Saving Seafood

ASMFC 2026 Winter Meeting Final Agenda and Materials Now Available

January 21, 2026 — The following was releases by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Winter Meeting will be February 3 – 5, 2026 at The Westin Crystal City. This will be a hybrid meeting (both in-person and remote) to allow for participation by Commissioners and interested stakeholders. The room block is now closed; if you need assistance reserving a room, please contact Lisa Carty at lcarty@asmfc.org.

 
The final agenda and meeting materials for the Winter Meeting are now available at https://asmfc.org/events/2026-winter-meeting/; click on the relevant Board/Committee name to access the documents for that Board/Committee. For ease of access, all boards have been combined into one document – https://asmfc.org/resources/management-meeting-materials/2026-winter-meeting-materials-february-2026/. Supplemental materials will be posted to the website on Wednesday, January 28. 
 
Be advised the agenda’s schedule is subject to change; the order in which the agenda items are listed is subject to change, and other agenda items or meetings may be added as necessary.

 

Webinar Information
Meeting proceedings will be broadcast daily via webinar beginning Tuesday, February 3 at 9 AM and continuing daily until the conclusion of the meeting (expected to be 12:45 PM) on Thursday, February 5. To register for the webinar, please go to: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6602887735395459168 (Webinar ID: 674-030-171). If you are joining the webinar but will not be using VoIP, you may also call in at 914.614.3221, access code 161-484-911. A PIN will be provided to you after joining the webinar. For those who will not be joining the webinar but would like to listen in to the audio portion only, press the # key when asked for a PIN. 
 
Each day, the webinar will begin 15 minutes prior to the start of the first meeting so that people can troubleshoot any connectivity or audio issues they may encounter.  If you are having issues with the webinar (connecting to or audio related issues), please contact Chris Jacobs at 703.842.0790.
 
Meeting Process
Board chairs will ask both in-person and virtual board members if they wish to speak. In-person members can simply raise their hands at the meeting without logging on to the webinar, while virtual members will raise their hands on the webinar. The chair will work with staff to compile the list of speakers, balancing the flow of questions/comments between in-person and virtual attendees. The same process will be used for public comment. Depending upon the number of commenters, the board chair will decide how to allocate the available time on the agenda (typically 10 minutes) to the number of people who want to speak.
 
Public Comment Guidelines
To provide a fair opportunity for public input, the ISFMP Policy Board has approved the following guidelines for use at management board meetings:
 
For issues that are not on the agenda, management boards will continue to provide opportunities to the public to bring matters of concern to the board’s attention at the start of each board meeting. Board chairs will ask members of the public to raise their hands to let the chair know they would like to speak. Depending upon the number of commenters, the board chair will decide how to allocate the available time on the agenda (typically 10 minutes) to the number of people who want to speak.
 
For topics that are on the agenda, but have not gone out for public comment, board chairs will provide limited opportunity for comment, taking into account the time allotted on the agenda for the topic. Chairs will have flexibility in deciding how to allocate comment opportunities; this could include hearing one comment in favor and one in opposition until the chair is satisfied further comments will not provide additional insight to the board.
 
For agenda action items that have already gone out for public comment, it is the Policy Board’s intent to end the occasional practice of allowing extensive and lengthy public comments. Currently, board chairs have the discretion to decide what public comment to allow in these circumstances.
 
In addition, the following timeline has been established for the submission of written comments for issues for which the Commission has NOT established a specific public comment period (i.e., in response to proposed management action).
 
1.       Comments received three weeks prior to the start of a meeting week (January 12) will be included in the briefing materials.
2.       Comments received by 5 PM on Tuesday, January 27 will be included in supplemental materials.
3.       Comments received by 10 AM on Friday, January 30 will be distributed electronically to Commissioners/Board members prior to the meeting.
 
The submitted comments must clearly indicate the commenter’s expectation from the ASMFC staff regarding distribution.  As with other public comment, it will be accepted via mail and email.

 

We look forward to seeing you at the Winter Meeting.

ASMFC Schedules Delaware Bay Horseshoe Crab Management Stakeholder Workshop for January 29 & 30

December 22, 2025 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Commission’s Horseshoe Crab Management Board is holding a stakeholder workshop January 29-30, 2026, in theSpinnaker Room at the Courtyard by Marriott Ocean City Oceanfront, Two 15th Street, Ocean City, Maryland. The workshop is the central event in an ongoing stakeholder engagement process to inform revisions to the Delaware Bay Horseshoe Crab Adaptive Resource Management (ARM) Framework. The process is being facilitated by Compass Resource Management with the goal of identifying stakeholder values and perspectives in order to develop clear, actionable recommendations for revising core functions of the ARM Framework that reflect stakeholder priorities.

The ARM Framework is a model used to set annual harvest levels for horseshoe crabs in the Delaware Bay region. It is designed to balance the needs of the horseshoe crab fishery with the ecological needs of migratory shorebirds, particularly the rufa red knot, which depends on horseshoe crab eggs as a food source. Within the ARM Framework, three mathematical functions—the Utility, Reward, and Harvest Policy (U/R/H) functions—serve to align the model with the values and interests of stakeholders. 

