Title 7 Natural Resources and Environmental Control

3500 Tidal Finfish



3000 Division of Fish and Wildlife

3500 Tidal Finfish



Shad

3591 American Shad and Hickory Shad Creel Limits.

(Penalty Section 7 Del.C. §936(b)(2))

1.0 It shall be unlawful for any person who does not have a valid commercial foodfishing license to have in possession more than an aggregate of ten (10) American shad and hickory shad at or between the place caught and his/her personal abode or transient place of lodging.

2 DE Reg. 1906 (4/1/99)

2.0 It shall be unlawful for any person to take and reduce to possession any American shad or hickory shad from the Nanticoke River or its tributaries.

3 DE Reg. 1088 (2/1/00)

3592 Atlantic Ocean American Shad Season and Closure

1.0 All Delaware licensed commercial gill netters who wish to harvest and land American shad, Alosa sapidissima, in the Atlantic Ocean must register with the Department their intent to participate in this Atlantic Ocean commercial shad fishery by February 1 each year during either or both of 2003 and 2004.

2.0 If three or fewer licensed commercial gill netters register to participate in the Atlantic Ocean commercial American shad fishery in any given year in 2003 or 2004, then the season for that year shall open at 12:01 a.m. February 14 and shall close on or before midnight April 21. If more than three licensed commercial gill netters register to participate in the Atlantic Ocean commercial American shad fishery in any given year in 2003 or 2004, then the season start and end dates shall be adjusted according to the following table based on the number of registered Atlantic Ocean shad commercial gill net fishermen:

Number of Registered Shad Fishermen

Season Length

Season Dates

4

59 days

14 Feb. - 13 April

5

47 days

20 Feb. - 7 April

6

39 days

24 Feb. – 3 April

7

34 days

27 Feb. – 1 April

8

29 days

1 March – 29 March

9

26 days

2 March – 27 March

10

24 days

3 March – 26 March

11

21 days

4 March – 24 March



If more than 11 fishermen register to participate in the Atlantic Ocean commercial American shad fishery in 2003 or 2004, the season length for that year shall be shortened one day for each additional registered fisherman and the season dates shall be adjusted accordingly.

3.0 Beginning 12:01 a.m. on January 1, 2005, it shall be unlawful for any Delaware fisherman to take and reduce to possession any American shad caught by gill net from the waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

6 DE Reg. 1230 (3/1/03)