Lobster Management Areas

There are seven Lobster Management Areas: Area 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and the Outer Cape; and two stock areas: Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank (GOM/GBK) and Southern New England (SNE). LMAs ere established for management purposes. All LMAs have a federal component except Area 6, which is only in state waters. Any vessel with a federal lobster permit can fish in LMAs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and Outer Cape with gear other than traps but in order to trap fish in these LMAs, NOAA Fisheries must have previously qualified your permit based on historical fishing in that Area.

Federal waters in each LMA are limited access and only those permits that met qualifying criteria can elect to trap fish in those areas. Each LMA has restrictions for trap limits, minimum/maximum sizes, gear requirements, closed seasons, etc.