Tim Tower on his boat, which he used to charter recreational deep sea fishing trips in York just after federal fishing regulations temporarily banned recreational cod fishing in 2014. Staff photo by Whitney Hayward

The federal government is shutting down recreational cod fishing in the Gulf of Maine for several months.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says possession of Gulf of Maine cod will be prohibited from Oct. 1 to April 30. The Gulf of Maine touches Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire and is a hotbed of a recreational and commercial fishing.

The Gulf of Maine once teemed with cod, but populations are much lower in the modern era and the fish is subject to tight regulations. Recreational fishermen are still allowed to possess one cod per day until Sept. 30.