sustained fishing opporrunities. Without this effort, the catch limit for this year would have been set below 1,500 metric tons, a cur of more than 80% from last year. NOAA is granting commercial groundfish sectors (groups of fishing vessels that share an annual allocation) a carry-over of up to 10% of the 2011 allocation into 2012. The fish in g industry requested the carry-over, which is part of the 6,700-metric-ton catch limit. In addirion, recreational fishers, who once had to discard cod smaller than 24 inches, can now keep cod as small as 19 inches, decreas ing the amo unt of fish discarded at sea. A new assessme nt of Gulf of Maine cod will be conducted in 20 12, in rime to set 2013 catch limits. The G ulf of Maine Research Insrirure has agreed to coordinate a comprehensive look at stock structure, an effort that will involve a variety of partners to eval uate what is known about the number and distribution of various cod stocks. (For more informatio n on the Magnuson-Stevens Act, yearly catch limits, and updates from NOAA's National Marine Fisheries, visit them on line at www.nmfs .noaa.gov/sfa/)
A collection of historic flags from USS Constitution and a 3-pound cannonball once removed from the ship's hull netted $7 84,500 at auction at Freeman's Auctioneers and Appraisers in Philadelphia on 30 April. So ld at auction were 11 of the twelve flags belonging to the late H. Richard Dietrich Jr., including a 19-star ensign used from 1816 to 1817. The oldest banner, daring from the late 18th or early 19th century and
bearing 13 stars and 8 stripes, did nor sell. The top two lots were sold for $158 ,500 each; one of the two was a rare and early commodore's broad pennant, in use from 183 7-1845 . This pennant dares from the period when the Constitution served as th e flagship of both the Mediterranean Sq uad ron (1837- 1838) and the Pacific Squadron (1839-1842) under Commodo res Jesse Elliot and Daniel Turner. (www.freemansaucrion.com) ...
COURTES\' FREEMAN'S
This 8'9"-Long pennant is believed to be the earliest example of a Commodore's Broad Pennant, which would have been flown on the ship when a commodore took command ofa squadron and remained on board as Long as he was in that position.
1922
44
SEA HISTORY 139, SUMMER 20 12