June 28, 2024 — The following was released by Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:
The Commission’s Northern Shrimp Section has released for public comment the Public Information Document (PID) to Amendment 4 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Northern Shrimp. The states of Maine through Massachusetts will be conducting hearings on the PID; the details of those hearings will be released in a subsequent press release.
Given the stock’s continued depleted status, the Section initiated the draft amendment to consider extending the specifications setting timeline to allow for ongoing or multiyear harvest moratoria and adding management triggers to the management program. A management trigger could inform whenan ongoing or multiyear moratoria should be re-evaluated if improved stock conditions are evident, indicated through recruitment trends or other specified biological indicators.
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 the species. Following the initial phase of information gathering and public comment, the Section will evaluate potential management alternatives and develop Draft Amendment 4 for public review. After the next round of public comment, the Section will identify the management measures to be included in Amendment 4. A tentative schedule for the completion of Amendment 4 is included in the PID.
Submitting Comments
The PID is available athttps://www.asmfc.org/