November 17, 2015 — Soon, a decision will be formed as to whether or not to open the Gulf of Maine’s shrimp fishery.
The decision to open or keep closed the fishery will soon be unveiled, as a technical committee will meet this week to make its decision on the stock.
Margaret Hunter, marine resources scientist at the Department of Marine Resources in Boothbay Harbor, said the long process of whether or not to open the fishery is nearing a decision.
The northern shrimp fishery, which includes the Gulf of Maine, is managed by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC). Decisions for the Gulf of Maine shrimp fishery are made ASMFC’s Northern Shrimp Section, which is comprised of commissioners from Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
Hunter currently sits on the Northern Shrimp Technical Committee along with scientists from New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Maine.
Each fall, the TC presents an annual assessment and from that, makes recommendations for the upcoming season. Hunter said in an email that the TC is currently compiling its 2015 report and that the TC will have a webinar Thursday, Nov. 19 to craft its recommendation for the upcoming season.
“I cannot tell you what our recommendation will be yet; in 2013 and 2014 we recommended no fishery,” she said in an email. “We hope to have our document finalized and out to the public around Nov. 25.”