The following release was issued by the Maine Shrimp Industry:
PORTLAND, ME – The Northern Shrimp Section will consider a request by Maine shrimp fishermen, processors and dealers to increase the 2012 shrimp harvest quota when the regulators meet January 19 in Portland.
A revised northern shrimp stock assessment that supports a longer shrimp-harvesting season has been presented to the regulators. The revised assessment prepared by Dr. Steven Cadrin, a prominent fisheries scientist from the University of Massachusetts, presents a stark contrast to the advice from the Northern Shrimp Technical Committee (NSTC) for a 70% reduction in the 2012 fishery. (Download Dr. Cadrin's report HERE.)
Hundreds of jobs and valuable overseas markets for Maine shrimp are in jeopardy due to the severe restrictions placed on the 2012 shrimp season. In November, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Northern Shrimp Section slashed the 2012 fishing quota by 70% compared to the 2011 catch based on the pessimistic estimates from one of two computer models used to estimate the health of the resource. The Collie-Sissenwine Analysis (CSA) model estimates the stocks have declined to 6,500 metric tons while the ASPIC model estimates the stocks have increased to 35,000 metric tons. The NSTC traditionally has used both models to formulate their recommendation but this year ignored the more optimistic ASPIC.
The controversial decision has been contested by many in the industry who claim the CSA model has under-estimated the biomass for the past three years. Now two independent scientific reviews of that model have raised questions about the models’ accuracy. Fisheries experts say “there are sound scientific reasons” to reassess the NSTC advice used by regulators to justify the draconian cuts and instead incorporate data that estimates a more abundant shrimp stock.
“We firmly believe that fishery regulations should be based on good science,” said James Markos, president of Maine Shellfish, a seafood distributor and processor in Ellsworth. “But we believe the CSA 6,500 metric ton limit is not scientifically supported and the more optimistic ASPIC model should be considered. And there are two reports by internationally recognized fisheries scientists that support this view.”
Maine’s shrimp processors and fishermen will urge the regulators to reevaluate their decision in light on the new analysis and increase the quota for this year’s shrimp season. Thousands of jobs hang in the balance according to Angelo Ciocca, president of Nova Seafood in Portland.
“They need to get this right,” he said. “There are 1,500 fishermen and shore workers in Maine and New England who depend on the shrimp season for a paycheck to get them through the winter months. The huge cut in quota will cause real financial hardship for all the fishermen, dealers and processors and their employees. Many in the Maine seafood industry rely on shrimp as the only option for the winter months to keep boats, wharves and plants working. With this short season all 1,500 jobs are at risk and everyone will see a huge drop in income.”
John Norton, owner of Cozy Harbor Seafood, a major shrimp processor in Portland says his company has made a major investment that is threatened by the drastic cut.
“The longer term danger is that the processing infrastructure and U.S. and European markets for Maine shrimp rebuilt over the last eight years will disappear,” he said. “Several Maine companies have invested in expensive and specialized production equipment to process these small shrimp and it can’t be used for anything else. More than half of the shrimp processed in Maine goes overseas, but we’ll lose those markets to Canada and China if we can’t fill orders. So this decision will negatively impact the industry for years.”
This year’s shrimp season, which normally starts in December, got underway in early January for trawlers, and the trapping season won’t start until February. The northern shrimp fishery is regulated by the ASMF’s Northern Shrimp Section, which is comprised of representatives from Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. However, Maine fishing boats catch more than 85% of the shrimp in New England and all the processors are located in Maine.
“Even though Maine has 85% of the catch we only have 33% of the vote on the Commission,” said Norton. “We hope this new scientific data will convince the other 66% to increase the quota and protect these jobs.”
At the meeting next Thursday, regulators will consider two new scientific reports about the status of the stock. Dr. Cadrin, a fishery management expert and associate professor at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth School for Marine Science and Technology, argues in his assessment that using peer reviewed data on natural shrimp mortality offers a significant improvement over the assessment model used by regulators and allows for a greater sustainable shrimp catch.
A second report to be presented is an analysis prepared for the Gulf of Maine Research Institute by Dr. Michael Sissenwine, Visiting Scholar at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and a preeminent fisheries scientist. Sissenwine’s report concludes the natural mortality estimate for Cadrins’ assessment “is more scientifically defensible” than the one used by the shrimp regulators. Sissenwine also concludes the more optimistic ASPIC model should be given more consideration in setting the quota. (Download Sissewine's report HERE.)
The regulators will convene a public meeting at 9:30 a.m. next Thursday, Jan. 19 at Sable Oaks in South Portland.
Contact: Dennis Bailey, Savvy, Inc., 207-749-4963
Read the original press release.