NOAA Fisheries Announces Closure of the Closed Area I Scallop Access Area for the Limited Access General Category Individual Fishing Quota Fleet

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NOAA Fisheries - New England - Mid Atlantic Bulletin

September 11, 2020

NOAA Fisheries Announces Closure of the Closed Area I Scallop Access Area for the Limited Access General Category Individual Fishing Quota Fleet

Effective September 13, 2020 through March 31, 2021

NOAA Fisheries is closing the Closed Area I Scallop Access Area to all federally permitted limited access general category individual fishing quota (LAGC IFQ) scallop vessels effective 0001 hr, on September 13, 2020.

As of September 13, 2020, no scallop vessel fishing under these regulations may fish for, possess, or land scallops in or from the Closed Area I Access Area. The scallop regulations require that we close this area once we project that the LAGC fleet has fished all of the 571 trips allocated for this area.

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Vessels that have complied with the observer notification requirements, have declared a trip into the Closed Area I Scallop Access Area using the correct Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) code, and have crossed the VMS demarcation line before 0001 hr, September 13, 2020, may complete their trip and retain and land scallops caught from the Closed Area I Scallop Access Area.

For more details, read the notice as filed in the Federal Register and the permit holder bulletin.

Questions?

Fishermen: Contact Shannah Jaburek, Sustainable Fisheries Division, 978-282-8456

Media: Contact Allison Ferreira, Regional Office, 978-281-9103