Greater Amberjack Recreational Fishing Season Closure - Gulf of Mexico

The Gulf of Mexico Greater Amberjack Recreational Fishing Season will close on September 28, 2015, according to NOAA Fisheries.

The recreational harvest of greater amberjack in the Gulf of Mexico will close at 12:01 a.m., local time, on September 28, 2015, and remain closed until January 1, 2016.

The 2015 landings data indicate the 1,130,000-pound recreational annual catch target will be harvested by September 27, 2015. 

Greater Amberjack Recreational Fishing Closure Highlights:
 - Recreational harvest or possession of greater amberjack is prohibited.

 - The closure applies in both state and federal waters for vessels that have a valid Gulf of Mexico reef fish charter/headboat permit.

source: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council

South Atlantic Headboat Reporting Requirements

NOAA Fisheries is publishing a final rule for the For-Hire Reporting Amendment to modify headboat reporting requirements on December 27, 2013.

The For-Hire Reporting Amendment includes:

 - Amendment 31 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region.

 - Amendment 6 for the Dolphin and Wahoo Fishery of the Atlantic.

 - Amendment 22 for the Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources in the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico.

The regulations in the final rule are effective on January 27, 2014.

The rule requires headboat vessels to submit fishing records to the Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC) on a weekly basis, or at intervals shorter than a week if notified by the SEFSC Research Director. The current requirement is to submit fishing records on a monthly basis.

The rule changes the current method of submitting by paper and mail to submitting them electronically (i.e., internet).

Headboat owners and operators who are delinquent in submitting reports would not be allowed to fish until all required reports have been submitted.

For more information, visit:

http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/sustainable_fisheries/s_atl/2013/for_hire_reporting/index.html

or

http://www.safmc.net/

source: South Atlantic Fishery Management Council

Maryland State Record Cod

Fred Brungart of York, Pennsylvania caught a Maryland state record 38-inch, 24-pound Atlantic cod on May 31 while fishing out of Ocean City. Brungart hooked the fish aboard the 80-foot headboat Ocean Princess captained by Victor Bunting.

After recognizing that the Maryland State record fish list did not include cod, Captain Bunting encouraged Brungart to have his catch weighed on the Ocean City Fishing Center’s scale.

Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Fisheries Service biologist, Steve Doctor, certified the fish and launched the process to determine if Atlantic cod would qualify as a State record species.

The Atlantic cod may join the list of Maryland Angler Award qualifying fish for the 2014 Maryland Fishing Challenge pending input from the Sport Fisheries Advisory Commission and final DNR approval.

source: MD DNR