Commercial striped bass fishery rules (322 CMR 6.07) regarding daily catch limits, season start date, and dealer requirements for imported fish, were amended. The four-day fishing week, (formerly Sunday through Wednesday) was shifted to Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The daily catch limit on Sunday was reduced to five fish but remains at 30 fish during Tuesday through Thursday. No-fishing days will be Monday, Fridays, & Saturdays. The commercial fishery will open on Tuesday, July 12th. Dealers will be allowed to import documented (tagged) non-conforming (legally caught in the state of origin but < 34") whole striped bass prior to the July 12 season opening and again beginning five days after the close of the season. During the commercial season (and five days following the closure) all bass in the possession of dealers must meet the Commonwealth's 34" minimum size.

These actions were taken to reduce the rate the overall quota will be consumed and to improve availability of fresh bass for weekend markets, retail outlets (retail dealers, restaurants), and consumers on a year-round basis.



Commercial fishing for groundfish while engaged in for-hire fishing will be prohibited (322 CMR 7.01). This regulation complements similar federal rules but will not impact any other species outside of the multispecies groundfish complex (including cod, haddock, and flounders), nor does it prohibit a properly permitted for-hire vessel from fishing commercially when it is not engaged in for-hire activity.



Commercial scup possession limits (322 CMR 6.28) were increased from 300 to 400 lbs. for trawlers during the period May through October period; and from 100 to 200 lbs. for all other gear types during the black sea bass open fishing days from May 1 through July 31. This rule is intended to allow retention of scup by-catch by potters and hook-and-line fishermen while fishing for black sea bass. On days the black sea bass fishery is closed, no directed scup fishing or retention is allowed by fishermen deploying these gears. Massachusetts' commercial scup fishery during May - October is managed through state-by-state quotas allocated by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.



Recreational fishing rules were amended for summer flounder (fluke), black sea bass and scup. Minimum size for fluke was increased from 16.5" to 17." Black sea bass closed seasons (formerly Dec. 1 - May 9 & Sept. 8 - 21) were eliminated. Scup minimum size was increased from 10 to 10 ½". The scup open fishing season (formerly Jan. 1- October 6) was shortened to a 4 month period from May 1 through August 31. Scup bag limits were reduced to 25 fish per angler, and 50 per vessel for private vessels with 2 or more anglers aboard. Anglers on for-hire vessels will be allowed 60 fish per angler during May and June only; otherwise 25-fish per angler. These actions were taken to comply with interstate plan mandates.



Commercial trawling regulations for waters south of Cape Cod and the islands were amended. The commercial squid season when small-mesh trawling is allowed, formerly ending on May 31, was extended through June 9th. The summer-time allowance for the use of 4 1/2" mesh during the June through October period in waters south of Cape Cod and the islands was eliminated (322 CMR 6.22, 8.07, & 8.08).



Area-specific commercial sea herring limits were adopted to comply with the interstate plan, and an annual specification process was established to enable adjustment of area-specific fishery limits as established by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (322 CMR 9.00). While DMF previously had adopted regulations governing Management Area 1A, other area-specific regulations such as for Management Area 1B had not been adopted. The approved adjustment process will enable DMF to file notices with interested parties when NOAA Fisheries and ASMFC have approved changes to the commercial fishery.



The finning of spiny dogfish will be prohibited, consistent with mandates of the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Spiny Dogfish. Additionally, a declaratory process was adopted for enacting annual specifications governing spiny dogfish as approved by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (322 CMR 6.35). For purposes of this regulation, finning refers to the removal of fins and subsequent discarding of the remainder of the spiny dogfish to the sea. It does not affect normal processing of dogfish.



New prohibitions on the retention of certain coastal shark species (322 CMR 6.37):

Basking sharks (Cetorhinus maximus), dusky sharks (Carcharhinus obscurus), sand tiger sharks (Carcharias taurus), and white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias). Any of these shark species caught incidental to fisheries directed toward other species must be released to ensure maximum probability of survival. This action was taken to complement similar federal conservation measures.



