Atlantic Herring Landing Days; June Commission Meeting at Owl Brook

DURHAM, N.H. — Beginning June 1, 2009, commercial fishermen will be allowed to land Atlantic herring taken from Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) Management Area 1A (located in the western half of the Gulf of Maine) on Mondays and Tuesdays. Harvesters will be prohibited from landing Atlantic herring taken from Management Area 1A from 12:01 a.m. on Wednesdays, to midnight on Sundays. The restriction will remain in effect until 95% of the Total Allowable Catch for the period June through September in Area 1A is projected to be exceeded, or until further amended by the ASMFC Atlantic Herring Section.

“To make sure that some of the quota is left for the fall harvesting season, this year in addition to having an annual quota, a portion of the allowable harvest is allocated for each of two seasons — June to September, and October to December,” said Doug Grout, Chief of the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department’s Marine Division.

The landing restriction is in accordance with the ASMFC Atlantic Herring Management Plan, which addresses the need to control “effort” (fishing days) in the fishery to prevent harvesters from exceeding the Total Allowable Catch for each management area, which can trigger early closure. Management Area 1A is of particular concern because in recent years the Total Allowable Catch has been harvested before peak market demands abate in the autumn. States involved in the herring fishery are allowed to extend the fishery by controlling fishing effort through landing restrictions. The goal is to provide a consistent supply of herring to the market by controlling landings, particularly early in the season when herring may be localized in Area 1A.

An exception to the rule is that any vessel may land herring taken as an incidental catch in ASMFC Management Area 1A, up to a maximum of 2,000 pounds.

For more information about the restriction, call N.H. Fish and Game’s Marine Fisheries Division, located in Fish and Game’s Region 3 Office in Durham, at (603) 868-1095.

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission serves as a deliberative body coordinating the conservation and management of the 15 Atlantic coast states’ shared near-shore fishery resources for sustainable use. Visit http://www.asmfc.org.

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department is the guardian of the state’s marine, fish and wildlife resources and their habitats. Visit http://www.wildnh.com/marine.

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CONCORD, N.H. — The New Hampshire Fish and Game Commission will hold its June meeting on Wednesday, June 17, 2009, at 1:00 p.m., at the Owl Brook Hunter Education Center in Holderness, a New Hampshire Fish and Game Department facility. This is a change from the Commission’s usual meeting place.

Meetings of the New Hampshire Fish and Game Commission are open to the public. As they become available, meeting agendas and minutes are posted at http://www.wildnh.com/Inside_FandG/commission.htm.

DIRECTIONS to Owl Brook Hunter Education Center, 387 Perch Pond Road, Holderness, N.H.:
From the South: Take I-93 to Exit 24 (Ashland), at the end of the ramp turn right onto Route 3/Route 25 and proceed into Ashland. In Ashland, bear left at the “Y” and continue along Route 3/25 south until you come to the blinking light at the junction of Route 175. Turn left onto 175 and follow it for 1.7 miles, then turn onto Hardhack Road on the right. Once on Hardhack Road, go about 75 yards and take a right onto Perch Pond Road. Follow Perch Pond Rd. for 1.8 miles, and the entrance to the center will be on the left. The building is 100 yards or so through the gate on the right.
From the North: From I-93, take Exit 25 (Plymouth), at the end of the ramp turn left onto Route 175A. At the top of the hill, bear slightly right onto Route 175. Continue on Route 175 for 2.9 miles to Hardhack Rd. on the left. Once on Hardhack Rd., go about 75 yards and turn right onto Perch Pond Rd. Follow Perch Pond Rd. for 1.8 miles and the entrance to the center will be on the left. The building is 100 yards or so through the gate on the right.

To find out more about the Owl Brook Hunter Education Center, visit http://www.wildnh.com/Hunting/hunter_ed_center.htm.

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department is the guardian of the state’s marine, fish and wildlife resources and their habitats. Visit http://www.wildnh.com.