HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2491        FILED ON: 1/15/2015

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 700

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Peter V. Kocot

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to inshore resource depletion.

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PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Peter V. Kocot

1st Hampshire

1/15/2015


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2491        FILED ON: 1/15/2015

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 700

By Mr. Kocot of Northampton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 700) of Peter V. Kocot for legislation to establish rules and regulations for the fishing of herring within the waters of the Commonwealth.  Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture.

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 738 OF 2013-2014.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Eighty-Ninth General Court
(2015-2016)

_______________

 

An Act relative to inshore resource depletion.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1.  Chapter 130 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 95 the following section:-

"Section 95A. The director shall promulgate regulations and rules, including a system of fines, prohibiting the use of all midwater trawl and pair trawling for herring in Massachusetts waters, shall establish herring fishery rules and regulations that are compatible with regional efforts to rebuild valuable groundfish resources, including, but not limited to maximum vessel size permitted to fish within coastal waters, shall establish rules and regulations creating coastal herring fishing buffer zones, shall establish rules and regulations minimizing by catch mortality of groundfish, bluefin tuna and striped bass, shall establish mandatory observer coverage on all commercial fishing vessels targeting herring and shall establish a weight-based landing accounting system for all vessels targeting herring."