🐟Proposed 2025-2027 Atlantic Herring Fishery Specifications
NMFS proposes new 2025 harvest specifications and river herring and shad catch caps for the Atlantic herring fishery, and projects specifications and catch caps for 2026 and 2027, as recommended by the New England Fishery Management Council. This action also proposes to update the target rebuilding date for Atlantic herring. This action is necessary to respond to updated scientific information from a 2024 management track assessment and to achieve the goals and objectives of the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan, including preventing overfishing, helping rebuild an overfished stock, and achieving optimum yield on a continuing basis.
Learn More🎣Notice for Exempted Fishing Permits under Magnuson-Stevens Act
The Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS, has made a preliminary determination that an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) application contains all of the required information and warrants further consideration. The EFP would allow federally permitted fishing vessels to fish outside fishery regulations in support of exempted fishing activities proposed by the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (MA DMF). Regulations under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act require publication of this notification to provide interested parties the opportunity to comment on applications for proposed EFPs.
Learn More🐟NOAA Public Meeting on Atlantic Herring Stock Assessment
NMFS will convene the Research Track Assessment Peer Review Meeting for the purpose of reviewing the Atlantic herring stock. The Research Track Assessment Peer Review is a formal scientific peer- review process for evaluating and presenting stock assessment results to managers for fish stocks in the offshore U.S. waters of the northwest Atlantic. Assessments are prepared by the research track working group and reviewed by an independent panel of stock assessment experts from the Center of Independent Experts. The public is invited to attend the presentations and discussions between the review panel and the scientists who have participated in the stock assessment process.
Learn More🎣2025 Atlantic Herring Fishery Possession Limit Adjustment Regulation
NMFS is implementing a 2,000-lb (907.2-kg) possession limit for Atlantic herring for Management Area 3. This is required because NMFS projects that herring catch from Area 3 will reach 98 percent of the Area's sub-annual catch limit (ACL) before the end of the fishing year. This action is intended to prevent overharvest of herring in Area 3, which would result in additional catch limit reductions in a subsequent year.
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