Contact: Gordon Helm FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(301)713-2370 7/12/95
The inside ring size on scallop dredges must be a minimum of 3-1/2 inches (89 mm) effective Jan. 1, 1996, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said today as a reminder to scallop dredge fishermen.
"While there is plenty of time to meet this new requirement, we're encouraging vessel owners to avoid the end-of-the-year rush for the larger rings," said Andy Rosenberg, Northeast region director of NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service. "We will be enforcing the new ring size requirements on Jan. 1 and want all scallopers to be aware of the regulation for all landings on or following that date."
The New England Fishery Management Council also intends to write letters to scallop ring manufacturers alerting them to the need to have an adequate supply for affected scallop permit holders.
The new minimum ring size affects all scallop dredge vessels fishing for or in possession of more than 40 pounds of shucked scallops or more than five U.S. bushels of in-shell scallops, along with all scallop dredge vessels with federal scallop permits fishing under the days-at-sea program. Affected permit holders must comply with these gear restrictions published in the Federal Register (50 CFR 650.21 (b)(3)(ii)).
This restriction does not apply to hydraulic clam dredges and mahogany quahog dredges in possession of 400 or fewer pounds of scallops. Vessels operating under the state waters scallop exemption program in states with smaller minimum ring size restrictions are also exempt from this requirement.
For further information on the regulation, call Paul H. Jones, National Marine Fisheries Service, at 508/281-9273.