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Feature Articles
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Shrimp experimental fishery to tow east of 25600 line
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This article is reprinted with permission of Commercial Fisheries News, the Northeast's fishing newspaper for over 30 years, ©2003 Compass Publications Inc. Commercial Fisheries News is published monthly; annual subscriptions are $21.95. To subscribe or request a sample issue: call (877) 263-4496; fax (207) 367-2490; e-mail (cfoster@fish-news.com); or click on the hot link.
BOOTHBAY HARBOR, ME - An experimental fishery begins this spring that will document groundfish bycatch in an area southeast of the Small Mesh Northern Shrimp Fishery Exemption Area in the Gulf of Maine.
Currently, the shrimp fishery is restricted to the small mesh exemption area inside the loran 25600 line. In the spring, harvesters have historically ranged farther from shore, and they commonly fish on a body of shrimp that spans the 25600 line near Cashes Ledge.
This body of shrimp is within one of the strata used in producing the annual shrimp assessment. Thus this body of shrimp has always been considered when formulating the Northern Shrimp Technical Committee's advice to the Northern Shrimp Section of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission for harvest levels in the next season's fishery.
Until the formation of the small mesh exemption area, the fishers had access to the entire body of shrimp. Shrimp fishers would like to regain access to that portion of shrimp that exists outside the 25600 line.
In response to a request to either move the small mesh exemption area outward beyond the 25600 line, or do away with it altogether, the New England Fishery Management Council asked for proof that harvest would be as clean as the existing shrimp fishery in terms of meeting the 5% bycatch limit on regulated groundfish species.
A cooperative effort between the Gulf of Maine Aquarium, the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR), and the Maine shrimp fishing industry has been initiated to determine the bycatch in the area southeast of the 25600 line.
The project will provide an analysis of catch, bycatch, and degree of release of all species by two net types. It will also provide a substantiated recommendation to National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) for either moving the outer boundary of the small mesh exemption area beyond the 25600 line or maintaining it as is.
If the experimental fishery demonstrates an acceptable level of bycatch, it will provide additional economic opportunity for the struggling Gulf of Maine fishing fleet and relieve pressure on nearshore shrimping grounds.
Through a Request for Proposal process, six vessels have been selected to participate in this survey work, which will take place in May. The six vessels include: Bad Penny (Boothbay), DeDee Mae II (Biddeford), Julie D (Cundy's Harbor), Leslie Ann (Portland), Miss Paula (Cundy's Harbor), and Susan & Caitlyn (Saco).
First, three vessels will make two back-to-back three-day trips using their normal gear configuration. An interim estimate from these 18 fishing days of the bycatch of groundfish regulated species will be made and submitted to NMFS for evaluation.
If NMFS determines the bycatch is below 5%, three other vessels will make two back-to-back three-day trips while continuing to use their normal gear.
However, if NMFS determines that the bycatch is at unacceptable levels from the first trips, it may curtail the experiment at this point.
If the bycatch from the first set of tows is over 5%, but the project is still allowed to continue by NMFS, the next three vessels will do their 18 tows using a "bar space" Nordmore grate to try to reduce their bycatch to below 5%.
Each vessel will have a sea sampler aboard on each trip. The sea sampler will monitor the catch and bycatch on a tow-by-tow basis. The report from this project will include a complete analysis of the sea sample data for catch by species by weight and numbers.
While Don Perkins and Dr. Phil Yund of the Gulf of Maine Aquarium and Dan Schick of DMR have been involved in getting this survey work up and running, proper recognition should go to Maine shrimp fishermen and The Groundfish Group of Associated Fisheries of Maine who have worked for years to get their traditional spring shrimping grounds reopened.
This work has been made possible through a NMFS grant in its effort to foster cooperative research between science and industry. For more information call Dan Schick at (207) 633-9528.
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