View Rule

Amendment 18 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan made necessary minor administrative adjustments to several groundfish sectors, as well as minor adjustments to fishing activity designed to protect fishery resources while maximizing flexibility and efficiency. Specifically, it included the following management measures: created an accumulation limit for either the holdings of Potential Sector Contribution or of Northeast multispecies permits; created a sub-annual catch limit that Handgear A permits could enroll in and other measures pertaining to fishing with Handgear A permits; adjusted what fishery data are considered confidential, specifically the price of annual catch entitlement transferred within a sector or leased between sectors; established an inshore/offshore boundary within the Gulf of Maine with associated measures, including creation of a Gulf of Maine cod sub-annual catch limit; adjusted the Gulf of Maine Gear Restricted Area boundary to align with the inshore/offshore boundary; created declaration time periods for fishing in the inshore or offshore areas; and established a Redfish Exemption Area, in which vessels could fish with a smaller mesh net than the standard mesh size, targeting redfish.