip Limit For GOM Cod For Vessels Fishing In The GOM Differential Days-At-Sea Area

Recent And Upcoming Actions

• Final Rule; Northeast Multispecies Fishery; Allowance of New Gear (Haddock Rope Trawl, Previously Referred to as the Eliminator Trawl) in Specific Special Management Programs
• Inseason Action; Adjustment to the Total Allowable Catch of Georges Bank Yellowtail Flounder from the United States/Canada Management Area for Fishing Year 2008
• Final Rule; Northeast Multispecies Fishery; Scallop Dredge Exemption Areas; Addition of Monkfish Incidental Catch Trip Limits
• Proposed Rule; Request For Comments; Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Annual Catch Limits; National Standard Guidelines
  • E-Mail comments may be submitted, identified by RIN 0648-AV60, via the Federal eRulemaking Portal http://www.regulations.gov
  • Comments must be received by September 8, 2008
  • Supporting Documents - RIR/RFAA
• Final Rule; Northeast Multispecies Fishery; Allocation of Trips to Closed Area II Yellowtail Flounder Special Access Program
• Notice; Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS); Revision of the Enhanced Mobile Transmitter Unit (E-MTU) Reimbursement Program
• Final Rule; Northeast Multispecies Fishery; 2008 Georges Bank Cod Fixed Gear Sector Operations Plan and Agreement, and Allocation of Georges Bank Cod Total Allowable Catch
• Final Rule; Northeast Multispecies Fishery; 2008 Georges Bank Cod Hook Sector Operations Plan and Agreement and Allocation of Georges Bank Cod Total Allowable Catch
• Final Rule; Northeast Region Standardized Bycatch Reporting Methodology Omnibus Amendment
  • Supporting Documents - EA/RIR/RFAA
• Final Rule; Northeast Multispecies Fishery; Framework Adjustment 42
• Final Rule; NE Multispecies Fishery; Regulatory Amendment to Adopt Fishing Gear Standards for the NE Multispecies Regular B DAS Program and the Eastern U.S./Canada Haddock SAP
• Temporary Rule; Emergency Action Extended, And Request For Comments; Northeast Multispecies Fishery; Temporary Haddock Size Limit Extension
• AMENDMENT 13 - End Overfishing & Rebuild Overfished Stocks
• AMENDMENT 14- Small Mesh Multispecies Fishery
  • Limited Access Program and Control Date Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
• AMENDMENT 16- Scoping Process
• FRAMEWORK 43- Exempted Herring Fishery
  • Federal Register Notice
  • Permit Holder Letter
• GB FIXED GEAR SECTOR- Establishment of a new sector within the NE Multispecies FMP
  • Federal Register Notice
• FRAMEWORK 42- Biennial adjustment: GB yellowtail flounder rebuilding, reduce fishing mortality in 6 species, and modifications of several existing programs, including DAS
  • FW 42 Webpage
  • Federal Register Notice
  • Permit Holder Letter
  • Correction To Permit Holder Letter
• Dealer Reporting Web Page

Past Actions - Federal Register Documents

• 1994-2008

Programs

• DAS Leasing and Transfer Program - Learn your DAS Leasing Baseline and get a List of Compatible Vessels
• Special Management Programs — Fishing Industry Homepage
• Vessel Monitoring System
• Sector Allocation Program — Under Development
• Charter/Party Regulations — Under Development
• U.S. & Canadian Transboundary Management Guidance Committee

Information Sheets

• Small Mesh Fishery Exemptions
  • Small Mesh Exemption Programs
  • General Small Mesh Whiting Fishery Exemption Program Information
  • Exemptions within the Gulf of Maine/George’s Bank Regulated Mesh Area
  • Gulf of Maine Grate Raised Foootrope Trawl Whiting Fishery Exemption
  • Cultivator Shoal Whiting Fishery Exemption Area
  • Small Mesh Area 1 and 2 Exemption Areas
  • Raised Footrope Trawl Exempted Whiting Fishery Areas
  • Raised Footrope Trawl Gear Specifications
  • Small Mesh Exemptions within the Southern New England Regulated Mesh Area
  • Little Tunny Gillnet Exemption Area
  • Mussel and Sea Urchin Dredge Exemption
  • Small Mesh Exemptions within the Mid-Atlantic Regulated Mesh Area
  • Northern Shrimp Fishery
• Large Mesh Fishery Exemptions
  • General information on exemption programs
  • Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank Monkfish Gillnet Exemption
  • Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank Dogfish Gillnet Exemption
  • Southern New England Monkfish and Skate Trawl Exemption Area
  • Southern New England Monkfish and Dogfish Gillnet Exemption Area
  • Mid-Atlantic Exemption Area
• Closed Area Regulations
  • Seasonal closures
  • Year-round closures
  • Essential Fish Habitat closures
  • Transiting regulations and gear stowage requirements
• Charter/Party and Recreational Fishing

Charts — Fishery Specific Charts

Forms - Permit Applications And Request Forms

FishWatch - U.S. Seafood Facts

• Atlantic Cod
• Haddock