Saving Seafood

Atlantic Herring Eastern Maine Spawning Closure in Effect Starting August 28, 2016 and Extending through September 24, 2016

August 23, 2016 — The following was released by NOAA:

The Atlantic herring Area 1A (inshore Gulf of Maine) fishery regulations include seasonal spawning closures for portions of state and federal waters in Eastern Maine, Western Maine and Massachusetts/New Hampshire. In 2016, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Atlantic Herring Section approved a one-year pilot of a new 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 for the Eastern Maine spawning area to determine spawning condition, therefore the Eastern Maine spawning area will be closed starting at 12:00 a.m. on August 28, 2016 extending through 11:59 p.m. on September 24, 2016. Vessels in the directed Atlantic herring fishery cannot take, land or possess Atlantic herring caught within the Eastern Maine spawning area during this time and must have all fishing gear stowed when transiting through the area. An incidental bycatch allowance of up to 2,000 pounds of Atlantic herring per trip/ calendar day applies to vessels in non-directed fisheries that are fishing within the Eastern Maine spawning area.

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

MAINE: Shortage of herring used for lobster bait sparks run on pogies

August 9, 2016 — In the midst of a bait shortage, Maine has closed down the fishery for lobstermen’s second-favorite type of bait after fishermen exceeded the state’s quota on pogies for the first time.

Despite anecdotal reports of strong lobster landings and prices this season, lobstermen have been struggling to find suitable bait to fill the bags used to lure lobster into their traps.

The offshore supply of fresh Atlantic herring, the go-to bait for most Maine lobstermen, has been in short supply, driving prices up as much 30 percent in late July, the Maine Lobstermen’s Association said. The shortage triggered near-shore fishing restrictions to try to stretch out the summer herring catch in hopes of keeping bait bags full as Maine’s lobster season hits its peak.

With herring getting scarce and expensive, fishermen have turned to other bait for relief, especially the pogie, the local name for Atlantic menhaden. It’s the No. 2 bait fish among Maine lobstermen, according to a state Department of Marine Resources survey.

Maine fishermen have never landed the state’s entire pogie quota, which is set at about 166,000 pounds annually. But this year they had caught all of that and a bit more by July 31, said Megan Ware, head of the menhaden program for the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, which oversees the pogie catch and other migratory fisheries on the East Coast.

Read the full story from the Portland Press Herald

2016 Study Fleet Solicitation – Due date extended to Aug. 11, 2016

July 26, 2016 — The following was released by NOAA:

The Northeast Cooperative Research Program is pleased to announce that we have an open solicitation for our Study Fleet program! Quotes are due August 11, 2016.

We are looking for 10-15 boats in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast that fish with commercial trawl or fixed gear for monkfish, groundfish, Atlantic herring, Atlantic mackerel, long-finned squid and other mid-Atlantic commercial species, those with prior experience with electronic reporting software, and vessels interested in assisting with the development of electronic reporting systems for fixed gear deployment to provide long-term tow-by-tow data collection on catch and discards, ocean bottom temperatures, and to test developing real-time data transmission systems.

Vessels will need to supply a suitable laptop computer and dedicated GPS unit.  All software necessary will be provided by the NCRP.

Full details and quote pages are in the attached RFQ, and some tips on the forms and contracting registration system is attached.

Read the RFQ as a PDF

Read the instructions for SF Application as a PDF

Herring limits expanded to prolong catch of lobster bait

July 21, 2016 — An interstate fishing council has extended some of Maine’s emergency Atlantic herring restrictions to Massachusetts to try to close a loophole that threatened to derail the summer supply of lobster bait.

On Wednesday, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission voted 2-1 to cut the number of days that herring boats can land fish each week within its jurisdiction from five to two, with Maine and New Hampshire representatives voting in favor of the landing day reduction and Massachusetts voting against it. Under its emergency rules, Maine had already cut its landing days down to two in an attempt to prolong the availability of fresh herring throughout the lobster season, but boats that fished that area could still land for five days if they sailed to a Massachusetts port such as Gloucester.

Maine regulators are trying to balance the lobster industry’s demand for fresh bait now, when season is just beginning but offshore herring is in short supply, with its need for fresh bait through the end of summer, when the inshore summer herring quota is in danger of running out. While lobstermen don’t like a bait shortage at any time, the industry is supporting Maine’s herring restrictions to make sure there will still be fresh bait available when they need it most.

Maine regulators who lobbied on behalf of the regional rule change say one large boat that usually fished for menhaden has begun to fish heavily for herring and bring it to Gloucester. They argued that boat, which fishermen described as 160 feet long with a 50-foot seine, could undermine Maine’s efforts to stretch the 19,400 metric ton quota of herring that can be taken from Maine’s coastal waters through September, and punish Maine’s herring fleet, which has supported the state’s effort to balance the need to prolong the quota and still keep at least some herring coming in for lobstermen to bait their traps.

“Without constraints on the landing (in Massachusetts) we would not make it into August, much less September,” said Terry Stockwell of Maine Department of Marine Resources.

