Code of Maine Rules › 13 - DEPARTMENT OF MARINE RESOURCES › 188 - MARINE RESOURCES - GENERAL › Chapter 34 - GROUNDFISH REGULATIONS › Section 188-34-05 - Commercial Groundfish Restrictions

Current through 2024-29, July 17, 2024
A.
Prohibited Species
Vessels are prohibited from retaining, killing or landing
				  Ocean Pout, Windowpane Flounder, and Atlantic Wolffish.
B.
Commercial Fishing Size
				Restrictions
1. Unless otherwise
				specified under this chapter, the minimum fish size applies to the whole fish
				or any part of a fish while possessed on board a vessel and to whole fish only,
				after landing. Fish or parts of fish must have skin on while possessed on board
				a vessel and at the time of landing in order to meet minimum size requirements.
				"Skin on" means the entire portion of the skin normally attached to the portion
				of the fish or fish parts possessed.
2.
Minimum Fish Sizes (Total
				Length)
Species
Size Inches (cm)
American Plaice (dab)
							 .................................
12 (30.5 cm)
Cod
							 .............................................................
19 (48.3 cm)
Haddock
							 .....................................................
16 (40.7 cm)
Monkfish
							 ....................................................
17 (43.2 cm)
Pollock
							 .......................................................
19 (48.3 cm)
Redfish
							 .......................................................
7 (17.8 cm)
Summer Flounder
							 .......................................
14 (35.6 cm)
Winter Flounder (lemon sole/blackback)
							 .....
12 (30.48 cm)
Witch Flounder (gray
							 sole)..........................
13 (33.0 cm)
Yellowtail Flounder
							 ....................................
12 (30.5 cm)
3.
Minimum Size Limit Exceptions
(a)
				Except for Atlantic Halibut, each person aboard a vessel may possess up to 25
				lb. of fillets that measure less than the minimum size, if such fillets are
				from legal-sized fish and are not offered or intended for sale, trade, or
				barter.
(b) Vessels fishing
				exclusively with pot gear may possess multispecies racks used, or to be used,
				as bait that measure less than the minimum fish size, if there is a receipt for
				the purchase of those racks on board the vessel.
(c)
Monkfish
. Monkfish tails may
				be removed from the fish but must measure at least 11 inches (27.9
				cm).
(d) Vessels participating in
				the electronic monitoring maximized retention model must retain all fish from
				each allocated groundfish species, regardless of length, and are therefore
				exempt from the minimum fish sizes for allocated groundfish species specified
				in Section
				34.05 B(2). Federally permitted
				Northeast multispecies dealers may possess undersized fish which are landed by
				vessels participating in the electronic monitoring maximized retention model as
				long as they clearly identify, mark, or label all containers with fish below
				the minimum size as containing undersized fish, the fishing vessel from which
				they were offloaded, and the date of offloading. A receipt must accompany the
				possession of undersized allocated groundfish originating from the maximized
				retention model to indicate they were legally obtained. Vessels, or their
				sector manager, which are participating in the electronic monitoring maximized
				retention model and plan to land groundfish in Maine must notify Maine DMR when
				their vessel monitoring plan includes, or removes, the maximized retention
				model as an electronic monitoring tool and provide a list of Maine dealers
				which they are authorized to land at as per their vessel monitoring
				plan.