April 30, 2013 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Atlantic Herring Section members from Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts set a ‘days out’ effort control measure to allow seven (7) landing days a week for Trimester 2 of the Atlantic herring 2013 fishing season for Area 1A. Trimester 2 spans from June 1 through September 30, 2013 and has a total allowable catch (TAC) of 20,378 metric tons. This amount is 72.8% of the 31,200 mt annual catch limit sub-component for Area 1A approved by both the Commission and New England Fishery Management Council after accounting for the 1,425 mt overage in 2011, 295 mt set-aside for fixed gear, and 5% bycatch allowance.
With seven landings days, or zero (0) days out for Area 1A’s Trimester 2, the entire TAC is projected to be caught close to the end of the trimester. Landings will be monitored closely and the directed fishery will be closed when the trimester’s quota has been harvested.
Fishermen are prohibited from landing more than 2,000 pounds of Atlantic herring from Area 1A until June 1, 2013.
The Atlantic Herring Section members from Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts will reconvene on Monday, July 8, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. to review the fishing effort resulting from seven landing days per week. The meeting will take place at the New Hampshire Fish and Game Region 3 Office and Marine Fisheries Division, 225 Maine Street, Durham, NH 03824.