The purpose of the two-day values workshop is to develop quantitative values representing the interests of stakeholder groups for integration into the model as well as consensus recommendations for model updates. Fourteen individuals were selected to participate, representing a broad range of stakeholder perspectives, including commercial harvesters and dealers; biomedical industry representatives; and horseshoe crab, shorebird, and ecosystem conservationists.

A detailed meeting agenda will be posted here ahead of the workshop. Interested parties are welcome to attend the workshop as observers, but space is limited so please notify Caitlin Starks, Senior Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at cstarks@asmfc.org by January 16, 2026 if you plan to attend. For more information on the Commission and horseshoe crab management, please contact Caitlin Starks atcstarks@asmfc.orgor visit https://asmfc.org.

 The press release can also be found at https://asmfc.org/news/press-releases/asmfc-schedules-delaware-bay-horseshoe-crab-management-stakeholder-workshop-for-january-29-30-2026/

MAINE: Northern shrimp fishery closed for at least 3 more years, following unsuccessful pilot

December 15, 2025 — The New England shrimp fishery will remain closed for at least another three years.

Federal regulators said Thursday they found no improvement in northern shrimp stock status and new lows in abundance. The fishery has been closed for about a decade.

But last winter, Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts launched an industry-funded sampling pilot to learn more about the fishery in a warming of Gulf of Maine.

Seven of the nine participating fishermen were from Maine.

Fishermen were allowed to harvest up to 58,400 pounds of northern shrimp during the pilot. But they caught just 70 individual shrimp, totaling less than three pounds, according to regulators with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.

Read the full article at Maine Public

December Update on 2025 Atlantic Herring Area 1A Fishery Season 2 Days Out Measures

December 15, 2025 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Atlantic Herring Management Board members from Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts met December 15 via webinar to set effort control measures for the 2025 Area 1A fishery for Season 2 (October 1 – December 31) following an increase in available quota for Area 1A. The 2025 Area 1A sub-annual catch limit (sub-ACL) is now 2,317 metric tons due to implementation of the new 2025-2027 specifications package.

After accounting for the fixed gear set-aside, 2025 landings so far from Area 1A, and the 8% buffer (Area 1A closes at 92% of the sub-ACL), there are an estimated 289 metric tons available for harvest.

Currently, the Area 1A fishery is at zero landing days. The Area 1A days out measures moving forward for Season 2 are as follows:

  • Landing days will continue to be set at zero (0) through Monday, December 22.
  • The fishery will move to one (1) landing day starting at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, December 23.
  • The fishery will move to zero (0) landing days when 92% of the Area 1A sub-ACL has been caught or at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, December 24, whichever comes first. The fishery will remain at zero (0) landing days through the end of 2025.

While landing days are set at zero (0), harvesters are prohibited from landing more than 2,000 pounds of Atlantic herring per trip from Area 1A. Fishing for and possession of Atlantic herring may begin prior to landing days during Season 2.

Please contact Emilie Franke, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at efranke@asmfc.org for more information.

Atlantic Herring Days Out Meeting Motions (December 15, 2025)

Main Motion

Move to set the following schedule for Area 1A Season 2:

  • Set zero landing days through Sunday, December 21
  • Starting 12:01AM on Monday, December 22, move to one landing day
  • Move to zero landing days when 92% of the Area 1A sub-ACL has been caught or at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, December 23, whichever comes first, through the end of 2025.

Motion made by Ms. Ware and seconded by Ms. Griffin. Motion amended.

Motion to Amend

Move to amend to set the landing day to Tuesday, December 23.

Motion made by Mr. Abbott and seconded by Ms. Ware. Motion passes by unanimous consent.

Main Motion as Amended

Move to set the following schedule for Area 1A Season 2:

  • Set zero landing days through Monday, December 22
  • Starting 12:01AM on Tuesday, December 23, move to one landing day
  • Move to zero landing days when 92% of the Area 1A sub-ACL has been caught or at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, December 24, whichever comes first, through the end of 2025.

Motion passes by unanimous consent.

The announcement can also be found at https://asmfc.org/news/press-releases/update-on-2025-atlantic-herring-area-1a-fishery-season-2-days-out-measures-december-2025/

MAINE: Maine shrimp fishery closed for three more years

December 15, 2025 — On Thursday, December 11, 2025, the Northern Shrimp Section of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission meeting in Portland, Maine, voted to extend the moratorium on New England’s northern shrimp fishery for another three years. The Northern Shrimp Section, comprised of members from Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts, made the decision to keep the fishery closed after hearing from the Northern Shrimp Technical Committee (NSTC).

The NSTC had set triggers for sea surface and bottom temperatures and recruitment, which could have started a discussion about reopening the fishery, and while sea surface temperatures reached the triggers, bottom temperature and recruitment did not.

But not everyone trusts those numbers. “You need data to manage the fishery,” says Glen Libby of Port Clyde, Maine. “And the NSTC doesn’t have any that’s reliable.”

