Special Permits Sought to Use Skates as Scallop Bait
Published Date: 5/6/2026
Notice
Summary
Fishing boats in the Greater Atlantic Region might get special permission to try new ways of using skate fish as bait in scallop fishing. This means some usual fishing rules could be relaxed for these boats to help test new ideas. If you have thoughts, you’ve got until May 21, 2026, to share them—so don’t miss out!
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Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
LAGC scallop vessels may land bait skate
If you operate a federally permitted limited access general category (LAGC) scallop vessel, an exempted fishing permit could let participating vessels land whole skate under 23 inches while dredging in the NGOM, Georges Bank/Southern New England, and Mid-Atlantic areas. The project would cover 12 vessels, authorize up to 1,200 trips, allow a per-trip skate limit of 1,419 lbs (644 kg), run upon approval through March 31, 2027, and has a potential total ex-vessel value of about $425,700; operators expect to catch about 200–800 lb of skate per trip in practice.
Increased landings could affect skate quotas
The EFP could allow up to 1,702,800 lb (772 metric tons) of additional bait skate landings, which equals about 15 percent of the fishing year 2025 bait skate total allowable landings (TAL). If landings reach 90 percent of a seasonal quota or 80 percent of the annual TAL, skate bait trip limits would be reduced, though NMFS notes that in the past five years these additional landings would not have caused the 80 percent annual threshold to be reached.
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