New Hampshire Administrative Code

"Mobile gear" means fishing gear that is mechanically or manually drawn, pulled, or dragged through the water for the purpose of entrapping and taking of marine species. The term includes but is not limited to purse seine, Scottish seine, beam trawl, midwater trawl, otter trawl, …

"Net" means any open fabric constructed of materials such as but not limited to string, cord, thread, or wire, knotted or woven together in such a way as to be capable of entraining or entrapping fin fish. Notes N.H. Admin. Code § Fis 601.04 #1670, eff 11-20-80; ss by #2263, eff …

"River Herring" means a group of fish which includes alewives (Alosa pseudoharengus) and blueback herring (Alosa aestivalis). Notes N.H. Admin. Code § Fis 601.05 #1670, eff 11-20-80; ss by #2263, eff 1-7-83; ss by #2839, eff 8-31-84; ss by #4868, eff 7-20-90; ss by #5789, eff 2-1…

"Seine" means the same thing as "net". Notes N.H. Admin. Code § Fis 601.06 #4306, eff 8-28-87; ss by #5789, eff 2-18-94, EXPIRED: 2-18-00 New. #7215, eff 3-16-00: 3-16-08, EXPIRED: 3-16-08 New. #9216, INTERIM, eff 7-24-08; ss by #9299, eff 10-22-08 Amended by Volume XXXVI Number …

"Single hook artificial lure" means a lure with one single hook with not more than 3 hook points. Notes N.H. Admin. Code § Fis 601.07 #5789, eff 2-18-94, EXPIRED: 2-18-00 New. #7215, eff 3-16-00, EXPIRED: 3-16-08 New. #9216, INTERIM, eff 7-24-08; ss by #9299, eff 10-22-08 Amended…

"Total length" means the straight-line distance from the tip of the snout to the tip of the tail or caudal fin while the fish is lying on its side, normally extended. Notes N.H. Admin. Code § Fis 601.08 #5953, eff 1-25-95, EXPIRED: 1-25-03 New. #8087, eff 5-27-04; ss by #9805, ef…

"Waters under the jurisdiction of the state" means those waters described in RSA 1:14 and 1:15. Notes N.H. Admin. Code § Fis 601.09 #10094, EXEMPT, eff 2-29-12 Amended by Volume XXXVIII Number 45, Filed November 8, 2018, Proposed by #12652, Effective 10/27/2018, Expires 10/27/202…

"Weir" means a fixed position fish trap consisting of a lead of net strung from poles, usually wooden, with a pocket of net within which the fish are contained. Notes N.H. Admin. Code § Fis 601.10 Derived From Volume XXXVIII Number 45, Filed November 8, 2018, Proposed by #12652, …

"Approved electronic tracking device" means an electronic device approved by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to track vessel location and collect and transmit spatial data to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics…

(a) No person(s) shall set or arrange a weir or net in any river or stream at any time to extend greater than from one shoreline to the thread or middle line of the stream. (b) No person(s) shall set a weir or net within 1000 feet of another net. The distance between nets shall b…

(a) In addition to the restrictions and closures specified in Fis 402.07, the waters surrounding any dam which contains a fishway shall be closed to all fishing as described below: (1) Lamprey River, from the upstream side of the Route 108 Bridge to 275 feet below the downstream …

(a) No person shall bring, or have brought, into the state, nor transport, or caused to be transported, from the state to any other state or country, nor take from one point within the state to any other point within the state, any living marine plant, or marine animal, for relea…

(a) No person on any commercial fishing vessel or party or charter vessel shall deposit upon the shores, in the bays, harbors, or rivers of the state any dead fish, or parts thereof, or fish smothered or injured to such an extent that they will die. (b) Nothing in this section sh…

(a) Seines used for the taking of marine species from estuarine and harbor waters of the state shall not be greater than 50 square feet. The mesh size shall be no smaller than 1/2 inch. For purposes of this section, "harbor waters" means any waters of a harbor inland of the most …