Read the full article at National Fisherman

Northern Shrimp Section Maintains Moratorium Through 2028

December 12 2025 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Northern Shrimp Section (Section) maintained the current moratorium on northern shrimp fishing for another three years through the 2028 fishing year, with no sampling program in 2026. This action responds to the northern shrimp stock remaining at low biomass levels over the past decade despite the fishing moratorium, first implemented in 2014.

 
The 2025 Northern Shrimp Data Update found no improvement in stock status with new time series lows in total abundance. Environmental conditions have been unfavorable for northern shrimp during the moratorium, although two environmental indices, the index of predation pressure and winter surface temperature, showed improvement in the most recent year of data. New recruitment and temperature management triggers were implemented through Amendment 4 and used in management for the first time this year. However, neither trigger was tripped. 
 
While the moratorium will remain in place for three years, the Northern Shrimp Technical Committee will continue to provide the Section with annual data updates and management trigger analyses. If the recruitment and/or temperature triggers are tripped during the three-year moratorium, the Section can consider management action including sampling programs for 2027 and 2028. For the recruitment trigger, three years of non-failed recruitment would initiate a full stock assessment update with projections to be completed as soon as possible. For the temperature trigger, two out of three consecutive years of winter surface temperature and spring bottom temperature below the 80thpercentile of the reference period (1984-2017) would prompt the Section to consider running the winter sampling program without the use of the size-sorting grates.
 
For more information, please contact Chelsea Tuohy, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, atctuohy@asmfc.org  or  703.842.0740.

New England’s shrimp fishery to shut down for the long haul after years of decline

December 11, 2025 — Regulators voted Thursday to extend a shutdown preventing New England fishermen from catching shrimp, a historic industry that has recently fallen victim to warming oceans.

New England fishermen, especially those from Maine, used to catch millions of pounds of small pink shrimp in the winter, but the business has been under a fishing moratorium since 2014. Rising temperatures have created an inhospitable environment for the shrimp, and their population is too low to fish sustainably, scientists have said.

An arm of the regulatory Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission voted Thursday to shut down the fishery for at least another three years. Abundance of the shrimp remained “poor” this year despite slightly improved environmental conditions, the Atlantic States said in documents.

Read the full article at the Associated Press

Atlantic Herring Area 1A Days Out Call Scheduled for December 15, 2025 at 1:00 p.m.

December 10, 2025 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Atlantic Herring Management Board members from the states of Maine, New Hampshire and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts will meet via webinar on December 15, 2025 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., to discuss days out measures for the remainder of Season 2 (October 1 – December 31) for the 2025 Area 1A fishery (inshore Gulf of Maine). Days out measures include consecutive landings days for Season 2. The webinar and call information is included below:

 
Atlantic Herring Days Out Meeting
Monday, December 15, 2025
1– 2 p.m.
 
This webinar will use the RingCentral meeting platform. You can join the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone at the following link: https://v.ringcentral.com/join/989793987.   If you are new to RingCentral, you can download the app ahead of time (click here) or you can join from a web browser. For audio, the meeting will be using the computer voice over internet (VoIP), but if you are joining the webinar from your phone only, you can dial in at 650.419.1505 and enter access code 989-793-987 when prompted. The webinar will start at 12:45 p.m., 15 minutes early, to troubleshoot audio as necessary.
 
Atlantic herring specifications for 2025-2027 are being implemented this week by NOAA Fisheries. The new specifications for 2025 increase the Area 1A sub-annual catch limit (sub-ACL) to 1,317 metric tons and after accounting for the reallocation of 1,000 metric tons that already occurred last month, the Area 1A sub-ACL is 2,317 metric tons.
 
Currently, Area 1A 2025 landings are 1,860 metric tons. After accounting for those landings, the fixed gear set-aside, and the 8% buffer (Area 1A closes at 92% of the sub-ACL), there will be an estimated 244 metric tons available for harvest. 
 
The Area 1A fishery is at zero landing days. While landing days are set at zero (0), harvesters are prohibited from landing more than 2,000 pounds of Atlantic herring per trip from Area 1A. A subsequent press release will announce days out measures for the remainder of Season 2.
 
For more information, please contact Emilie Franke, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, atefranke@asmfc.org.
 

Scientists did not recommend a 54 percent cut to the menhaden TAC

December 4, 2025 — In the weeks following the 2025 Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) annual meeting, a wave of statements from environmental and recreational fishing groups has told the public that Atlantic menhaden scientists “recommended” a 50 to 54 percent cut to the coastwide total allowable catch (TAC). According to a detailed 14-page analysis from the Menhaden Fisheries Coalition, that claim is not only inaccurate- the meeting record itself contradicts it.

Instead, the Coalition says ASMFC’s Technical Committee and Ecological Reference Point (ERP) Working Group did exactly what managers asked: they provided risk-based projections across a range of TAC scenarios, without recommending any one option. “There were no recommendations of preferred TAC made,” the Coalition reports. “The Technical Committee and the ERP Working Group supply projections and risk information; the commissioners decide policy.”

Read the full article at the National Fisherman