Section 26-159a-13 - Tautog (Blackfish) (Tautoga onitis)(a)Closed Season. No person engaged in commercial fishing shall take, bring ashore, or possess any tautog, wherever taken, from May 1 to June 14, September 1 to October 14 and December 7 to December 31, all dates inclusive.(b)Commercial Fishery Possession Limit. No holder of any commercial fishing or landing license or registration permitted to take tautog from the waters of this state or to land tautog in Connecticut, regardless of where such fish are taken, shall possess tautog in excess of the limits specified as follows: (1) In the commercial trawl fishery, fifty (50) fish;(2) In the commercial hook, fish pot, trap net, fyke net, or gill net fisheries, twenty-five (25) fish;(3) In the pound net fishery, twelve (12) fish for each holder of a Connecticut Marine Pound net registration.(4) In the lobster pot or lobster trap fishery, when in possession of lobsters, ten (10) fish.(5) The possession limits specified in this subsection shall apply to the aggregate of all persons on board the vessel per trip or per day whichever is the longer period of time. Transfer of tautog between vessels at sea is prohibited.(6) No person fishing under the provisions of subdivisions (1) to (3), inclusive, of this subsection shall, during a fishing trip when using more than one gear type, possess any tautog in excess of the largest of the gear-specific limits they are authorized to possess and no such gear-specific trip limits shall be additive.(7) Any tautog taken contrary to this section shall, without avoidable injury, be returned immediately to the water from which taken and no person fishing under the provisions of this section shall also, during the same trip, possess any tautog taken under section 26-159a-7 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies.Conn. Agencies Regs. § 26-159a-13
Effective July 26, 1996; Amended March 31, 2003; Amended February 26, 2004; Amended December 22, 2008