Saving Seafood

ASMFC Atlantic Herring Board Approves Addendum II

May 1, 2019 — The following was published by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:                                                                                                                                                                                                                The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Atlantic Herring Management Board approved Addendum II to Amendment 3 of the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Herring. The Addendum strengthens spawning protections in Area 1A (inshore Gulf of Maine) by initiating a closure when a lower percentage of the population is spawning (from approximately 25% to 20%) and extending the closure for a longer time (from four to six weeks). The Addendum also modifies the trigger level necessary to reclose the fishery, with the fishery reclosing when 20% or more of the sampled herring are mature but have not yet spawned. These changes to spawning protections are in response to the results of the 2018 Benchmark Stock Assessment which showed reduced levels of recruitment and spawning stock biomass over the past five years, with 2016 recruitment levels the lowest on record.
 
Under Amendment 3, the Board uses a series of closures to protect spawning aggregations in the Gulf of Maine. Biological samples are used to annually project the start of the spawning closures. A recent analysis by the Atlantic Herring Technical Committee found that while the spawning closure system was significantly improved under Amendment 3, the protocol could continue to be strengthened by considering when, and for how long, a closure is initiated. Specifically, the analysis showed greater protection could be provided by initiating a closure when a lower percentage of the population is spawning and extending the closure for a longer time. 
 
The states are required to implement Addendum II’s measures by August 1, 2019. The Addendum will available on the Commission website (www.asmfc.org) on the Atlantic Herring page by mid-May. For more information, please contact Kirby Rootes-Murdy, Senior Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at krootes-murdy@asmfc.orgor 703.842.0740.

ME, NH & MA Schedule Hearings on Atlantic Herring Draft Addendum II

February 20, 2019 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The States of Maine and New Hampshire, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts have scheduled their hearings to gather public input on Draft Addendum II to Amendment 3 of the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Herring. An additional hearing will also be conducted via webinar. The details of the hearings follow.

Maine Department of Marine Resources
March 6, 2019 at 5 PM
ME DMR Augusta Office
Room 118
32 Blossom Lane
Augusta, Maine
Contact: Pat Keliher at 207.624.6553
 
New Hampshire Fish and Game
April 2, 2019 at 7 PM
Urban Forestry Center
45 Elwyn Road
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Contact: Doug Grout at 603.868.1095
 
Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries
April 1, 2019 at 6 PM
MA DMF Gloucester Office
Annisquam River Station
30 Emerson Avenue
Gloucester, Massachusetts
Contact: Cate O’Keefe at 617.626.1512
 
Webinar Hearing
March 26, 2019 at 6 PM

Webinar link – https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/121211557

For Audio, dial 1.888.585.9008 and 
enter the passcode: 853-657-937

Contact: Kirby Rootes-Murdy at 703.842.0740 

 

The Draft Addendum proposes options to strengthen spawning protections in Area 1A (inshore Gulf of Maine). The Draft Addendum responds to the results of the 2018 benchmark stock assessment, which show reduced levels of recruitment and spawning stock biomass over the past five years, with 2016 recruitment levels the lowest on record.

 Currently, the Board uses a series of closures to protect spawning aggregations in the Gulf of Maine. These closures, which were implemented through Amendment 3, use biological samples to annually project the start of spawning. The closures are initially implemented for four weeks but can be extended by two additional weeks if samples indicate the continued presence of spawning herring. Recent analysis by the Atlantic Herring Technical Committee found that while the current spawning closure system was significantly improved under Amendment 3, the protocol could continue to be strengthened by considering when, and for how long, a closure is initiated. Specifically, the analysis showed, under the current protocol, spawning closures are initiated when there are approximately 25% spawners in the fishery; greater protection could be provided by initiating a closure when a lower percentage of the population is spawning and extending the closure for a longer time. As a result, Draft Addendum II considers extending the length of the spawning closures as well as altering the point at which closures are triggered in order to provide greater protection to the stock.
 
Fishermen and others interested in Atlantic herring management are encouraged to provide input on the Draft Addendum by attending state public hearings, participating in the webinar hearing, or providing written comment. The Draft Addendum is available here. It can also be obtained via the Commission website (www.asmfc.org) under Public Input. Public comment will be accepted until 5:00 PM (EST) on April 4, 2019 and should be forwarded to Kirby Rootes-Murdy, Senior FMP Coordinator, 1050 N. Highland St., Suite 200 A-N, Arlington, Virginia 22201; 703.842.0741 (fax) or at comments@asmfc.org (Subject line: Herring Draft Addendum II). For more information, please contact Kirby Rootes-Murdy at krootes-murdy@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.                             
PR19-08
A PDF of the press release can be found here
The Draft Addendum can be found here 

Directed Atlantic Herring Fishery Closure for Management Area 1A

October 17th, 2016 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission: 

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) projects the Atlantic herring fishery will catch approximately 92% of the Area 1A sub-ACL by October 18, 2016. The Area 1A directed fishery will close effective 12:01 a.m. on October 18, 2016 and remain closed until further notice. Vessels that have entered port before 12:01 a.m. on October 18, 2016, may land and sell from that trip more than 2,000 pounds of herring from Area 1A.

Vessels participating in the herring Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program may continue to fish in Area 1A for the remainder of the fishing year, and land, subject to state landing restrictions, greater than 2,000 pounds of Atlantic herring provided they are on a declared herring RSA trip. 

During a closure, vessels participating in other fisheries may retain and land an incidental catch of herring that does not exceed 2,000 pounds per trip or calendar day. In addition, directed herring vessels traveling through Area 1A must have all fishing gear stowed.

In accordance with the Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Herring, the fixed gear set-aside of 295 metric tons will continue to be available to fixed gear fishermen operating in Area 1A west of Cutler, Maine through December 31, 2016.

If you have any questions please contact Ashton Harp at aharp@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.

Atlantic Herring Massachusetts/New Hampshire Spawning Closure in Effect Starting October 2, 2016 through October 29, 2016

September 27th, 2016 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Under Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for 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 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 stages III-V, to trigger a spawning closure.

Sampling in the Massachusetts/New Hampshire spawning area (Figure 1) began on August 8, 2016; nine samples totaling 654 female herring were collected to evaluate spawning condition. Based on the analysis of the samples, theMassachusetts/New Hampshire (MA/NH) spawning area will be closed starting 12:01 a.m. on October 2, 2016 extending through 11:59 p.m. on October 29, 2016.

Vessels in the directed Atlantic herring fishery cannot take, land or possess Atlantic herring caught within the MA/NH spawning area during this time and must have all fishing gear stowed when transiting the area. Due to landing day restrictions in Trimester 3 (October 1-December 31) vessels will not be allowed to land prior to the onset of the MA/NH spawning closure. Therefore, if a vessel harvests herring from the MA/NH spawning area on October 1, it will be in violation of the Atlantic Herring FMP starting on October 2 at 12:01 a.m. (when the MA/NH spawning closure takes effect).  The Eastern Maine spawning area will be open to the directed Atlantic herring fishery at the start of Trimester 3.  For more information on landing day restrictions in Trimester 3, see the ASFMC memo released on September 21, 2016.

An incidental bycatch allowance of up to 2,000 pounds of Atlantic herring per trip per calendar day applies to vessels in non-directed fisheries that are fishing within the Massachusetts/New Hampshire spawning area.

For more information, please contact Ashton Harp, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at 703.842.0740 or aharp@asmfc.org.