Fish in No-Fish Zones? Cod Study Seeks Exemptions
Published Date: 4/11/2025
Notice
Summary
Fishing groups and Massachusetts marine officials want special permission to fish in protected cod areas to study spawning cod and gather important data. This could change some fishing rules temporarily to help manage fish better. People have until April 28, 2025, to share their thoughts, and this project aims to improve fishing while protecting cod.
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 3 costs, 0 mixed.
Temporary access to cod-closure areas
From May 1, 2025 through June 30, 2025, an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) would allow 14 federally permitted vessels to fish inside Gulf of Maine Cod Protection Closure Areas I and II (Statistical Areas 132 and 133). The project plans 128 one-day trips using bottom trawl gear, with up to 3 tows per trip and tow durations of about 4 hours.
Spawning-cod thresholds can stop EFP fishing
If MA DMF detects more than five spawning cod in one tow, or if more than 18 percent of tows within a consecutive 7-day fishing period contain spawning cod, participating vessels would no longer be allowed to fish under the EFP. MA DMF would immediately notify sector managers and NMFS if a threshold is reached.
Permission to retain undersized cod for sampling
The EFP requests an exemption from the federal minimum cod size rule (50 CFR 648.83) to allow retention of cod under the 19-inch (48.3 cm) total length minimum so researchers can collect sex and maturity data. The retained undersized cod caught in targeted tows would be kept round and sampled by Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (MA DMF) staff.
Observer or electronic monitoring required
Vessels may only fish in the targeted areas under the EFP if they have a Northeast Fisheries Observer or At-Sea Monitor aboard, or if they participate in an approved electronic monitoring program for the trip. This requirement applies to every trip conducted under the EFP.
Specific catch handling and sampling rules
During EFP trips, cod caught within target-area tows must be kept round, isolated in separate totes with sealed, zip-tied lids, and made available to MA DMF upon return for sex and maturity sampling; legal-size catch may be sold and all catch must be accounted for consistent with sector Annual Catch Entitlement (ACE). Vessels must also notify MA DMF when departing and use the Pre-Trip Notification System as usual.
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