Atlantic Menhaden Management

Introduction

Atlantic Menhaden is a quota monitored species managed by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC). Some of the links below are PDF files, and may require Adobe Reader software (download here free) to view or print. For more information, contact Matt Cieri or Melissa Smith at DMR, or your local Marine Patrol office or officer.

Management for 2022

Atlantic menhaden are currently managed under Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Atlantic Menhaden (PDF file, 111 pages). Approved in November 2017, the Amendment maintains the management Program's suite of commercial management measures including allocation, quota transfers, quota rollovers, incidental catch, the episodic events set aside program, and the Chesapeake Bay reduction fishery cap. The Atlantic Menhaden Board set the total allowable catch for the2021 fishing seasons at 194,400 metric tons.

Maine's allocation of Atlantic menhaden quota is 0.52% of the available194,400 metric tons, or 2,194,396 pounds. Maine is also able to participate in the Episodic Events Fishery Set Aside program; the set aside quota is 1% of the total allowable catch and is approximately 4.28 million pounds for the 2021 fishing year.

Draft Addendum 1 to Amendment 3

The Atlantic Menhaden Board at the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) is currently working on draft Addendum I to Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan. This management document contains several options which consider changes to the state-by-state allocations, increases in the episodic events set aside, and greater restrictions on the small-scale fishery. Click here for information on draft Addendum 1 and upcoming public hearings.

Maine DMR Menhaden Regulations

In order to manage the Atlantic menhaden harvest in Maine's territorial waters, three fishery programs have been established and described in Maine DMR Regulation Chapter 41 for Commercial harvest during the State Allocation, Episodic Event, and Small Scale fisheries. Also see the notice regarding 2022 licenses.

Additional information on the Commercial and Noncommercial menhaden harvest can be found in Maine DMR Regulation Chapter 41 and summarized in the Notice of Final Rulemaking, posted on April 27, 2021, linked below.

Daily electronic reporting remains in effect. Daily electronic reporting methods include LEEDS for State permit holders and NOAAs Fish Online for Federal permit holders.