Effective April 26, 2023
NOAA Fisheries has estimated that midwater trawl herring vessels will have caught 96 percent of the 2023 river herring and shad catch cap allocated to the Cape Cod Catch Cap Area by April 20, 2023. As a result, we are implementing a 2,000-lb herring possession limit for vessels fishing with midwater trawl gear in the Cape Cod Catch Cap Closure Area through the remainder of fishing year 2023.
Effective 00:01 hr local time on April 26, 2023, through 24:00 hr local time on December 31, 2023, midwater trawl vessels may not attempt or do any of the following: fish for, possess, transfer, receive, land, or sell more than 2,000 lb of herring from the Cape Cod Catch Cap Closure Area per trip; or land herring from the Cape Cod Catch Cap Closure Area more than once per calendar day.
Also effective 00:01 hr local time, April 26, 2023, through 24:00 hr local time, December 31, 2023, federally permitted dealers may not attempt or do any of the following: purchase; receive; possess; have custody or control of; sell; barter; trade; or transfer more than 2,000 lb of herring per trip or calendar day from a midwater trawl vessel fishing in the Cape Cod Catch Cap Closure Area, unless it is from a vessel that enters port before 00:01 hr local time on April 26, 2023, and catch is landed in accordance with state management measures.
Midwater trawl vessels that enter port before 00:01 hr local time on April 26, 2023, may land and sell, and dealers may receive or purchase, more than 2,000 lb of herring from a trip in the Cape Cod Catch Cap Closure Area, provided that catch is landed in accordance with state management measures.
For more details, see our fishery bulletin or the rule as filed in the Federal Register.
 Map of River Herring and Shad Catch Cap Areas and Catch Cap Closure Areas for the Herring Fishery.
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