Letters of Authorization Programs in the Greater Atlantic Region

Below is a list of the Letters of Authorization (LOA) that are currently available from the Greater Atlantic Region Permit Office. For further information about these LOAs, please refer to our Forms and Applications page, or contact the Sustainable Fisheries Division at (978) 281-9315.

To request one of these LOAs, contact the Permit Office at (978) 282-8438.

The following is only a summary of the regulations and requirements for each LOA program under the respective Fishery Management Plan. These requirements and the list of current LOAs are subject to change. Please contact the Sustainable Fisheries Division at (978) 281-9315 if you have any questions about any regulatory requirements or changes to an LOA program.

To participate in the exempted fishery program, vessels are required to carry the LOA on board for the entire participation period specified on the LOA.

Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan

Herring Carrier

This LOA authorizes a vessel issued a valid Federal herring permit to receive, transport, and transfer Atlantic herring (herring) caught by another herring vessel. There is no possession limit for vessels operating under this authorization.

When operating under this LOA, the vessel:

• May only possess, transfer, or land herring transferred from vessels with a transfer at sea LOA. The catcher vessel may not transfer more than their possession limit allows
• May only possess or land Northeast multispecies transferred by vessels issued either an All Areas Limited Access Herring Permit (Category A) and/or an Areas 2 and 3 Limited Access Herring Permit (Category B) regardless of gear or area fished, or a vessel issued a Limited Access Incidental Catch Herring Permit and/or an Open Access Herring Permit that fished with midwater trawl gear in Herring Management Areas 1A, 1B, or 3 consistent with the vessels possession limits. Those possession limits are unlimited for haddock and 100 lb, combined, of other regulated Northeast multispecies (Atlantic cod, witch flounder, American plaice, yellowtail flounder, pollock, winter flounder, windowpane flounder, redfish, white hake, Atlantic halibut, and Atlantic wolffish);
• May not conduct fishing activities or possess any fishing gear on board the vessel; and
• Must act as a herring carrier vessel for the duration of the participation period specified in the LOA (currently 7 days minimum).
• The owner/operator of the vessel should report ‘zero catch’ and the VTR serial number of the vessel that caught the herring on its Fishing Vessel Trip Report (VTR).

Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank Midwater Trawl

This LOA authorizes a vessel to fish with midwater trawl gear in the GOM/GB Regulated Mesh Area (RMA), including Closed Area I, Closed Area II, the Nantucket Lightship Closed Area, and other areas closed for Northesat multispecies conservation under 50 CFR 648.81, with nets of less than the minimum mesh size specified in the Northeast multispecies regulations at 50 CFR 648.80(a)(3)(ii).

Midwater trawl gear is defined as trawl gear designed to fish for pelagic species, no portion of which is designed to be or is operated in contact with the bottom at any time. The gear may not include discs, bobbins, or rollers on its footrope, or chafing gear as part of the net. No other gear capable of catching multispecies may be on board the vessel. When fishing north of 42°20' N. Latitude, the vessel may not fish for, possess, or land any other species of fish except for, blueback herring, or Atlantic mackerel.

When fishing south of 42°20' N. Latitude, the vessel may not fish for, possess, or land any other species of fish except for blueback herring, Atlantic mackerel, or squid. Appropriate federal permits are required to retain Atlantic mackerel or squid.

Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank Purse Seine

This LOA authorizes a vessel to fish with purse seine gear in the Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank Regulated Mesh Area with nets of less than the minimum size specified at 50 CFR 648.80(a)(3)(ii).

A purse seine is defined as an encircling net with floats on the top edge, weights and a purse line on the bottom edge, and associated gear, or any net designed to be, or capable of being used in such fashion. No other gear capable of catching multispecies may be on board the vessel. The vessel may not fish for, possess, or land any other species of fish except for Atlantic mackerel, blueback herring, or menhaden. Appropriate federal permits are required to retain Atlantic mackerel.