(a) The taking, transporting, or possessing of Atlantic cod, Atlantic wolffish, Atlantic halibut, ocean pout, haddock, pollock, white hake, redfish, American plaice, and windowpane, witch, winter, and yellowtail flounders shall be prohibited on board any boat rigged for gill nett…

(a) The taking, transporting, or possessing of Atlantic cod, Atlantic wolffish, Atlantic halibut, ocean pout, haddock, pollock, white hake, redfish, American plaice, and windowpane, witch, winter, and yellowtail flounders shall be prohibited on board any boat rigged for mobile ge…

(a) The following definitions shall apply to this section: (1) "Day" means any 24 hour period or portion of that 24 hour period, for example, one day means 24 hours or less, 2 days means 24 to 48 hours, 3 days means 48 to 72 hours, 4 days means 72 to 96 hours and 5 days means 96 …

(a) For the purpose of this section, the term "72 COLREGS demarcation line" means the line defined in 33 CFR Section 80.115(b), namely "a line drawn from the southernmost tower on Gerrish Island charted in approximate position latitude 43°04.0'N longitude 70°41.2'W to Whaleback L…

(a) No person shall fish for or take lobsters unless the trap is equipped with unobstructed escape vents or gaps in the parlor section which shall have: (1) A rectangular or oblong escape vent not less than 1 15/16 inches by 5 3/4 inches located next to the bottom edge; (2) At le…

(a) No person shall possess any V-notched female American lobster. For the purposes of this paragraph, V-notched lobster means any female lobster marked with a V-notch in the right flipper next to the middle flipper or any female lobster which is mutilated in a manner which could…

(a) The minimum length for lobster shall be 3 1/4 inches except the minimum length for lobster taken or possessed in state waters by any vessel federally permitted to take lobsters in: (1) Lobster Management Area 3 as specified in 50 CFR 697.18 shall be 3 17/32; and (2) Lobster M…

(a) Any individual holding a commercial lobster and crab license shall not use more than 1200 traps to take lobsters. (b) Individuals holding a limited commercial lobster and crab license shall not use more than 600 traps to take lobster. (c) Individuals holding a part-time comme…

(a) A person holding a limited commercial or a commercial lobster license, pursuant to RSA 211:18 III, who suffers a temporary physical disability that precludes the ability to take lobsters for a minimum of 30 days may temporarily transfer a license as follows: (1) A commercial …

(a) In the event a resident commercial lobster license holder, pursuant to RSA 211:18 III, who has landed a verified 12,000 pounds of lobster for any 2 years during the previous 5 years suffers death or a permanent physical disability that precludes the ability to take lobsters, …

(a) No person licensed in accordance with RSA 211:18 shall fish with, raise, or possess on board a vessel or submerged within the waters under the jurisdiction of this state, a lobster trap without a valid lobster trap tag affixed to the trap and issued to said person except: (1)…

(a) The requirement of this section shall not apply to persons on vessels permitted by National Marine Fisheries to trap American lobster. (b) Helpers under this section shall not be persons who hold a part time commercial license to take lobster that only allows the use of 100 t…

(a) "Hook gear" means fishing gear that is comprised of a hook or hooks attached to a line and includes but is not limited to longline, setline, jigs, troll line, rod and reel, and line trawl. (b) Any vessel commercially rigged for hook gear shall: (1) Use circle hooks when using…

(a) No person shall take river herring, alewives (Alosa pseudoharengus) or bluebacks (Alosa aestivalis), by any method from the waters of the state between sunrise Wednesday and sunrise Thursday of any week. (b) Any trap or weir used in the waters of the state during the period s…

(a) American shad (Alosa sapidissima) taken by any method from tidal waters shall be immediately released back into the waters from which it was taken. (b) No person shall transport, possess or land shad from outside the jurisdiction of the state that exceeds more than 5% of the …

(a) The taking of any species of sea-run salmon, which spends part of its life cycle in fresh, brackish or salt water under the jurisdiction of the state, shall be permitted. Such taking shall be done only by angling, as described in RSA 207:1, I, and only by anglers licensed und…

