Commercial Fishing Vessels

Seventy Foot Fishing Boat Restriction Law

Conditions of the Law

On July 23, 1997, the New York State Legislature amended Section 13-0349 of the Environmental Conservation Law (ECL). This law restricts the length of commercial fishing vessels used to take fish, squid, crabs, lobsters, oysters, scallops and all types of clams and mussels from New York's marine and coastal district (waters within three nautical miles from the coast line and all tidal waters within the state) to no longer than seventy feet in registered length.

The law does allow for exemptions. If a commercial vessel was used to fish in New York State waters before July 1, 1997 in a licensed commercial fishery, it is exempt from the seventy foot limit. A list of the commercial fishing vessels known to be exempt at this time is in the table below.

Amended Law

On September 17, 2010, an amendment to the law (ECL 13-0349) allows the following:

  1. An exempt vessel that is seventy feet or longer may be replaced one time with a new vessel. This new vessel may only be up to ten percent longer than the vessel's registered length. (The table below lists these exempt vessels and the maximum replacement vessel length).
  2. A vessel that is sixty-three feet or longer may be replaced one time with a new vessel. The new vessel may only be up to ten percent longer than the vessel's registered length.

The "Laws of New York" listed online provide text of this amended ECL 13-0349. To find this law click on the link, click on ENV, find Article 13, then click on the appropriate law.

List of Exempt Vessels

Below is the list of vessels longer than seventy feet that are exempt from the law, and which may be used in commercial fishery activities in the marine and coastal district. In addition to listing the current registered length of the vessel, the table also lists the length that the replacement vessel may obtain.

If you have any questions about this list, please contact the Division of Marine Resources by email or by telephone at 631-444-0470.

Vessels Exempt from the Seventy Foot Restriction
The following are sorted alphabetically by "Vessel Name"

Vessel Documentation NumberCurrent Vessel NameRegistered Length (Feet)Maximum Replacement Length Allowed (Feet)Replaceable (Y/N)Original Vessel Name

654831

ADMIRAL FRANCES

77.7

85.47

YES

N/A

609594

ADRIANNA

73.5

80.85

YES

N/A

249004

ALTHEA

74

81.4

YES

N/A

580850

AMANDA C

74.7

82.17

YES

N/A

545441

AMANDA TARA

71.6

78.76

YES

N/A

668477

ATLANTIC STAR

86.5

95.15

YES

N/A

545125

ATLANTIC STAR

85.1

93.61

YES

N/A

589996

BARBARA ANNE

81.6

89.76

YES

N/A

947723

BENTHIC PATRIOT

74.5

81.95

YES

N/A

559112

BLUE POINT

71

78.1

YES

N/A

610842

BRIDGOT DENISE

75.1

82.61

NO*

N/A

546777

CAPT A.T.

77

84.7

NO*

N/A

571255

CAPT CHARLIE

74.1

81.51

YES

N/A

559643

CAPTREE PRINCESS

73.3

80.63

YES

N/A

536246

COLUMBUS

79.7

87.67

YES

N/A

539167

C-VENTURE

73.9

81.29

YES

N/A

929319

DANA CONANT

70.7

77.77

YES

N/A

583548

DOLPHIN EXPRESS

74.8

82.28

YES

N/A

229413

DREDGE MONSTER

73.2

80.52

YES

N/A

954436

DYRSTEN

145.9

160.49

YES

N/A

612943

EDNA MAE

76.5

84.15

YES

N/A

652361

ENDEAVOR

81.3

89.43

YES

N/A

638596

ERIN RENEE

83.4

91.74

YES

N/A

670418

EVENING STAR

80.2

88.22

YES

N/A

607406

EXCALIBUR

72

79.2

YES

N/A

508937

F/V OCEAN BIRD

72.2

79.42

YES

N/A

669492

FLICKA

125.9

138.49

YES

N/A

689335

GABBY G

92.3

101.53

YES

N/A

585863

GABRIELLE ELIZABETH

72.8

80.08

YES

N/A

581795

GEORGIA GIRL

74.1

81.51

YES

N/A

522528

GREAT PECONIC

73.8

81.18

YES

N/A

663840

HEATHER LYNN

75.7

N/A

NO

BRAEDON MICHAEL

602223

HEN LEE

73.5

80.85

YES

N/A

655922

ISABELLA & AVA

74.2

81.62

YES

N/A

1183113

JASON & DANIELLE

90.4

N/A

NO

VIRGINIA WAVE

627234

JERSEY GIRL

84.4

92.84

YES

N/A

1038917

JO-ANN V

81

N/A

NO

ILHA BRAVA II

604983

KASSIDY LYN

79.3

N/A

NO

SUSAN ROSE

978445

KIMBERLY

72

79.2

YES

N/A

603263

LAURA J

71.2

78.32

YES

N/A

251348

MACENO

80.6

88.66

YES

N/A

544976

MADISON III

70.5

77.55

YES

N/A

916876

MARY T

76.5

84.15

YES

N/A

623578

MEGAN MARIE

80.4

88.44

YES

N/A

557511

MYSTIC WAY

80

88

YES

N/A

511616

NEPTUNE

75.8

83.38

YES

N/A

937929

NICOLAS C

72.2

79.42

YES

N/A

600319

NIGHTWATCH

73.5

80.85

YES

N/A

562042

NJORD

74.4

81.84

YES

N/A

529673

OCEAN GIRL

71.6

78.76

YES

N/A

257685

OCEAN VIEW

71.3

78.43

YES

N/A

933346

PERCEPTION

75.7

83.27

YES

N/A

638449

PIED PIPER

72.8

80.08

YES

N/A

233973

PINE ISLAND II

76.5

84.15

YES

N/A

596232

PONTOS

81.6

89.76

YES

N/A

970254

PREVAIL

77.9

85.69

YES

N/A

610157

PRIMA DONNA

72.7

79.97

YES

N/A

631110

RAELEEN MICHELLE

75.7

83.27

YES

N/A

605963

REBECCA

82.3

90.53

YES

N/A

696098

RIPTIDE III

87.9

96.69

YES

N/A

689195

ROBERTA LEE

83.2

N/A

NO

SHARON ANN

658969

SCHELVIS

85

93.5

YES

N/A

937222

SEA FARMER II

75.7

83.27

YES

N/A

974233

SEACAPTURE

73.9

81.29

YES

N/A

675048

SEAFARER

76.7

84.37

YES

N/A

622027

STORMI

77.5

85.25

YES

N/A

666328

TRAVIS & NATALIE

77

84.7

YES

N/A

514692

TRIANGLE I

75.5

83.05

YES

N/A

608248

VALKYRIE

89.8

98.78

YES

N/A

518181

VIGOROUS

80.6

88.66

YES

N/A

672981

WHITE DOVE TOO

103.4

113.74

YES

N/A

1026595

WHITE WATER

85.4

93.94

YES

N/A

914297

WOLF LARSEN

72

79.2

YES

N/A

*Service Status is listed as Scrapped on US Coast Guard Port State Information Exchange website.