August 20, 2020 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:
Season 1 Landing Day Adjustment/Canceled Call
The Area 1A (inshore Gulf of Maine) Atlantic herring fishery is projected to have harvested 92% of the Season 1 allocation by August 20, 2020. Beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Sunday, August 23, 2020, the Area 1A fishery will move to zero landing days through September 30, 2020, as specified in Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Herring. Therefore, the previously scheduled Days Out call on August 21, 2020, at 8:30 AM has been canceled.
Vessels participating in other fisheries may not possess more than 2,000 pounds of Atlantic herring per trip per day harvested from Area 1A. In addition, all vessels traveling through Area 1A must have all seine and mid-water trawl gear stowed.
The Atlantic Herring Management Board members from Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts are expected to reconvene in September via conference call to set effort controls for the 2020 Area 1A fishery for Season 2 (October 1 – December 31). An announcement will be issued once the meeting is scheduled.
Eastern Maine Spawning Closure
Additionally, the Area 1A fishery regulations include seasonal spawning closures for portions of state and federal waters in Eastern Maine, Western Maine and Massachusetts/New Hampshire. The Commission’s Atlantic Herring Management approved a forecasting method that relies upon at least three samples, each containing at least 25 female herring in gonadal states III-V, to trigger a spawning closure. However, if sufficient samples are not available then closures will begin on predetermined dates.
There are currently no samples from the Eastern Maine spawning area to determine spawning condition. Therefore, per the Addendum II default closure dates, the Eastern Maine spawning area will be closed starting at 12:01 a.m. on August 28, 2020 extending through 11:59 p.m. on October 9, 2020. Eastern Maine spawning area includes all waters bounded by the following coordinates:
Maine coast 68° 20’ W
43° 48’ N 68° 20’ W
44° 25’ N 67° 03’ W
North along the US/Canada border
The same 2,000 pounds incidental bycatch allowance applies for non-directed fisheries that are fishing within the Eastern Maine spawning area during a spawning closure.
For more information, please contact Max Appelman, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at 703.842.0740 or mappelman@asmfc.org.