Additional Requirements for Midwater Trawl and Purse Seine LOAs

The mid-water trawl and purse seine LOAs have the following additional requirements: If the vessel has a Category A or B permit, fishing on a declared herring trip with midwater trawl gear, or a Category C and/or D permit fishing with midwater trawl gear in Management Areas 1A, 1B, and/or 3, it must provide notice to NOAA Fisheries of the vessel name, contact information, and the date, time, and port of departure, at least 72 hours prior to beginning any trip into these areas, for the purposes of coordinating observer deployment, and must notify NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement through their vessel monitoring system (VMS) of the time and place of offloading at least six hours prior to crossing the VMS demarcation line on its return trip to port, or, if it has not fished seaward of the VMS demarcation line, at least six hours prior to landing.

The minimum enrollment period for these LOAs is seven calendar days from the first day of the enrollment period.

Vessels issued an All Areas Limited Access Herring Permit or an Areas 2 and 3 Limited Access Herring Permit fishing on a declared herring trip, regardless of gear or area fished, or a vessel issued a Limited Access Incidental Catch Herring Permit and/or an Open Access Herring Permit and fishing with midwater trawl gear, may possess and land haddock or other regulated Northeast multispecies (Atlantic cod, witch flounder, American plaice, yellowtail flounder, pollock, winter flounder, windowpane flounder, redfish, white hake, Atlantic halibut, and Atlantic wolffish) consistent with the bycatch caps and catch allowances (which are specified in §648.86(a)(3)). Haddock or other regulated Northeast multispecies may not be sold, purchased, received, traded, bartered, or transferred for human consumption.

Herring Transfer and Receive at Sea

This LOA authorizes a vessel issued a valid federal herring permit to transfer or receive herring at sea to/from another herring vessel, a herring at-sea processor, and/or herring carrier vessel. No vessel may transfer to, or receive from, any vessel, herring in excess of the possession limits specified in § 648.204.

In addition, the operator of a vessel that is not issued a herring permit may purchase and/or receive herring at sea for personal use as bait, provided the vessel transferring the herring has this LOA and the vessel receiving the transfer does not have gear capable of catching fish on board. When transferring Atlantic herring at sea, the owner/operator of the above named vessel must report on its fishing Vessel Trip Report and via the Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) or Interactive Voice Response System (IVR).

Monkfish Fishery Management Plan 

A Monkfish Southern Fishery Management Area (SFMA) Landing Limit Exemption A current limited access monkfish permit holder may fish exclusively under the less restrictive landing regulations for the Northern Fishery Management Area (NFMA) through this exemption.

A vessel without an operational VMS unit fishing exclusively in the NFMA for monkfish must request this LOA in order to be exempt from the more restrictive management measures of the SFMA.

This LOA can be issued anytime during the fishing year (from May 1 through April 30).

The minimum enrollment period for this LOA is seven calendar days from the first day of the enrollment period. A vessel that has declared into the NFMA may transit the SFMA, providing that it complies with the transiting and gear storage provision described § 648.94(e), and provided that it does not fish for or catch monkfish, or any other fish, in the SFMA.

Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan

Gulf of Maine Cod Landing Limit Exemption

A Northeast multispecies day at sea (DAS) permit holder, authorized to use the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system to declare Northeast multispecies DAS, and fishing exclusively south of the Gulf of Maine Regulated Mesh Area, may receive an LOA that exempts the vessel from the more restrictive Gulf of Maine cod landing limit. If the vessel declares through VMS, the Gulf of Maine Cod Trip Limit Exemption form should be sent, via VMS, prior to leaving the dock for each trip, instead of using this LOA. A vessel declared into the U.S./Canada Management Area is exempt from the requirement to declare exemption from the Gulf of Maine cod landing limit.

