The Division of Marine Fisheries is moving forward to implement emergency regulations to complement recently enacted federal recreational fishing limits for Gulf of Maine cod and haddock and Georges Bank/Southern New England cod (see NOAA Bulletin). The new federal limits were enacted on August 14, 2023, but due to delays in state rule making, there has been a brief interim period when existing state rules were out of phase with the new federal rules (see DMF Advisory). However, the amended state limits will be effective Friday, September 15 and at that time there will be uniform state and federal limits moving forward.
DMF will host a virtual public hearing on these emergency regulations on Tuesday, October 10, 2023 at 6PM. Please register online for this virtual public hearing and see the public hearing notice for more details.
For more information about the management of marine fisheries in Massachusetts, visit our website at www.mass.gov/marinefisheries.
