Fishermen Get Special Pass to Experiment with Cod Spawning Studies
Published Date: 3/16/2026
Notice
Summary
Fishing groups want special permission to try new fishing methods that don’t follow some usual rules, all to learn more about cod spawning in the Northeast. This affects federally permitted fishing boats and asks for public comments by March 31, 2026. If approved, it could help improve fishing rules and protect fish, with no immediate cost changes announced.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
EFP Lets Vessels Fish Inside Cod Closures
If you operate a federally permitted fishing vessel and are approved to participate, the Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) would exempt your vessel from 50 CFR 648.81(d)(1) to allow fishing for Northeast multispecies on board inside Gulf of Maine (GOM) Cod Protection Closure Areas I, II, and III. The project would run from May 1, 2026 through November 30, 2026 with up to 14 participating vessels and up to 178 trips.
Monitoring, Tow Limits, and Closure Thresholds
Participating vessels must carry a Northeast Fisheries Observer or an At-sea Monitor, or use an approved electronic monitoring program, submit Pre-Trip Notifications, and follow tow limits and sampling protocols. The EFP limits tows to up to 4 per trip (each tow up to 4 hours), caps total tows at up to 80 in Area A, up to 48 in Areas B1+B2 combined, and up to 50 in Area C, and stops fishing in a target area if more than 5 spawning cod are caught in one tow or if over 18% of tows in a 7-day period contain spawning cod.
Exemption to Retain Undersized Cod for Sampling
If you participate in the EFP, the project requests an exemption from 50 CFR 648.83 to allow retention of Atlantic cod under the 19-inch minimum size inside target areas for biological sampling. Cod caught in target-area tows would be kept whole, isolated in separate totes with sealed and zip-tied lids, and sampled for sex and maturity when vessels return.
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