Closure of the Northern Gulf of Maine Scallop Management Area for Limited Access General Category Vessels

The NGOM Scallop Management Area is closed to all federally permitted Limited LAGC scallop vessels effective 0001 hr, on April 13, 2026, except as exempted below. The scallop regulations require that we close this area once the National Marine Fisheries Service projects that 100 percent of the 2026 NGOM Set-Aside will be taken. The closure will be in effect until the end of the fishing year (March 31, 2027).

LAGC vessels that have declared a trip into the NGOM Scallop Management Area using the correct Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) code and have crossed the VMS demarcation line before 0001 hr, April 13, 2026, may complete their trip and retain and land scallops caught from the NGOM Scallop Management Area. Except for vessels that have met these trip completion requirements, no LAGC scallop vessel fishing under federal scallop regulations subject to this closure may possess, retain, or land scallops in or from the NGOM Scallop Management Area.

This closure does not apply to those who are participating in the 2026 scallop Research Set-Aside Program and have been issued letters of authorization to conduct compensation fishing activities in the NGOM.

Exemption for Maine and Massachusetts Vessels Fishing Exclusively State Waters

Vessels issued an LAGC NGOM (LAGC B) or Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) scallop permit (LAGC A) may continue to fish in the Maine and Massachusetts state waters portion of the NGOM Scallop Management Area under the State Waters Exemption program provided they have a valid Maine or Massachusetts state scallop permit and fish only in that state's waters.

IFQ Vessel Owners Please Note: An IFQ scallop vessel must have scallop IFQ allocation to fish for scallops at any time or place. Fishing for, possessing, or landing scallops in excess of a vessel's IFQ may result in enforcement action. For vessels fishing under an IFQ scallop permit (LAGC A), all scallop pounds landed, including scallops caught under a state waters only trip, will be deducted from the vessel's IFQ allocation.

This bulletin serves as a Small Entity Compliance Guide, complying with section 212 of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996.