FYI, the NEFMC voted a few minutes ago to adopt the Stellwagon bank dedicated habit research area WIHOUT the reference area. IOW recreational anglers will still be allowed to fish within the area. Great job by everyone who worked so hard to fight for our continued access!

This is a big deal...great news.

A few (paraphrased) comments from the Stellwagen Bank Charter Association:
“It was a good day for our cause in that the full Council voted to recommend removing the contentious reference area (55 sq nm closed area) that would have crippled the boats fishing out of Plymouth, Green Harbor, and Scituate. In summary, they recommended to designate the DHRA but eliminate the reference area. We'll still be allowed to fish there. To be clear, this fight isn't over yet. NMFS must still render its recommendation following today's meeting, and that recommendation is subject to a full review within the Department of Commerce. It is, however, a very positive signal that we may have eliminated the closed area. Many of the Council members commented on the tremendous amount of correspondence this topic has generated through phone calls, emails, and letters. Some said this relatively small part of the entire amendment generated more outcry than any other part. So thanks go to everyone who took the time to send emails and letters and attend the hearings. It made a big impression.”

“Would like to thank the SBCBA, Mass Lobsterman Association, and many others that volunteered their time against the proposed Stellwagen Bank DHRA, your hard work has paid off, the NEFMC voted against it this morning! We also would like to thank William Keating, Charlie Baker, Jim Cantwell, Bob Hedlund, Bruce Tarr, Vinny Demacedo to name a few or close to 40 State representatives that supported us and were against the proposed DHRA. It is apparent the DHRA was riddled with flawed science and flawed economics. The emails, phone calls and correspondence worked, the NEMFC has never seen such an outcry on any issue by the public. The only 4 individuals that voted for or recommended the creation of a DHRA included:

· David Preble
· Mark Gibson
· Mark McKenzie
· Mark Alexander

Frank Blount, Terry Alexander, Dave Pierce and Dr. Michael Sissenwine lead the way pointing out technical and economic flaws associated with the DHRA as well as others on the NEFMC. It should be noted that John Bullard, NMFS voted today against the creation of the DHRA. The NEFMC’s recommendation will now be forwarded to John Bullard and the NMFS for approval. We will continue to be vigilant to ensure that the vote stands and no DHRA is created in one of the last areas that we can rely upon to land fish.”

David Preble... Former charterboat from Rhode Island. Giving the shaft to Massachusetts guys
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April 24, 2015 - On April 23rd in Mystic, CT, the New England Fishery Management Council (Council) voted by a 13 to 4 margin to drop from consideration a proposed 55-square-mile zone off the Massachusetts coast that would have banned recreational groundfishing.

The contested zone, known as the "Reference Area," would have been part of a larger, 330-square-mile Designated Habitat Research Area (DHRA) contained in the new Omnibus Habitat Amendment 2, a massive plan designed to protect fish and bottom habit off the Northeast coast that the Council has been working on for over five years. The DHRA would prohibit commercial groundfish fishing, but allow recreational fishing. The Reference Area, created and strongly supported by the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary ostensibly for their own research needs, would have banned all bottom fishing, including recreational angling, within its borders.

"This is a major victory for both private anglers and the for-hire fleet," said Capt. Mike Pierdinock, RFA's Massachusetts Chapter Chairman. "This is an important area for party and charter boat operators in particular, as it normally holds good numbers of pollock and other bottom species. The fact that the recreational sector cannot possess any cod this year now makes it even more valuable to us. This was not the time to implement any new restrictions on sport fishing."

"Mike fought this battle tirelessly, dating back to the original SERA I/II in 2010," commented Barry Gibson, RFA's New England Director. "Several other key opponents worked alongside him, including Capt. Charlie Wade, President of the Stellwagen Bank Charter Boat Association. This core group was remarkably successful in getting hundreds of anglers and charter operators, as well as a number of bipartisan federal and state elected officials, to turn out at the public hearings and oppose the Sanctuary's attempted grab of publicly-owned ocean bottom. Mike and his guys did the groundwork, and it paid off."

Several Council members stated at the meeting that they had never received so much correspondence and testimony on a single issue of fishery management. "This was important to us, so we knew we had to pull out all the stops," said Capt. Pierdinock. "The press releases from RFA urging folks to attend the hearings and send emails were huge. The recreational sector can really mobilize if there's a good incentive and a strong push. And, I want to thank those Council members who went to bat for us, particularly those representing the commercial fishing sector. It shows we really can work together when we need to."

The new Habitat Amendment will be re-drafted to reflect the Council's decisions at the meeting, and will go out to public hearing in the coming months. Final implementation will likely not be until 2016.

"I'm very proud of what our New England officers have accomplished," said Jim Donofrio, RFA's Executive Director. "It's all about preserving access to our publicly-held marine resources. Unless there's an iron-clad, scientifically supportable justification for a closure to recreational fishing, we're going to oppose it. That's what our guys did in this case, and by a lot of hard work they were able to prevail."

Great news!
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Several councilors, including Frank Blount, pointed to the absurd assertion by the sanctuary that only five boats would be affected by the closure. How could five boats generate the thousands of e-mails, phone calls etc.? Many of the councilors stated that they have never received so much public comment before on a single issue.

i'm confused , with cod shut down and tuna falling under h.m.s. whats left , pollick , I thought hadock were out deeper ?

i'm confused , with cod shut down and tuna falling under h.m.s. whats left , pollick , I thought hadock were out deeper ?

haddock, pollack, flounders, cusk, hake, etc.

i'm confused , with cod shut down and tuna falling under h.m.s. whats left , pollick , I thought hadock were out deeper ?

Once it's closed, it's closed forever...even when (and if) the Cod come back. It's the principal...the jerk offs at the Stellwagen Bank sanctuary want this place shut down forever to all fishing...and they mean ALL fishing
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Once it's closed, it's closed forever...even when (and if) the Cod come back. It's the principal...the jerk offs at the Stellwagen Bank sanctuary want this place shut down forever to all fishing...and they mean ALL fishing
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now I get it , thanks

We can't give Craig Macdonald from Stellwagen Bank sanctuary an inch.