Saving Seafood

Massachusetts fishing restricted amid lobster bait crunch

July 22, 2016 — GLOUCESTER, Mass. — The Massachusetts herring fishery will be restricted in an attempt to mitigate a shortage of bait fish that threatens the lobster fishery.

The interstate Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission has voted to cut the number of days that herring boats can bring the fish ashore from five to two. The changes are in effect from Sunday to Sept. 30.

Maine cut its herring days down to two earlier in the season. Regulators say that reducing the number of days will prevent the fishery from catching its entire quota too quickly.

The problem is that fishermen aren’t catching herring far out at sea, which has increased pressure in inshore waters.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at The Boston Globe

Regulators look for solutions to lobster bait shortage

July 20, 2016 — PORTLAND, Maine — Interstate fishery managers will meet to discuss how to regulate the catch of a key lobster bait fish they say is at risk of heavy fishing.

Herring is the most popular bait fish for lobsters, and fishermen aren’t catching many far off New England. Regulators fear heavy herring fishing closer to shore will result in the fishery hitting its quota before the end of September.

Members of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s herring board will meet Wednesday to discuss how to manage the rate of catch off states like Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at the Baltimore Sun

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

July 11 ASMFC Atlantic Herring Days Out Call Cancelled; Information on Maine Emergency Rule

July 11, 2016 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

As of June 6, 2016, 25% of the Trimester 2 quota (June 1 – September 30) for Area 1A (inshore Gulf of Maine) has been harvested. The Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) has issued a herring emergency rule, effective July 9, 2016, in an attempt to distribute the Trimester 2 quota (72.8% of the Area 1A sub-ACL) as far into Trimester 2 as possible. This action also provides for fishing opportunities to account for
weather and safe operations.

As described in the emergency rule, vessels landing herring caught in Area 1A in any Maine port will be limited to the following provisions. See the DMR regulations for specific definitions and more information:https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/MEDMR/bulletins/154c337

  • 3 fishing days (Saturday 6 p.m. to Tuesday 6 p.m.)
  • 2 landing days (Sunday 6 p.m. to Tuesday 6 p.m.)
  • Weekly landing limit of no more than 600,000 lbs (15 trucks)
  • Harvester vessels can make at-sea transfers to only one carrier vessel per week
  • Harvester vessels are limited to making one landing per 24-hour period (6 p.m. to 6 p.m.)
  • Harvester and carrier vessels shall send an email hail to DMR three hours prior to landing. See DMR website for specific reporting requirements.

Given the above measures, action on behalf of the Atlantic Herring Section is not warranted at this time; therefore, the ‘days out’ call on July 11 is cancelled. Staff will continue to monitor landings and will schedule ‘days out’ calls on an as needed basis, while providing 48 hours notice to interested parties. Vessels (except those landing in Maine) should adhere to the following ‘days out’ schedule that was released by the Commission in April.

  • July 1 – 14: Vessels may land 4 consecutive days a week. All other days are designated as ‘days out’ of the fishery (e.g., vessels may not land herring).
  • July 15 – September 30: Vessels may land herring 5 consecutive days a week until further notice. All other days are designated as ‘days out’ of the fishery.

Industry hopes emergency plan can help lobster bait crisis

July 11, 2016 — PORTLAND, Maine — Members of the commercial fishing business are wary but hopeful that an emergency rule will succeed in helping curb a crisis of bait availability that threatens to impact the New England lobster industry.

The lobster fishing industry is facing the bait shortage because of a lack of herring being caught far off of New England. Regulators in Maine say they have found a way to hopefully provide a steady stream of herring over the summer.

Fishermen are still catching herring in Maine’s inshore waters. Maine’s emergency rule limits herring fishermen’s weekly catch. The state says it wants to prevent fishermen from reaching their inshore quota too fast.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at NBC Providence

Maine regulators intervene to mitigate shortage of lobster bait

July 8, 2016 — State regulators are taking steps to avert a crippling shortage of the most popular bait fish used by Maine lobstermen before the height of the season begins next month.

The dozen offshore trawlers that hunt for Atlantic herring in federal waters off Georges Bank are not catching much yet. In an effort to meet the demand for lobster bait, a few of these larger boats have changed their gear and joined the state’s much smaller, traditional purse seine herring fleet that fishes Maine’s coastal waters, said Deputy Commissioner Meredith Mendelson of the state Department of Marine Resources.

