{"data":{"id":"us/50-cfr-648.126","jurisdiction":"us","citation":"50 CFR 648.126","heading":"Scup minimum fish sizes.","body":"(a) Moratorium (commercially) permitted vessels. The minimum size for scup is 9 inches (22.9 cm) TL for all vessels issued a moratorium permit under § 648.4(a)(6). If such a vessel is also issued a charter and party boat permit and is carrying passengers for hire, or carrying more than three crew members if a charter boat, or more than five crew members if a party boat, then the minimum size specified in paragraph (b) of this section applies.\n(b) Party/Charter permitted vessels and recreational fishery participants. The minimum size for scup is 10 inches (25.4 cm) total length for all vessels that do not have a scup moratorium permit, or for party and charter vessels that are issued a scup moratorium permit but are fishing with passengers for hire, or carrying more than three crew members if a charter boat, or more than five crew members if a party boat. However, possession of smaller scup harvested from state waters is allowed for state-only permitted vessels when transiting Federal waters within the Block Island Sound Transit Area provided they follow the provisions at § 648.131 and abide by state regulations.\n(c) The minimum size applies to whole fish or any part of a fish found in possession, e.g., fillets. These minimum sizes may be adjusted pursuant to the procedures in § 648.122.","path":["Title 50—Wildlife and Fisheries","CHAPTER VI—FISHERY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT, NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE","PART 648—FISHERIES OF THE NORTHEASTERN UNITED STATES","Subpart H—Management Measures for the Scup Fishery"],"source_url":"https://www.ecfr.gov/api/versioner/v1/full/2026-08-25/title-50.xml","current_through":"2026-08-25","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-08-27T02:26:39Z","sha256":"b713756de5aabf41727c0ee3e276efa08b0d443afcc3050a07e13af486f25dae","source_id":"us-cfr","stale":true,"prev":"us/50-cfr-648.125","next":"us/50-cfr-648.127"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}