April 9, 2019 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Atlantic Herring Management Board members from Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts set effort control measures for the 2019 Area 1A (inshore Gulf of Maine) fishery for Period 1 (June), Period 2 (July and August), and the September portion of Period 3.
The Area 1A sub-annual catch limit (sub-ACL) is 3,850 metric tons (mt) after adjusting for the research set-aside, the 39 mt fixed gear set-aside, and the 8% buffer (Area 1A closes at 92% of the sub-ACL). Additionally, in October 2018, the Atlantic Herring Management Board implemented quota periods for the 2019 fishery, with the Area 1A sub-ACL allocated between the Periods as follows: Period 1 – June (16.1%); Period 2 – July-August (40.1%); Period 3 – September-October (34.0%); and Period 4 – November-December (9.5%).
Days Out of the Fishery
Period 1 (June)
- There will be zero landing days in Period 1.
- Quota from Period 1 will be rolled over into Period 2. This results in a new Period 2 quota of 2,175 mt
Period 2 (July and August); and Period 3 (September only)
- The fishery will start on July 14 in Maine and July 15 in New Hampshire and Massachusetts
- Vessels with an Atlantic herring Limited Access Category A permit that have declared into the Area 1A fishery may land herring four (4) consecutive days a week. One landing per 24 hour period. Vessels are prohibited from landing or possessing herring caught from Area 1A during a day out of the fishery.
- Landing days in New Hampshire and Massachusetts begin on Monday of each week at 12:01 a.m., starting July 15.
- Landings days in Maine begin on Sunday of each week at 6:00 p.m., starting July 14
- Small mesh bottom trawl vessels with an Atlantic herring Limited Access Category C or Open Access D permit that have declared into the fishery may land herring five (5) consecutive days a week.
Weekly Landing Limit
Period 2 (July and August); and Period 3 (September only)
- Vessels with a herring Category A permit may harvest up to 160,000 lbs (4 trucks) per harvester vessel, per week.
At-Sea Transfer and Carrier Restrictions
Period 2 (July and August); and Period 3 (September only)
The following applies to harvester vessels with an Atlantic herring Category A permit and carrier vessels landing herring caught in Area 1A to a Maine, New Hampshire, or Massachusetts port.
- A harvester vessel can transfer herring at-sea to another harvester vessel.
- A harvester vessel may not make an at-sea transfers to a carrier vessel.
- Carrier vessels may not receive at-sea transfers from a harvester vessel.
- Carrier vessel is defined as a vessel with no gear on board capable of catching or processing fish, while a harvester vessel is defined as a vessel that is required to report the catch it has aboard as the harvesting vessel on the federal Vessel Trip Report.
Fishermen are prohibited from landing more than 2,000 pounds of Atlantic herring per trip from Area 1A until July 14 or 15, 2019, depending on the state. Landings will be closely monitored and the fishery will be adjusted to zero landing days when the period quota is projected to be reached.
Please contact Kirby Rootes-Murdy, Senior Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at krootes-murdy@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740 for more information.
A PDF of the announcement and meeting motions can be found here –http://www.asmfc.org/files/AtlHerring/M19_25AtlHerringDaysOutMeasures_April2019.pdf