The vessel must meet the following requirements under this LOA:

• The vessel must have a Northeast multispecies DAS permit and be authorized to us the IVR system for declaring into the Northeast multispecies DAS program.
• The LOA has a minimum seven day participation period.
• The vessel may not fish in the Gulf of Maine Regulated Mesh Area under a Northeast multispecies DAS for the during the participation period. The vessel may transit the Gulf of Maine Regulated Mesh Area while under a Northeast multispecies DAS, provided all fishing gear is stowed and not available for immediate use.

Cultivator Shoals Whiting Fishery (June 1-October 31)

A vessel must be issued a Northeast multispecies limited access (Category A-F) or open access (Category K) permit to participate in this exempted fishery. A participating vessel is limited to 30,000 lb of silver hake (whiting) and offshore hake combined per trip. Incidental catch allowed may consist of herring, longhorn sculpin, squid, butterfish, Atlantic mackerel, spiny dogfish, red hake, monkfish and monkfish parts (up to 10 percent, by weight, of all other species on board or up to 50 lb tail-weight/146 lb whole-weight of monkfish per trip, whichever is less), and American lobster (up to 10 percent by weight, of all other species on board or 200 lobsters, whichever is less, unless otherwise restricted by landing limits specified in § 697.17).

There is a minimum mesh size requirement of 3-inch square or diamond mesh to participate in this exemption fishery.

A vessel participating in both this exemption and the raised footrope trawl whiting fishery is subject to the more restrictive measures of the two programs (e.g., the use of a minimum 3- inch square or diamond mesh and the use of the raised footrope trawl).

Raised Footrope Trawl Whiting Fishery (September 1–December 31)

A holder of a Northeast multispecies permit may elect to receive, from the Regional Administrator, an exemption from Northeast multispecies minimum mesh size restrictions when fishing for whiting or offshore hake in the Raised Footrope Trawl Whiting Fishery Exemption Area. Regulations for the Raised Footrope Trawl Exempted Whiting Fishery may be found at § 648.80(a)(15).

A vessel participating in this exemption program must comply with the following requirements:

• A minimum enrollment period of 7 days
• A minimum mesh size of 2.5-inch square or diamond mesh
• Use of a raised footrope trawl

An enrolled vessel may not fish for, possess, or land any species other than whiting and offshore hake, except for the following allowable incidental species: Red hake, butterfish, spiny dogfish, Atlantic herring, Atlantic mackerel, scup, and squid.

The vessel must adhere to the applicable small-mesh multispecies possession limits while fishing in the exemption area.

The exemption program does not apply to the Cashes Ledge Closure Areas or the Western Gulf of Maine Closed Area. A vessel participating in the Raised Footrope Trawl Whiting Fishery may participate in other small-mesh exemption areas, provided the vessel adheres to the more restrictive gear, possession limit, and other requirements for the entire participation period specified on the vessel’s LOA.

Nantucket Lightship Closed Area Charter/Party

In order to be exempted from the Nantucket Lightship Closed Area (CA), a charter/party vessel must have an LOA issued by the Greater Atlantic Regional Administrator. Fish managed by either the New England Fishery Management Council or the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council that are harvested or possessed by the vessel may not be sold, bartered or traded or intended for sale, barter or trade, regardless of where caught. Species such as tuna and striped bass may be landed for sale provided the vessel has the proper permits; and the vessel may have no gear other than rod and reel or handline gear on board. A participating vessel issued this authorization is subject to its requirements and conditions for a minimum of 7 days from the letter’s start date.

Decision Tree

1. Do you have a current limited access Northeast multispecies permit or open access Northeast multispecies charter/party permit?

YES: Go to question 2.

NO: LOA does not apply.

2. Will you possess aboard, or use, fishing gear other than rod and reel or handline gear?

YES: LOA does not apply.

NO: Continue to question 3

3. Do you plan to sell, barter or trade any fish managed by either the New England Fishery Management Council or the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council?

YES:  LOA does not apply.

NO: Continue to question 4

4. Are you aware that the vessel cannot commercially fish outside the Nantucket Lightship Closed Area for the entire participation period for Regulated Northeast multispecies? Do you agree to these terms?