(a) "Salters" means any species of trout which spends part of its life cycle in brackish or salt water under the jurisdiction of the state. (b) Taking of salters shall be done by angling, as defined in RSA 207:1, I, and only by anglers licensed under RSA 214:1. (c) The daily cree…

Sand Eels REPEALED Notes N.H. Admin. Code § Fis 603.05

(a) Taking of salt water smelt, by use of net or weir, shall not be permitted between March 1 and December 15, in the waters under the jurisdiction of the state which lie inland of the so-called Memorial Bridge in Portsmouth. (b) The daily limit for smelt taken by any method from…

(a) "Sea herring" means that species of Atlantic sea herring known as Clupea harengus. (b) "Management Area" means one of four Management Areas as specified in the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Her…

(a) No person shall take, possess, or transport striped bass unless the fish is at least 28 inches in total length and less than 31 inches in total length. Striped bass shall have head and tail intact while on or leaving the waters or shores of the state except as follows: (1) A …

(a) For the purposes of this section, "recreational fishing" means the taking of fish by angling and spearfishing for personal use only and which are not sold. (b) No person shall take or possess fish, except by recreational fishing as specified in (c), less than: Table 603.01 Co…

Notes N.H. Admin. Code § Fis 603.10 #2105, eff 8-1-82; rpld by #2457, eff 8-28-83

(a) No person shall take or possess American eels (Anquilla rostrata) less than 9 inches. (b) No person shall take American eels, other than by angling, without obtaining the permit specified in Fis 609.01. (c) No recreational anglers shall possess more than 25 American eels for …

No person shall take or possess any sturgeon (Acipenseridae). Notes N.H. Admin. Code § Fis 603.12 #2741, eff 6-13-84; ss by #4865, eff 7-17-90; rpld by #6176, eff 1-27-96; ss by #7371, eff 10-7-00; ss by #9216, INTERIM, eff 7-24-08, EXPIRES: 1-20-09; ss by #9286, EXEMPT, eff 9-29…

(a) No person shall take or possess blue or white marlin, sailfish and longbill spearfish except by angling. (b) The minimum sizes shall be 99 inches for blue marlin, 66 inches for white marlin and 57 inches for sailfish. The lengths shall be measured from the tip of the lower ja…

(a) No person shall take or possess red drum (Sciaenops ocellata) less than 20 inches total length or more than 27 inches total length. (b) Possession shall be limited to 5 fish per day. Notes N.H. Admin. Code § Fis 603.14 #4743, eff 1-24-90; ss by #5412, eff 6-19-92, EXPIRED: 6-…

(a) No person shall take by angling from the waters of the state, or possess while on or leaving the waters of the state, more than 3 bluefish in one day, provided that a person angling from a licensed saltwater for hire vessel may take or possess 5 bluefish per day. (b) From Oct…

(a) No person shall take or possess weakfish (Cynoscion regalis) less than 16 inches total length. (b) No person shall possess more than 10 weakfish per day. Notes N.H. Admin. Code § Fis 603.16 #5521, eff 12-3-92; ss by #5789, eff 2-18-94, EXPIRED: 2-18-00 New. #7215, eff 3-16-00…

(a) No person shall take or possess sea urchins, Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis, having shells less than 2 inches in the longest diameter, exclusive of spines, to an amount of more than 5 percent of any bulk pile. (b) The 5 percent tolerance shall be determined by numerical co…

(a) No person shall take or possess goosefish (Lophius americanus) less than 17 inches total length or goosefish tails less than 11 inches as measured from the anterior portion of the fourth cephalic dorsal spine to the end of the caudal fin. (b) Goosefish livers landed shall not…

(a) No person shall take, land or possess spiny dogfish in state waters whenever the state has been notified by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) that the state quota has been taken. (b) During any time period for which dogfish is closed as specified in (a) …

(a) No person shall take, land, or possess the following species of sharks in state waters: (1) Atlantic angel (Squatina dumeril); (2) Basking (Cetorhinus maximus); (3) Bigeye sand tiger (Odontaspis noronhai); (4) Bigeye sixgill (Hexanchus nakamurai); (5) Bigeye thresher (Alopias…