The Atlantic Herring Section approved Addendum I to Amendment 2 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Sea Herring. Addendum I aims to control fishing effort within the Area 1A by allowing the Section to employ bimonthly, trimester, or seasonal quotas with the flexibility to prohibit landings before June 1. The Addendum also restricts vessels from landing more than once per calendar day.
Quota allocations will be based on the average vessel trip reports from 2000 – 2007. In order to prevent quota overages, the fishery will close when 90 or 95% of a quota has been harvested as is most appropriate for the quota season chosen by the Section. The Addendum provides the Section the ability to distribute quota underages equally among all remaining periods. Addendum I also requires fishermen to report through a weekly system in order to properly monitor and manage the quotas.
A seasonal quota allocation will be employed for 2009 with no landings before June 1. Nearly three quarters of the Area 1A total allowable catch will be available from June – September with the remainder available from October – December. Seasons will close when 95% of the quota is projected to be harvested.
Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts will set Area 1A quota allocation provisions for 2010, and possibly future years, during a 2009 days out meeting (date to be determined).
Copies of the Addendum will be available on February 17, 2009 and can be obtained via the Commission’s website at www.asmfc.org under Breaking News or by contacting the Commission at (202) 289-6400. For more information, please contact Christopher Vonderweidt, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at cvonderweidt@asmfc.org or (202) 289-6400.