YES: You need a Nantucket Lightship Closed Area Charter/Party LOA

NO: LOA does not apply.

Western Gulf of Maine and Cashes Ledge Closed Area Charter/Party

In order to be exempted from the Western Gulf of Maine and Cashes Ledge Closed Area, a charter/party vessel must have an LOA issued by the Greater Atlantic Regional Administrator.

Fish managed by either the New England Fishery Management Council or the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council that are harvested or possessed by the vessel may not be sold, bartered or traded or intended for sale, barter or trade, regardless of where caught. Species such as tuna and striped bass may be landed for sale provided the vessel has the proper permits; and the vessel may have no gear other than rod and reel or handline gear on board.

The vessel may not use a Northeast multispecies DAS, fish on a sector trip, or fish under the provisions of a Handgear A, Handgear B, or Small Vessel (Category C) permit during the entire period for which the LOA is valid. A participating vessel issued this authorization is subject to its requirements and conditions from the letter’s start date through the end of the fishing year (i.e. there is no withdrawal certificate associated with this LOA).

Decision Tree

1. Do you have a current limited access Northeast multispecies permit or open access Northeast multispecies charter/party permit?

YES: Continue to question 2

NO: LOA does not apply

2. Will you possess aboard, or use, fishing gear other than rod and reel or handline gear?

YES: LOA does not apply

NO: Continue to question 3

3. Do you plan to sell, barter or trade any fish managed by either the New England Fishery Management Council or the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council?

YES: LOA does not apply

NO: Continue to question 4

4. For any Northeast multispecies vessel, do you intend to use a Northeast multispecies days-at-sea, fish on a sector trip, or fish under the provisions of a Handgear A, Handgear B or Small Vessel (Category C) permit during the period of participation specified as part of the specific LOA?

YES: LOA does not apply

NO: You need a Western Gulf of Maine and Cashes Ledge Closed Area LOA

5. Are you aware that the vessel cannot commercially fish outside the exemption area for the entire participation period for Regulated Northeast multispecies? Do you agree to these terms?

YES: You need a Western Gulf of Maine and Cashes Ledge Closed Area LOA

NO: Do not apply for an LOA

Gulf of Maine Rolling Closed Area Charter/Party

In order to be exempted from the Gulf of Maine Rolling CA for charter/party fishing, a charter/party vessel must have an LOA issued by the Regional Administrator.

Fish managed by either the New England Fishery Management Council or the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council that are harvested or possessed by the vessel may not be sold, bartered or traded or intended for sale, barter or trade, regardless of where caught. Species such as tuna and striped bass may be landed for sale provided the vessel has the proper permits; and the vessel may have no gear other than rod and reel or handline gear on board.

The vessel may not use a Northeast multispecies DAS, fish on a sector trip, or fish under the provisions of a Handgear A, Handgear B, or Small Vessel (Category C) permit during the entire period for which the LOA is valid. A participating vessel issued this authorization is subject to its requirements and conditions from the letter’s start date for a minimum of 90 days.

Decision Tree

1. Do you have a current limited access Northeast multispecies permit or open access Northeast multispecies charter/party permit?

YES: Continue to question 2

NO: LOA does not apply

2. Will you possess aboard, or use, fishing gear other than rod and reel or handline gear?

YES: LOA does not apply

NO: Continue to question 3

3. Do you plan to sell, barter or trade any fish managed by either the New England Fishery Management Council or the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council?

YES: LOA does not apply

NO: Continue to question 4

4. For any Northeast multispecies vessel, do you intend to use a Northeast multispecies days-at-sea, fish on a sector trip, or fish under the provisions of a Handgear A, Handgear B or Small Vessel (Category C) permit during the period of participation specified as part of the specific LOA?

YES: LOA does not apply

NO: You need a Gulf of Maine Closed Area LOA

5. Are you aware that the vessel cannot commercially fish outside the exemption area for the entire participation period for regulated Northeast multispecies? Do you agree to these terms?

