Commercial Scup Possession Limit Change
July 27, 2010

Effective 0001 hours Sunday, August 1, 2010 the Connecticut possession limits for the commercial harvest of scup will be reduced to:

- In the trawl and fish pot fisheries: 50 pounds

- In the commercial hook and gill net fisheries: 25 pounds

- In the lobster pot fishery: 10 fish (unchanged)

No person shall possess and no vessel shall land or have on board more than these amounts while on Connecticut’s waters on or after this date. When fishing with more than one gear type during a trip, the higher trip limit prevails, except that when in possession of lobsters in the lobster pot fishery the limit is 10 fish. Gear-specific trip limits cannot be combined.

The DEP estimates that 40% of the "Summer Period" commercial scup quota allocated to Connecticut for 2010 will be landed by August 1. State regulations require that the possession limits be reduced once 40% of the quota has been reported landed.

The DEP 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.

For further information, contact the DEP Marine Fisheries Division by email: dep.marine.fisheries@ct.gov, P.O. Box 719, Old Lyme, CT 06371 or by telephone at 860.434.6043 between the hours of 8:30 AM and 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday.

In conformance with the ADA, individuals with disabilities who need this information in an alternative format to allow them to benefit and/or participate in the agency’s programs and services, should call 860.424.3051 or 860.418.5937 or e-mail Marcia Z. Bonitto, ADA Coordinator, at: Marcia.Bonitto@ct.gov. Requests for accommodations must be made at least two weeks prior to the program date.