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Commercial Fisheries News
Volume 33 Number 8
April 2006
Scallopers restricted to ‘open’ areas until FW 18 implemented
GLOUCESTER, MA – The 2006 scallop fishing year got underway on March 1 even though Framework Adjustment (FW) 18 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan won’t be implemented until early June.
Framework 18 contains the limited-access fleet’s day-at-sea allocations and rotational area schedule for the next two fishing years as established by the New England Fishery Management Council. The framework, which was only submitted to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in mid-December, is still under review.
Between now and June, scallopers can fish in “open” areas under Amendment 10, which contained default days-at-sea allocations.
However, NMFS warned vessel owners in a March 15 permit holder letter that open-area allocations under Framework 18 are lower than under Amendment 10, and any vessel exceeding its Framework 18 allocation will have the overage deducted from its 2007 allocation.
The 2006 open-area allocations are:
• Full-time permit holders – 67 days under Amendment 10 vs. 52 days under Framework 18;
• Part-time permit holders – 27 days under Amendment 10 vs. 21 days under Framework 18; and
• Occasional permit holders – 6 days under Amendment 10 vs. 4 days under Framework 18.
On March 1, the Hudson Canyon Access Area reverted to an open area. Framework 18 proposes to close the area once again to all limited-access vessels except those with unused Hudson Canyon trips from 2005.
Anyone who chooses to fish in the Hudson Canyon area between March 1 and the June implementation of Framework 18 must use open-area days or fish under general category regulations.
For more information, call NMFS’s Sustainable Fisheries Division in Gloucester at (978) 281-9315.
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