YES: You need a Gulf of Maine Closed Area LOA

NO: Do not apply for an LOA

Transit Exemptions for Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank Regulated Mesh Areas 

A vessel subject to the minimum mesh size restrictions may transit through the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank Regulated Mesh Area with nets on board with a mesh size smaller than the minimum mesh size specified and with small mesh exempted species on board.

This exemption program requires the following:

• All nets with a mesh size smaller than the minimum mesh size are stowed.
• A vessel may not fish for, possess on board, or land any fish, except when fishing in specified areas.

Decision Tree

1. Do you have any of the following onboard; trawl gear with less than 6 inch diamond mesh or 6.5 inch square mesh or a gillnet with less than 6.5 inch mesh?

YES: Continue to question 2

NO: LOA does not apply

2. Will you be in possession of any small mesh exempt species?

YES: Continue to question 3

NO: LOA does not apply

3. Will you be fishing exclusively in state waters?

YES: LOA does not apply

NO: Continue to question 4

4 . Do you have either the Cultivator Shoals Whiting Fishery LOA, the Nantucket Shoals Dogfish Fishery LOA, or the Raised Footrope Trawl Whiting Fishery LOA?

YES: You need a transit exemption LOA

NO: LOA does not apply

5. Will you be fishing outside of the Gulf of Maine Regulated Mesh Area and the Georges Bank Regulated Mesh Area?

YES: You need a transit exemption LOA

NO: LOA does not apply

Southern New England Little Tunny Gillnet Exempted Fishery

A vessel holding this LOA may fish with gillnet gear in the Southern New England Little Tunny Gillnet Exemption Area when not operating under a Northeast multispecies DAS with mesh size smaller than the minimum required in the Southern New England Regulated Mesh Area.

All gillnets must have a minimum mesh size of 5.5-inch (14.0- cm) diamond mesh throughout the net. All nets with a mesh size smaller than 5.5 inches diamond mesh must be stowed and unavailable for immediate use.

Fishing is confined to September 1 through October 31.

The Greater Atlantic Regional Administrator shall conduct periodic sea sampling to evaluate the likelihood of gear interactions with protected resources. The vessel may fish only for, possess on board, or land little tunny, as well as bonito, as an allowable incidental species.

Vessels fishing under this LOA may also retain:

• Butterfish, spiny dogfish (trawl), Atlantic herring, Atlantic mackerel, ocean pout, scup, shrimp, squid, summer flounder, weakfish, conger eels, searobins, black sea bass, tautog (blackfish), blowfish, cunner, John Dory, mullet, bluefish, tilefish, longhorn sculpin, fourspot flounder, alewife, hickory shad, American shad, blueback herring, sea ravens, Atlantic croaker, spot, swordfish.
• Monkfish and monkfish parts up to 10 percent by weight of all other species on board, or 50 lb tailweight (146 lb whole weight), whichever is less.
• American lobster up to 10 percent by weight of all other species on board, up to 100 lobsters for trips of 24 hours or less, or 200 lobsters for trips longer than 24 hours, whichever is less.
• Skate and skate parts up to 10 percent, by weight, of all other species on board.

Authorization to Transfer Whiting and Red Hake at Sea

A vessel issued a Northeast multispecies permit may transfer from one vessel to another, for use as bait, up to 500 lb of whiting and unlimited amounts of red hake, per trip, provided:

• The transferring vessel possesses a Northeast multispecies permit;
• The receiving vessel possesses a written receipt for any small-mesh multispecies purchased at sea.

The combined whiting and offshore hake possession limit is automatically reduced by 500 lb for every trip made by the vessel during the participation period, regardless of whether a transfer of small-mesh multispecies at sea occurred or whether the actual amount that was transferred was less than 500 lb. A separate authorization must be obtained to transfer Atlantic herring, Illex squid, longfin squid, or butterfish.

