March 14, 2016 — Recreational fishermen currently are barred from fishing for Gulf of Maine cod, but that could change — albeit not by much — under a proposal from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that also significantly increases recreational catch limits for haddock.
NOAA Fisheries is soliciting public comment on its proposed rule change that would allow individual recreational anglers to keep one cod per day — as long as the catch meets or exceeds the 24-inch minimum size inside the Gulf of Maine regulated mesh area and 22 inches outside it — from Aug. 1 through Sept. 30.
The comments must be received at NOAA Fisheries no later than March 18.
The proposed rule change also would afford recreational fishermen far more latitude in fishing for Gulf of Maine haddock throughout the 2016 fishing season set to begin May 1, allowing a daily bag limit that is five times greater than the current limit.
In the 2015 season, individual recreational anglers could catch and keep up to three haddock per day during two stretches of the season (May 1 to Aug. 31 and Nov. 1 to Feb. 29) as long as the catch met or exceeded the minimum size of 17 inches.