Read the full story at the Portland Press Herald

ASMFC Atlantic Herring Section Modifies Area 1A’s Trimester 2 Landing Days

July 21, 2016 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commision:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Atlantic Herring Section (Section) members from Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts met via conference call on Wednesday July 20, 2016 to discuss Area 1A (inshore Gulf of Maine) days out measures for Trimester 2 (June 1 to September 30). The call was initiated to discuss increased effort in the fishery and equitable fishing opportunities. As of July 18, 2016, 41.3% of the Area 1A Trimester 2 quota (19,480 mt) had been harvested.

Section members, with input from industry, modified the days out effort control measures for Area 1A Trimester 2 as follows:

July 24 through September 30: Vessels may land herring two (2) consecutive days a week until further notice. All other days are designated as days out of the fishery (e.g., vessels may not land herring).

· Vessels in the State of New Hampshire and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts may land herring starting at 12:01 a.m. on Mondays up to 11:59 p.m. on Tuesdays.

· Vessels in the State of Maine may land herring starting at 6:00 p.m. on Sundays up to 6:00 p.m. on Tuesdays.

Two landing days will become effective beginning at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 24 and will remain in place until changed by additional notice.

Emergency Herring Fishing Rules Take Effect in Maine Amid Lobster Bait Shortage

July 12, 2016 — Maine’s emergency herring fishing rules are in effect in an attempt to abate a shortage of the fish, which is the most popular bait for lobster traps.

Fishermen aren’t catching herring on Georges Bank, a critical fishing area far off New England’s coast. Maine wants to prevent fishermen who fish closer to shore from reaching their quota too fast so as to ensure a steady supply of herring throughout summer.

The state’s emergency rules limit herring fishermen’s weekly catch to 600,000 pounds.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at NECN

MAINE: Herring shortage may affect the price of lobster

July 7, 2016 — Usually a Maine lobsterman can choose to either fish or cut bait, but as the result of a herring shortage, neither may be an option for awhile. Local lobster co-op managers say fishermen may have to pay more for imported frozen bait from New Brunswick until the herring spawning season ends and stocks return to normal levels off the Georges Bank. In the meantime, new state harvest restrictions for herring fishermen also may be implemented.

Inside the lobstermen’s co-op in Corea, a small Down East fishing village, the phone is ringing off the hook. Some are lobster dealers contacting co-op manager Warren Polk about prices, but more want to know about the availability of bait. And in Corea, Polk is doing a little bit better than others in that department.

“I got a load of frozen bait in this morning out of Canada,” Polk said.

Maine lobstermen prefer the herring that is caught in the Gulf of Maine and from the Georges Bank off Massachusetts. But herring fishermen are not catching the small silver-colored fish in significant numbers. The herring fishery is limited to a little more than 19,000 metric tons through the harvest season that ends in September.

Maine fishermen who fish closer to shore are concerned that some of their larger out-of-state competitors may come here and deplete the local resource if they can’t find the herring they need off the Georges Bank.

Read and listen to the full story at Maine Public Broadcasting

NEFMC Newsletter – Council Report

July 6, 2016 — The following was released by the NEFMC:

The Council Report summarizes major actions approved at NEFMC meetings or highlights items of interest.

At its June 21-23 meeting in Portland, ME, the Council approved actions related to the development of its fishery management plans.

The issues involved:

  • Sea Scallop FW 28 and the RSA Program
  • Small Mesh Multisp. Amendment 22
  • Industry Funded Monitoring Amendment
  • Atlantic Herring Amendment 8
  • Groundfish FW 56 and the haddock catch cap for herring midwater trawl gear
  • Other Items of Interest

Read the full newsletter here

Cutback mulled for herring catch

June 23, 2016 — PORTLAND, Maine — Federal regulators are considering a slight cut to commercial fishermen’s catch limit for Atlantic herring, a fish that is important both to the industry and the ocean’s food web.

The small fish gather in schools that can number in the millions, and are a critical food source for bigger fish, seals and whales. They also are important to humans as food and bait.

The National Marine Fisheries Service might reduce the herring catch limit by about 3 percent to slightly less than 105,000 metric tons. The limit was a little less than 108,000 metric tons for the 2013 to 2015 period; any new limit would apply to the years 2016 to 2018.

The proposal is up for public comment until July 21.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at the Portland Press Herald

NOAA Fisheries Announces Proposed Management Measures for the 2016-2018 Atlantic Herring Fishery

June 22, 2016 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries announces proposed management measures for the Atlantic Herring fishery for the 2016-2018 fishing years. The proposed catch limits for fishing years 2016 through 2018 are slightly lower than the current catch limits because the most recent assessment shows a slightly lower spawning stock biomass and a slightly higher fishing mortality.

We are also proposing to increase the catch cap limits for river herring and American shad to increase access to the fishery, while still providing sufficient protection for these species.

Read the proposed rule as published in the Federal Register and supplemental documents.

The comment period is open through July 21.

You may submit comments by any one of the following methods:

  • Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Click the “Comment Now!” icon, complete the required fields, and enter or attach your comments.
  • Mail: Submit written comments to NMFS, Greater Atlantic Regional Office, 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark the outside of the envelope “Comments on 2016-2018 Herring Specifications.”
  • Fax: (978) 281-9135, Attn: Shannah Jaburek.

Questions? Contact Jennifer Goebel at 978-281-9175 or email jennifer.goebel@noaa.gov.