But regulators quickly realized that fishermen were running through the inshore fishing quota too fast, threatening to hit their summer limit before peak lobster season begins in August.

Fishermen have landed about 25 percent of the 19,400 metric tons of herring they are allowed to catch inshore during the summer, Mendelson said. At this time last year, fishermen had only caught about 20 percent of the summer quota.

“We’ve been trying to strike a balance,” she said. “We need to keep the inshore fishery open as long as possible, to get it to last through August so there’s no shortage of bait when lobstermen need it most, but we can’t be too restrictive or we run the risk of having a shortage now, or at least until the offshore boats find their herring. So we took some steps, and those didn’t seem to be enough. We were still running through the inshore quota too fast, so we tried some other things, but now industry is telling us there’s not enough bait. It’s a balancing act.”

On Saturday, after meeting with industry representatives this week, the department will issue new herring rules that will loosen some of the fishing restrictions enacted this spring to try to stretch the inshore summer quota and give the fleet the flexibility that it says it needs to supply a steady but moderate supply of bait. For example, earlier this year, herring fishermen were told they could only fish one day a week, and that wasn’t enough time for them to find the fish, especially in bad weather. Now they will be able to fish three days a week and land fish on two of those days.

Read the full story at the Portland Press Herald

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

Emergency rule amid bait shortage coming soon in Maine

July 7, 2016 — AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine regulators say they will issue an emergency rule in the coming days that will address a bait shortage that is affecting the fishing industry.

There is a shortage of herring, which is the most popular kind of bait used in the lobster fishery. Regulators and members of the fishing industry say the problem is that not enough herring are being caught on Georges Bank off Massachusetts.

State Department of Marine Resources deputy commissioner Meredith Mendelson says the agency will issue emergency rules on Saturday in response to the shortage.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at the New Jersey Herald

MAINE: Herring fishermen say fish quota concerns threaten lobster industry

July 6, 2016 — ROCKLAND, Maine — Maine’s huge lobster fishery could run into problems this year because fishermen might face a shortage of bait.

Herring are the primary bait for lobsters, but the people who catch the herring say they’re worried the quota for those fish could be used up too quickly. So the state is imposing new controls.

Herring fishermen say the problem is that herring are not being caught right now on Georges Bank off Massachusetts. That’s typically a prime spot for boats from Massachusetts and other states to pursue herring.

The fish were once the key to a significant Maine sardine canning industry. But the last cannery closed several years ago, and herring are now used for bait and for some animal feed.

Federal regulators have imposed a quota of 19,4 thousand metric tons of herring for the season that runs through September. However, because of the scarcity of fish on Georges Bank, the large out-of-state boats have started coming to Maine to fish.

Owners and operators of the smaller Maine boats that fish closer to shore say they’re worried the summer herring quota will be caught too quickly. Herring fishermen say if the quota is used up they won’t have bait to sell to lobstermen, at a time when the lobster fishing is heating up.

The Maine Department of Marine Resources met with herring fishermen Tuesday afternoon to outline a new plan to limit the number of days they can fish and how many fish they can catch. The state hopes that will stretch the fishery out until late August or September, and make sure there is a consistent supply of lobster bait.

Read the full story at NBC Portland

MAINE: Bait shortage could impact lobster industry

July 5, 2016 — PORTLAND, Maine — Maine regulators are considering intervening to help fix a bait shortage that threatens to affect its signature lobster fishing industry.

Lobstermen typically use herring for bait, and regulators and members of the fishing industry say there’s a shortage of them. The shortage is happening at the time of year when lobster catches usually start to pick up — and just as New England’s high tourist season is arriving.

The Maine Department of Marine Resources met Tuesday afternoon to discuss what role it can play. Meredith Mendelson, the deputy commissioner of the department, tells The Associated Press that it anticipates passing rules at a later date based on Tuesday’s discussion.

The problem is that not enough herring are being caught on Georges Bank, a key fishing area off Massachusetts, members of the fishing industry said. That means there could be heavy pressure on the inshore herring fishery, and they say fishermen could reach their quota for that area before the summer is out.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at the New Jersey Herald