DURHAM, N.H. - Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commissioners from the states of Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts have met with industry representatives and set the allowable landing days for the beginning of the 2015 Management Area 1A Atlantic Herring fishery. The following landing days were set for Area 1A: five landing days from June 1, 2015 through July 5, 2015 and seven landing days beginning July 6, 2015. Landing days begin on Monday each week and run consecutively. All other days are designated as "days out" of the fishery.

Commissioners will meet again via conference call on June 29 and July 30, 2015, to review and adjust "days out" measures if necessary. Times and details will be released at a later date.

Vessels are prohibited from landing more than 2,000 pounds of Atlantic herring on a "day out" of the fishery.

The landing restriction is in accordance with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (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.

For more information about the restriction, call N.H. Fish and Game's Marine Fisheries Division, located in the Department's Region 3 Office in Durham, N.H., 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.wildlife.state.nh.us/marine.

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CONTACT:
Doug Grout : (603) 868-1095
Renée Zobel: (603) 868-1095