Bill > H700

This bill proposes to amend Chapter 130 of the General Laws by adding a new section that grants the director authority to create regulations for the herring fishery within Massachusetts waters. These regulations will include a system of fines and will prohibit the use of midwater trawl and pair trawling methods for herring fishing. The bill also mandates that these rules be compatible with regional efforts to restore groundfish resources, which are important fish populations that have been depleted. Furthermore, the regulations will address aspects such as the maximum vessel size allowed to fish in coastal waters, the creation of buffer zones for coastal herring fishing, measures to reduce the accidental capture and death of other species like groundfish, bluefin tuna, and striped bass (known as bycatch mortality), require mandatory observer coverage on all commercial herring fishing vessels, and implement a weight-based system for accounting for all herring landed by vessels targeting this species.