September 19, 2014 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC):
The Atlantic herring fisheries will be closed in the following areas due to inshore spawning events or landings reaching the total allowable catch quota.
Area 3 (Georges Bank) TAC Closure
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) projected the Atlantic herring fishery has exceeded 92% of the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) allocated to Management Area 3 (Georges Bank) for the 2014 fishing year (January-December). The directed fishery will close effective 0001 hours on September 23 through 2400 hours on December 31, 2014. During the closure, vessels issued federal permits for Atlantic herring may not retain or land more than 2,000 pounds of Atlantic herring from Area 3 per trip or calendar day. Federally permitted dealers may not receive more than 2,000 pounds of herring per vessel harvested from Area 3, per trip or calendar day, from 0001 hours, September 23, 2014, through December 31, 2014, unless it is from a trip landed by a vessel that entered port before 0001 hour on September 23, 2014. See the attached NMFS press release for details.
Spawning Area Closures
The spawning areas of Western Maine and Massachusetts-New Hampshire will be closed to protect spawning Atlantic herring. The Western Maine area will be closed effective 12:01 AM on September 24 through 11:59 PM on October 21, 2014 (a period of four weeks). The Massachusetts-New Hampshire area will be closed effective 12:01 AM September 21 through 11:59 PM on October 18 and through 11:59 PM of October 19 in New Hampshire only (see attached for state notices and closed area coordinates and chart). Both spawning closures are based on commercial sampling of fish in spawning condition. The Eastern Maine spawning area has reopened.
Catch sampling will continue in the spawning areas when the fishery reopens. If sampling indicates significant numbers of spawning herring in a particular area, the closure will resume for an additional two weeks. Spawning regulations can be found in Addendum V of Amendment 2 to the Interstate Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan.
Any vessel is prohibited to fish for, take, land, or possess herring from or within the restricted spawning areas and Area 3 (Georges Bank). Herring taken legally outside of the Western Maine and Massachusetts-New Hampshire areas and Area 3 (Georges Bank) may be transported through the areas only if all of its fishing gear has been stowed. An incidental bycatch allowance of up to 2,000 pounds of herring per trip for non-directed fisheries is permitted during the closures in the two spawning areas and Area 3 (Georges Bank).
If you have any questions, please contact Melissa Yuen at myuen@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.