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Heads up on Limit to Groundfish Charter Boats
Just a Heads Up
Fact: At the New England Fisheries Managmeent Council meeting in June the council will consider re-affirming the control date (March 30, 2006) for party/charter fishing vessels. The Council considered doing so at this week's meeting but decided that this should be a specific item on the agenda before taking action.
Opinion: This is probably being done because in the next round of groundfish regulations there will be a move to split the charter boats from the straight recreational anglers and this will require a limited entry program for charter boats. A control date is what is used as the cutoff for those that will and will not retain their permits. It is likley if this moves forward all federal charter boat permits gated after the date will not be renewed.
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