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Commercial Smooth Dogfish Quota July 25. 2016 NOTICE
Effective in March of 2016, Connecticut now has a commercial smooth dogfish quota of 6,195 pounds. As of July 21st, 5,562 pounds of smooth dogfish has been reported landed in Connecticut. When the Department estimates that 100% of Connecticut’s quota has been landed the smooth dogfish possession limit will be reduced to zero pounds. Currently there is no possession limit for the harvest of smooth dogfish in Connecticut.
Between the beginning of the January and the middle of May approximately 1,500 pounds of smooth dogfish were landed. A period of rapidly escalating landing occurred between May 15th and June 18th when an additional 4,000 pounds were landed and since then a very small amount has been landed. The Department will continue to monitor landings and will notify fishermen when the quota has been harvested.
Addendum II to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Coastal Shark Fishery Management Plan implemented a coastwide quota for smooth dogfish, Connecticut share of which is 6,195 pounds. NOAA Fisheries will close federal waters to the harvest of smooth dogfish when 80% of the coastwide quota has been harvested. State waters may stay open until their state specific quota has been harvested, at which time they must close their fishery. Any state overage must be deducted from the subsequent year's quota regardless of coastwide quota status.
For current commercial fishery trip limits and quota status:
Call 860-434-6374 24/7 for a recorded message of current possession limits, or see:
www.ct.gov/deep/TL.
The Department monitors landings and adjusts trip limits according to Department regulations in an attempt to provide fishing opportunity throughout the year for all participants in the commercial fishery. In addition, the Department strives to provide advance notification of trip limit changes, although this may not always be possible due to rapidly escalating or unanticipated landings. In such circumstances, only a short notification period may be possible.
The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer that is committed to complying with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Please contact us at (860) 418-5910 or deep.accommodations@ct.gov if you: have a disability and need a communication aid or service; have limited proficiency in English and may need information in another language; or if you wish to file an ADA or Title VI discrimination complaint.
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