February 19, 2015 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
The Small Entity Compliance Guide for the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery is now available. It is important for planning your scallop fishing operations for the upcoming fishing year. This summary is not a substitute for the actual regulations, and we encourage you to review the full text of the regulations, available at:
Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Regulations
IMPORTANT: You need to be aware of upcoming measures that we expect to implement in May 2015. The New England Fishery Management Council voted on final Framework Adjustment 26 measures on November 20, 2015, and, if we approve the action, we will likely implement the measures in May. There are several important changes proposed in Framework 26 that, if approved and implemented, will directly affect the management measures in fishing year 2015. We have noted the Framework 26 measures that we urge you to consider when planning your fishing activity between March 1 and the implementation of Framework 26.
For questions, contact Travis Ford, Sustainable Fisheries Division, at travis.ford@noaa.gov or 978-281-9233.