Gentlemen,
Marine Fisheries is proposing new emergency measures at the area surrounding the Boston Dumping Grounds to protect spawning cod fish. The measures are strict for both commercials and recreationals, but in the long run this WILL help our stocks! It's either a small hit now for the recreationals or no fish in the future!!!! The proposed measures will ban gillnetting from the dump area, protecting the big spawners from being scooped up as has been happening this year. There is a meeting wednesday in gloucester to oppose the action, but we should go to support it, the opposers are commercial fishermen who want to continue to kill these spawning cod. More info is below.
Please go!! If you cannot, please email
melanie.griffin@state.ma.us to voice your support for the closure.
December 27, 2004
MarineFisheries Advisory
PUBLIC MEETING SEEKS COMMENTS
PRIOR TO TAKING EMERGENCY ACTION IN COD CONSERVATION ZONE –
Meeting to be held at 1PM on Wednesday, December 29th
MarineFisheries is seeking comments on emergency actions it plans to take to conserve cod stocks in a portion of state waters to be known as the Cod Conservation Zone (see map below). Please note that the Cod Conservation Zone includes all waters under the jurisdiction of the Commonwealth north of 42º20’ latitude and south of 42º30’ latitude. A meeting will be held on Wednesday, December 29th (1PM) at the Annisquam River Marine Fisheries Station in Gloucester (30 Emerson Ave.)
The following are the emergency actions MarineFisheries plans to take in the Cod Conservation Zone effective 0001 hours Thursday, December 30, 2004 through Monday, February 28, 2005; MarineFisheries is delaying implementation of emergency actions by one day to gather public comment:
· Gillnet prohibition: no fishing, setting, or abandoning of any gillnet in the Cod Conservation Zone;
· Commercial Fishery Limits reduced to no more than 300 lbs. of cod in possession in any 24 hour period within the Cod Conservation Zone; and
· Recreational Fishery Limits amended by implementing a 300 lb. cod limit per vessel regardless of the number of persons or anglers onboard.
· Vessel possession limit would be enforced for anyone fishing or seen fishing in the Cod Conservation Zone. Vessels only transiting this area would not be subject to the 300 lb. limit.
MarineFisheries is taking these actions due to intense fishing (commercial and recreational) on a cod spawning aggregation within state waters, a conservation issue worthy of extraordinary state measures, beyond the current state and federal rules. The gillnet fishery as prosecuted in this area is resulting in excess catches that are either discarded or laid fallow in nets and the area cannot accommodate growth in the commercial and recreational fishery sectors.
For further information please visit our website at
www.mass.gov/marinefisheries.