NOAA Fisheries Announces Herring Area 1A Trip Limit Reduction

Under the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan, once we project the date on which 92 percent of the Herring Management Area 1A catch limit will be harvested, we must reduce the trip limit to 2,000 lbs. We project that this target will have been met by October 18.

Therefore, effective October 18, vessels issued Federal Atlantic herring may not fish for, possess, transfer, receive, land, or sell more than 2,000 lbs of herring in or from Area 1A per trip or calendar day.

The Area 1A reduction will be in effect through December 31.

Please note that all herring vessels must land in accordance with state landing restrictions, including no landing days.    

Vessels that entered port before 00:01 local time on October 18 may land and sell more than 2,000 lbs of herring from Area 1A from that trip. During the closure (Oct 18-Dec 31), vessels may transit Area 1A with more than 2,000 lbs of herring on board, provided all herring was caught outside of Area 1A and all fishing gear is stowed.

As a reminder, vessels may not fish for, possess, transfer, receive, land, or sell herring from Area 1A for January 1-May 31, 2017, and federally permitted dealers may not receive any herring from a vessel that harvested fish from Area 1A for January 1-May 31, 2017.

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 lb of Atlantic herring provided they are on a declared herring RSA trip. In addition, Federally permitted dealers may receive greater than 2,000 lb of Atlantic herring from Area 1A provided the vessel is participating in the herring RSA program and on a declared herring RSA trip.

Read the notice as filed in the Federal Register today and the permit holder bulletin(pdf).

Questions? Contact Daniel Luers at daniel.luers@noaa.gov or 978-282-8457.