Multispecies Permit Exemption for Vessels Fishing in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Regulatory Area

A vessel issued a valid High Seas Fishing Compliance permit under 50 CFR part 300 is exempt from:

• Northeast multispecies and monkfish permit, mesh size, effort-control, and possession limit restrictions while transiting the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) with Northeast multispecies or monkfish on board the vessel;
• Landing Northeast multispecies or monkfish in U.S. ports that were caught while fishing in the NAFO Regulatory Area.

The vessel must fish exclusively in the NAFO Regulatory Area and must also have all gear properly stowed while transiting the EEZ. The vessel must comply with the High Seas Fishing Compliance permit, all NAFO conservation and enforcement measures, and must notify the agency through its vessel monitoring system (VMS) that it will be embarking on a NAFO trip.

Summer Flounder, Scup, Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan

Summer Flounder Small-Mesh Exemption Area (November 1-April 30)

A holder of a federal summer flounder moratorium permit may elect to receive, from the Greater Atlantic Regional Administrator, an exemption from summer flounder minimum mesh size restrictions when fishing in the Summer Flounder Small-Mesh Exemption Area from November 1 through April 30.

A vessel must be enrolled in the exemption program for a minimum period of 7 days. This exemption program does not exempt a vessel from minimum fish size requirements. A vessel participating in the exemption program may not fish west of the line that follows 72°30.0’ W longitude, and if transiting the area west or south of the line, must stow fishing gear in a manner so that it is not available for immediate use.

The Summer Flounder Small-Mesh Exemption Area does not exempt the vessel from any possession limits imposed by any state. If a participating vessel also possesses a Northeast multispecies permit, there are additional small-mesh restrictions in this small mesh exempted area. A vessel fishing in the Summer Flounder Small-Mesh Exemption Area may not possess or land more than 200 lb of summer flounder when fishing with mesh smaller than the minimum mesh size requirement of 5.5-in diamond or 6.0-in square from November 1- April 30.

Northeast Skate Complex Fishery Management Plan

A holder of a federal skate permit may request and receive, from the Greater Atlantic Regional Administrator, an exemption from the skate wing possession limit restrictions to land whole skates for use as bait.

A vessel participating in the skate bait exemption program must comply with the following requirements:

• The vessel must be enrolled for a minimum period of 7 days;
• The vessel may only possess and land whole skates less than 23 inches total length, up to 20,000 lb per trip;
• The vessel may only fish for, possess, and land (or transfer at sea) whole skates for use as bait; and
• Vessels that possess or land skate wings during the LOA participation period must comply with the applicable possession limit restrictions for all skates or skate parts on board.

The Skate Bait LOA does not exempt the participating vessel from any DAS requirements of the Northeast multispecies, monkfish, or scallop fisheries. Therefore, unless a skate bait vessel is fishing in a skate exemption area or is fishing with exempted gear (as defined in the Northeast multispecies regulations), it must still fish on a Northeast multispecies, monkfish, or scallop DAS.

Spiny Dogfish Fishery Management Plan

Nantucket Shoals Dogfish Fishery Exemption June 1 – October 15

This LOA is required to fish for spiny dogfish in the Nantucket Shoals Dogfish Exemption Area. A vessel issued this LOA may use gillnet or trawl mesh smaller than required by the Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank Regulated Mesh Areas (6.5 in. square or diamond trawl codend mesh; 6.5 in. throughout the entire gillnet) to catch spiny dogfish.

Trawl gear is not permitted in the portion of the exemption area that overlaps with the Nantucket Lightship Habitat Closure Area (shown in chart below).

When transiting the Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank Regulated Mesh Areas, any nets with a mesh size smaller than the regulated mesh area minimum mesh size must be stowed and unavailable for immediate use.

