ARLINGTON, Va. — October 2, 2014 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC):
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Northern Shrimp Section will meet on November 5, 2014 in Portland, Maine to consider approval of the Public Information Document (PID) for Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Northern Shrimp for public comment. The Section will also review stock status of northern shrimp and set specifications for the 2015 fishing season.
The PID for Amendment 3 was initiated to consider establishing a limited entry program for the northern shrimp fishery. 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 continued concern about the condition 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. If approved, the PID will be released for public comment with the states of Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts conducting public hearings on the document. As the first step in the development of a new amendment, the PID is intended to solicit input concerning the northern shrimp fishery and provide an opportunity for the public to identify and comment on major issues relative to the management of the species with an emphasis on limited entry, state-by-state allocations and multi-year specifications.
In 2013, the Northern Shrimp Section approved a moratorium for the 2014 northern shrimp fishing season based on the status of the resource, which is considered at record low levels and experiencing recruitment failure for the past three years. The Northern Shrimp Technical Committee is scheduled to meet on October 22nd to update the northern shrimp stock status, the findings of which will form the basis of the Section’s determinations for the 2015 season.
The Northern Shrimp Advisory Panel will meet prior to the Section (10 AM to 4 PM on November 4th) to formulate its recommendations on the PID and the 2015 season. The Section will then meet from 9:30 AM to 3 PM on November 5 to review Advisory Panel recommendations and take action on the PID and 2015 season. Both meetings will take place at the Holiday Inn by the Bay, 88 Spring Street, Portland, Maine; 800.345.5070. For more information, please contact Marin Hawk, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at mhawk@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.
PRESS CONTACT, TINA BERGER, 703.842.0740