Area 1A, 2008 Effort Reduction Provisions, Notice to Atlantic Herring Fishery
This web page was revised May 30, 2008.
Atlantic Sea Herring Management Plan
Area 1A Effort Reduction Provisions
A meeting was held in Durham NH on March 20, 2008. During this meeting, Commissioners from the states of Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts agreed to a schedule of days out. At a subsequent meeting the State of Maine decided to change the timing of this closure at the request of industry as follows:
- Effective June 1st, 2008 Until further notice,
It is unlawful to land Atlantic herring in the State of Maine taken from ASMFC Management Area 1A during 6:00 pm on Wednesday to 6:00 pm on Sunday.
- First week of August or when 50% of 1A quota is projected to be harvested:
States will meet and reassess the days out measures. 2008 catch rates and remaining quota will be analyzed at the meeting and states will take measures to that are likely to leave between 12,500 mt (the historic average) and 15,000 mt of the 1A TAC for October 1
- Exceptions:
- Any vessel may land herring as an incidental catch caught in ASMFC Management Area 1A in any Maine port, as long as such herring do not comprise more than 2,000 pounds per trip and such herring does not constitute more then 10% of the catch by weight.
- Fixed gear fisherman (weirs and stop seines) south of a line drawn from Spruce Point, (44 36.2’ and 67 16.8’) Cross Island, Cutler due east magnetic to the international boundary with Canada; MAY NOT close off a body of water on days designated as a "day out" of the fishery. Fixed gear fishermen, may remove and land herring from fixed gear on the days designated as a “day out” of the fishery.
- Fixed gear (weirs and stop seine) catches in waters north of a line drawn from Spruce Point, (44 36.2’ and 67 16.8’) Cross Island, Cutler, due east magnetic to the international boundary with Canada are exempted from the above restrictions.
