Please be reminded that commercial marine fishing licenses issued for 2023 will follow the new licensing structure per regulations effective July 1, 2022. Major changes include the following:
- The Commercial Fishing License (CFL) and Principal Effort License (PEL) will no longer be issued. Applicants who held a CFL or PEL will now be issued a “Standard” License
- Fishery endorsements associated with the CFL or PEL (Restricted Finfish, Non-Restricted Finfish, Quahaug, Soft-Shell Clam, Whelk, Shellfish Other, Lobster, and Non-Lobster Crustacean) will no longer be issued. New fishery endorsements include the following:
- Unlimited Finfish: Authorizes the commercial harvest of all species of finfish (both restricted and non-restricted), and squid; other than those species that are specifically prohibited
- Limited Finfish: Authorizes the commercial harvest of only non-restricted finfish, and squid.
- Unlimited Shellfish: Authorizes the commercial harvest of all species of shellfish by residents.
- Limited Shellfish: Authorizes the commercial harvest of all species of shellfish by residents, excluding bay quahaug, soft-shell clam, and whelk.
- Unlimited Crustacean: Authorizes the commercial harvest of all species of crustacean.
- Limited Crustacean: Authorizes the commercial harvest of all species of crustacean, excluding lobster.
- New fees have been established.
- The Multipurpose License, Student Shellfish License, and Over 65 Shellfish License will continue to be issued.
Please see the attached powerpoint for additional details, including the new fee structure.
Thank you
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CommLicensing_2023.pdf