DURHAM, N.H. – The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department will hold a public hearing in January on proposed marine aquaculture and crab harvest reporting rule changes, as well as amendments to the rules on lobster tail processing.
The hearing will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, January 5, 2016, at the Urban Forestry Center, 45 Elwyn Road, Portsmouth, NH.
The proposed changes would require marine aquaculturists to report monthly instead of annually and modify the reporting provisions so that they can report electronically through the Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program’s eDR reporting system.
Fish and Game is also proposing to amend the rule relative to lobster by deleting language regarding the ban on possession of individual lobster tails; this would make the rule conform with a New Hampshire law passed in 2015 relative to processing lobster tails.
Those harvesting crabs would be required to report information similar to that currently provided by lobster harvesters.
The complete rulemaking notice, with original and proposed rule language for these proposals, can be viewed at wildnh.com/legislative/proposed-rules.html.
Written comments must be received by January 13, 2016. Send to: co******@wi******.gov (use the rule name in your subject line); or write to Executive Director, N.H. Fish and Game Department, 11 Hazen Drive, Concord, NH 03301; or fax to 603-271-5829.
The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department’s Marine Fisheries Division works closely with other states and federal agencies to protect and maintain marine resources for both commercial and recreational fisheries. Learn more at www.fishnh.com/marine.