If you are planning to fish in New Hampshire, there are important new regulations that you should be aware of. Beginning on July 1st, the New Hampshire Fish and Games Department will be enforcing new laws that reduce the catch limits for several types of fish. These regulations are designed to be interim rules that will last for 6 months while the state makes a transition to revised federal fishing laws.
This past May, the NOAA put into place new limits that will reduce the amount of groundfish that can be caught by commercial fishers. These regulations affect a wide variety of species, and the limitations vary greatly from one type to the next. Because these laws affect NOAA fisheries, they are waiting until July to allow states, including New Hampshire, to implement the same policies in state-owned bodies of water.
Throughout the 6 month interim period, the Fish and Game department will work to put the new NOAA regulations into place. There will be several upcoming changes taking place throughout the rest of the year and beyond, so make sure you stay up to date if you fish in New Hampshire or anywhere in the Northeast. If you would like to become involved in the community, make sure you attend the public hearing on these fishing limits that will be held on September 3rd at the Urban Forestry Center in Portsmouth.
Despite these upcoming changes, fishing and hunting shows no signs of slowing down throughout the New Hampshire area. For all of your fishing gear needs, you can always rely on Morse Sporting Goods for high-quality products.
Source: http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Newsroom/2013/Q2/groundfish_rules_062713.html
*NH harbor image courtesy of Jo Ann Snover