No action was taken on proposals to restrict river herring catch and sale. DMF and the MFAC will continue to develop changes to the recreational winter flounder regulations in compliance with the ASMFC approved plan. No changes were enacted to commercial summer flounder trip limits or seasons.

on the bass reg's...I still don't get it. 30 fish per day? (gotta keep that sunday open for all those serious comm types :yak6: ) This number should be droped to something like 5 fish/day 3 days per week. The season will be the exact same as last year. 22 days or so.

Importing fish for year round consumption (< 34") bizzare...why do we support this ?

Finally double dipping charter capts for groundfish fishing stops (that was long overdue)...I am not sure if this applys for bass..it certainly SHOULD.

Rec min size for fluke up to 17"..I can live with that but looks like the comm rod and reel limit stays at 14"? what a RIPOFF!

scup limited but in a weird and uninforceable way. Once again, looks like the rec fisherman cut and the comm limit increased and liberalized.

I think the Sunday thing was to limit the guy's who just fish on weekends from making up a lot of the catch. More of a limit for those who fish during the week, the so called real Comm. guys. I hate the day change from Mon. to Thurs. With the 30 fish limit it will close quick again.Paul

Sandy,
All of those regulatione except for the commercial striped bass bag limits, came directly from the ASMFC.

anyone else disturbed that no change was made for River Herring?

And if anyone needs an extra commercial cod fisherperson to sit on their boat and jig - I am always more than happy to go ground fishing. You can keep/sell the catch as long as I get to keep one for the skillet.

This number should be droped to something like 5 fish/day 3 days per week. The season will be the exact same as last year. 22 days or so.

Importing fish for year round consumption (< 34") bizzare...why do we support this ?
:yak5:

They should have made Sunday a No fishing day also!!! :behead:

Historically, MA is one of the so-called leading lobby states for the commercial sector. What this means is that MA is viewed as a paraiah by the rest of the collective commercial fisheries in adjoining states, never mind us in the recreational sector. It is obviously more than just dollars as it has been proven through solid numbers that the recreational fisherman pump much more actual dollars to the local economies than the commercial guys ever dreamed of. Their dollars go directly to local merchants on many levels of retail and service industries, while commercial money is disbursed on an unfair basis to those with the best connections and equipment. Charter captains are allowed to double dip all the time, and it amazes me that any recreational fisherman would simply allow his catch other than his legal 2 fish to go to the boat to be sold for additional money, instead of being released like every other charter boat must do in every other state in New England. So big deal they stopped the groundfish sector, but not other fisheries within the state.

The price of stripers in that 22 day period is disgusting low($1.70 average), and that is due to the ridiculous bag limits of what was 40 fish, now 30, and a confusing allowance of 5 fish on Sunday, with the next two days of the week being slow market days in every fish market in MA. The RI guys can keep 4 fish 34" and above, and their season lasts all of 20 or so days from Jun 1 to Jun 20 something with the average price above $2.75 a pound, and if they are lucky for another 3 or 4 days in Oct. if the quota was not hit after the assessment of the catch. How do you think the poor guy who lives in Northern Tiverton with the commercial license feels in July when his neighbor whos property abuts his in Fall River is in his favorite fishin hole off Sakonnet Point raping 30 fish a day 4 days a week and then unloading them up river after blasting right by his marina in Northern Portsmouth on his way back home?

MA should adopt similar bag limits to every other state on the eastern seaboard, and recreational limits should be uniform throughout the migratory range of all game fish with serious consideration on slot limit managed species.

I don't have a dog in this fight, but I don't see how it makes a difference to the resource if the state's commercial quota is harvested in one day or 100 days. Its still the same number of dead fish.

MM,

Price per # would go up and stay up, the season would be longer which would also help the resturants which are complaining that they only have bass for a few weeks. Unfor'tly the state thinks importing 14" bass from MD is the solution. :smash:

Also, fishing pressure on some spots is excessive when you have a fleet of boats each taking 30/day. Spreading that out over a longer period of time would help as the fish move.

Does this mean I an still catch dogfish, eviscerate them, and release them as long as the fins are still attached to the body?

Does this mean I an still catch dogfish, eviscerate them, and release them as long as the fins are still attached to the body?

Yes :D

How does ASMFC establish quotas? Virgina and Maryland have extremely high quotas (bay and river)!