February 4, 2015 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Northern Shrimp Section (Section) approved the Public Information Document for Draft Amendment 3 for Northern Shrimp for public comment. The Draft Amendment was initiated to consider establishing a limited entry program for the northern shrimp fishery for use in the future if and when the stock recovers and the fishery is re-opened.
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 concern about the health 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.
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 this species. Following the initial phase of information-gathering and public comment, the Section will evaluate potential management alternatives and develop Draft Amendment 3 for public review. After the public comment period, the Section will specify the management measures to be included in Amendment 3. A tentative schedule for the completion of Amendment 3 is included in PID.
Fishermen and other interested groups are encouraged to provide input on the PID either by attending public hearings or providing written comments. It is anticipated Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts will be conducting public hearings on the PID; a subsequent press release will announce the details of the scheduled hearings. The PID can be obtained at http://www.asmfc.org/files/PublicInput/NShrimpDraftAm3PID_PublicComment.pdf or via the Commission’s website, www.asmfc.org, under Public Input. Public comment will be accepted until 5:00 PM (EST) on April 15, 2015 and should be forwarded to Mike Waine, Senior FMP Coordinator, 1050 N. Highland St, Suite A-N, Arlington, VA 22201; 703.842.0741 (FAX) or at comments@asmfc.org (Subject line: Shrimp PID). For more information, please contact Mike Waine at mwaine@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.