Bureaucrats Paperwork Lobster Trap Swaps in Annual Fishery Shuffle
Published Date: 9/9/2026
Notice
Summary
No summary available.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
Annual Lobster Trap Transfer Window
If you hold a Federal lobster permit, you may buy or sell trap allocation from Lobster Conservation Management Areas 2, 3, or Outer Cape Cod during a two-month window from August 1 through September 30 each year. Approved transfers change a permit's allocation at the start of the following Federal lobster fishing year on May 1, and both seller and buyer must sign and date the application and show the seller has enough allocation and the buyer has room under the trap cap.
Paperwork Time Burden for Transfers
If you apply to transfer trap allocation, you must submit NMFS application forms during August 1–September 30 each year. The collection covers 153 respondents, the average response takes 10 minutes, and the total annual burden is 13 hours; the application is required to obtain or retain program benefits.
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