.17 Cobia.

A. Recreational. The recreational size limit, catch limit, and season for cobia shall be established and may be modified through a public notice issued in accordance with §C of this regulation.

B. Commercial.

(1) Minimum Size. An individual who harvests cobia for commercial purposes may not catch or possess a cobia with a fork length that is less than 33 inches.

(2) Daily Catch Limits.

(a) Except as provided in §B(2)(b) and (c) of this regulation, a commercial licensee may not catch, possess, or land more than two cobia per person per day.

(b) A commercial licensee with one additional individual on board the vessel may not catch, possess, or land more than four cobia per vessel per day.

(c) A commercial licensee with two or more additional individuals on board the vessel may not catch, possess, or land more than six cobia per vessel per day.

(3) A person may not catch, possess, or land cobia for commercial purposes when the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration closes the fishery in federal waters.

(4) Cobia harvested for commercial purposes from Maryland waters of the Atlantic Ocean or from the waters of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and landed in Maryland shall be sold to a federally permitted dealer.

C. Public Notice.

(1) The Secretary may establish or modify catch limits, size limits and seasons for cobia in order to implement the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Interstate Fishery Management Plan for the Atlantic Migratory Group of Cobia, by issuing a public notice on the Department’s website.

(2) The public notice shall state its effective hour and date and shall be published on the Department’s website at least 48 hours in advance of the effective hour and date.

(3) The Secretary shall make a reasonable effort to disseminate a public notice issued under this section through various other media so that an affected individual has a reasonable opportunity to be informed.

(4) A violation of the restrictions set by the Secretary in accordance with this section is a violation of this regulation.