A vessel issued this LOA may not fish for, possess on board, or land species other than spiny dogfish, except the following: Longhorn sculpin; silver hake—up to 200 lb; monkfish and monkfish parts— up to 10 percent, by weight, of all other species on board or up to 50 lb tail weight/166 lb whole-weight of monkfish per trip, whichever is less; American lobster—up to 10 percent, by weight, of all other species on board or 200 lobsters, whichever is less; skate or skate parts—up to 10 percent, by weight, of all other species on board provided the vessel is issued the appropriate federal permits.

Mackerel, Squid, Butterfish Fishery Management Plan

Authorization to Transfer Longfin Squid, Illex Squid, or Butterfish at Sea

A vessel with a valid longfin squid, Illex squid, and/or butterfish permit must apply for an LOA to transfer and receive longfin squid, Illex squid, and/or butterfish at sea.

If the vessel has been issued this LOA and has a valid longfin/butterfish or Illex moratorium permit, it may both transfer and receive these species at sea.

If the vessel has been issued a valid incidental squid and butterfish permit, it may transfer these species at sea, consistent with the applicable possession limits, but may not receive them. Current possession limits are: 2,500 lb of longfin per trip, 10,000 lb of Illex per trip, and 600 lb of butterfish per trip, unless the directed butterfish fishery closes prior to October 1; then the butterfish possession limit is 250 lb per trip.

Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank Midwater Trawl

In order to use midwater trawl gear to fish for Atlantic mackerel or squid in the Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank Regulated Mesh Areas, including Closed Area I, Closed Area II, the Nantucket Lightship Closed Area, and other areas closed for Northeast multispecies conservation under 50 CFR 648.81, with nets of less than the minimum mesh size specified in the Northeast multispecies regulations at 50 CFR 648.80(a)(3)(ii), a vessel must be issued this LOA in addition to the appropriate federal fishing permits.

Midwater trawl gear is defined as trawl gear designed to fish for pelagic species, no portion of which is designed to be or is operated in contact with the bottom at any time. The gear may not include discs, bobbins, or rollers on its footrope, or chafing gear as part of the net. No other gear capable of catching multispecies may be on board the vessel.

When fishing north of 42°20' N. Latitude, the vessel may not fish for, possess, or land any other species of fish except for Atlantic herring, blueback herring, or Atlantic mackerel. When fishing south of 42°20' N. Latitude, the vessel may not fish for, possess, or land any other species of fish except for Atlantic herring, blueback herring, Atlantic mackerel, or squid.

Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank Purse Seine

In order to fish for Atlantic mackerel with purse seine gear in the Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank Regulated Mesh Areas, with nets of less than the minimum size specified at 50 CFR 648.80(a)(3)(ii), a vessel must be issued this LOA in addition to the appropriate federal fishing permits.

A purse seine is defined as an encircling net with floats on the top edge, weights and a purse line on the bottom edge, and associated gear, or any net designed to be, or capable of being used in such fashion.

The vessel may not fish for, possess, or land any other species of fish except for Atlantic mackerel, Atlantic herring, blueback herring, or menhaden. Appropriate federal permits are required for these species, with the exception of blueback herring and menhaden.

Additional Requirements for Midwater Trawl and Purse Seine LOAs

There is a minimum enrollment period of several calendar days for each LOA. The vessel will not be officially withdrawn from the exemption program until it requests and receives a Withdrawal Notice issued by NOAA Fisheries.

A vessel fishing under these authorizations is not allowed to fish for, possess, or land Northeast multispecies, unless it has been issued an All Areas Limited Access Herring Permit (Category A) and/or an Areas 2 and 3 Limited Access Herring Permit (Category B) regardless of gear or area fished, or a vessel issued a Limited Access Incidental Catch Herring Permit and/or an Open Access Herring Permit that fished with midwater trawl gear in Herring Management Areas 1A, 1B, or 3 consistent with the vessels possession limits.

Those possession limits are unlimited for haddock and 100 lb, combined, of other regulated Northeast multispecies (Atlantic cod, witch flounder, American plaice, yellowtail flounder, pollock, winter flounder, windowpane flounder, redfish, white hake, Atlantic halibut, and Atlantic wolffish).