February 12, 2015 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:
The states of Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts have scheduled their hearings to gather public comment on the Public Information Document (PID) for Draft Amendment 3 for Northern Shrimp for public comment. The details of those hearings follow.
Maine Department of Marine Resources
Saturday, March 7 at 1 PM
Maine Fishermen’s Forum
The Samoset Resort by the Sea, Camden Room
220 Warrenton Street
Rockport, Maine
Contact: Terry Stockwell at 207.624.6553
Monday, March 30 at 6 PM
Casco Bay Ferry Terminal Conference Room
56 Commercial Street
Portland, Maine
Contact: Terry Stockwell at 207.624.6553
New Hampshire Fish and Game
Tuesday, March 3, 2015 at 7 PM
Urban Forestry Center
45 Elwyn Road
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Contact: Doug Grout at 603.868.1095
Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries
Wednesday, March 4, 2015 at 6 PM
MA DMF Annisquam River Station
30 Emerson Avenue
Gloucester, Massachusetts
Contact: Kelly Whitmore at 978.282.0308
The Draft Amendment was initiated to consider establishing a limited entry program for the northern shrimp fishery for use in the future if and when the stock recovers and the fishery is re-opened. While the fishery is managed through a total allowable catch and defined season, it remains an open access fishery and has experienced significant fluctuations in participation over the last 30 years. This open access, coupled with concern about the health of the stock, led the Section to move forward on a limited entry program to further control effort in the fishery. A limited entry program will consider the appropriate number of participants in the fishery given biological, environmental, and economic considerations.
As the first step in the Commission’s amendment process, the PID is intended to gather information concerning northern shrimp and provide an opportunity for the public to identify and comment on major issues relative to the management of this species. Following the initial phase of information-gathering and public comment, the Section will evaluate potential management alternatives and develop Draft Amendment 3 for public review. After the public comment period, the Section will specify the management measures to be included in Amendment 3. A tentative schedule for the completion of Amendment 3 is included in PID.
Fishermen and other interested groups are encouraged to provide input on the PID either by attending public hearings or providing written comments. The PID can be obtained at http://www.asmfc.org/files/PublicInput/NShrimpDraftAm3PID_PublicComment.pdf or via the Commission’s website, www.asmfc.org, under Public Input. Public comment will be accepted until 5:00 PM (EST) on April 15, 2015 and should be forwarded to Mike Waine, Senior FMP Coordinator, 1050 N. Highland St, Suite A-N, Arlington, VA 22201; 703.842.0741 (FAX) or at comments@asmfc.org (Subject line: Shrimp PID). For more information, please contact Mike Waine at mwaine@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.