September 6, 2018 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Northern Shrimp Section (Section) will meet on October 4, 2018 at the Maine Historical Society, 2nd Floor Reading Room, 489 Congress Street, Portland, Maine. The Section will review the findings of the 2018 Benchmark Stock Assessment and Peer Review Report, and consider its approval for management use. The Section will also review Draft Addendum I and consider approving the document for public comment. This Draft Addendum considers providing states the authority to allocate their state-specific quota between gear types in the event the fishery reopens.
In November 2018, the Northern Shrimp Advisory Panel (AP) will meet to review the Benchmark Stock Assessment and provide recommendations on the 2019 fishery specifications. In addition, the AP will review public comment on Draft Addendum I and provide recommendations on its preferred management alternative. Following the AP meeting, the Section will meet to review the AP’s recommendations, take final action on Addendum I, and set 2019 specifications. Information regarding the date and location of the November meeting will be provided, when available, in a subsequent press release.
The October 4th meeting is open to the public; the draft agenda can be found at http://www.asmfc.org/files/Meetings/NShrimpSectionAgenda_Oct2018.pdf. For more information, please contact Megan Ware, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at mware@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.