I wouldn't want to own a charter business that ground fishes

[buckman]

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are these changes being implemented?

The recreational catch of both GOM cod and haddock exceeded the catch limit in place for FY 2013. Because the FY 2013 recreational overage was substantial, significant changes in management measures are needed to ensure the recreational fishery does not exceed its catch limit again in FY 2014.

Why is the haddock bag limit so low for this year?
A very small bag limit is required to sufficiently reduce recreational haddock catch and prevent additional quota overages. Analysis shows that many anglers encounter and keep only small numbers of haddock. The available information for FY 2013 shows that, on average, less than one haddock was kept per angler. As a result, changing the bag limit for haddock from unlimited to 10 fish per angler, for example, would not reduce catch because anglers keep far less than 10 haddock.
Allowing four or more haddock to be kept would require implementing larger minimum fish size and/or more seasonal closures. We heard clearly at the Council meeting that a haddock size limit larger than 21 inches would only result in a lot of discards and potential noncompliance. We also heard the preference for changes in the bag limit paired with a fall (September-October) closure. A 21-inch size limit and fall closure alone did not ensure a strong enough likelihood that the catch limit wouldn’t be exceeded in FY 2014.
How is a day defined for per angler bag limits?

Any trip longer than 15 hours and covering 2 consecutive calendar days is considered more than 1 day. Similarly, any trip longer than 39 hours and covering 3 consecutive calendar days is considered more than 2 days and, so on, in a similar fashion.
Can I continue to fish after catching my bag limit or during
Yes, you can continue to fish after keeping your daily bag limit; however, you may only catch and release. We have a guide for catch and release written for large pelagic species (http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/Com...e_brochure.pdf) but much of the information is applicable to any catch-and-release fishery.
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