November 12, 2019 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
NOAA Fisheries has approved federal measures for the Jonah crab fishery that complement the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Jonah Crab.
Approved measures include:
|
Sector |
Management Measure |
Requirement |
|
Commercial |
Vessel permitting |
Landing requires a federal lobster permit |
|
Minimum size |
4.75-inch (12.065-cm) carapace width |
|
|
Broodstock protection |
Prohibit retention of egg-bearing females |
|
|
Incidental limit |
Up to 1,000 crabs per trip |
|
|
Incidental latch definition |
Up to 50 percent of weight onboard |
|
|
Dealer permitting and reporting |
Federal dealer permit required and mandatory Federal dealer reporting |
|
|
Recreational |
Broodstock protection |
Prohibit retention of egg-bearing females |
|
Catch limit |
50 crabs per day |
Read the final rule as filed in the Federal Register and the permit holder bulletin available on our website.