Maine's upcoming 2012 shrimping season: harvest tonnage cut in half.

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's Northern Shrimp Section  has announced a total allowable catch (TAC) of 2,000 metric tons, (approximately 70 million individual shrimps) with the season closing when landings are projected to reach 95 percent of the TAC (1,900 mt).   

See youtube video of a Maine shrimping haul  (shrimp come aboard at the 7 minute mark)

Patrick Keliher, Maine's interim Commissioner of Marine Resources, said to FIS that the government will be monitoring the catch on a weekly basis to ascertain that fishers do not catch too many northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis) and that they do not reach the quota limit too soon. Some 85-90 per cent of shrimp caught in the Gulf of Maine are landed in Maine.

Given the favorable stock condition of the last two years, the Section set relatively long fishing seasons in an effort to accommodate industry's demands for expanded fishing opportunities," stated Section Chair Doug Grout from New Hampshire.

ASMFC's Shrimp Section head blamed the fishermen's overkill of shrimp during the last two years.  "Unfortunately, substantial increases in both effort and participation resulted in early season closures and significant overages in both seasons – 28 per cent and 48 per cent overharvest in the 2010 and 2011 seasons, respectively. Consequently, the stock of this crustacean is now overfished and overfishing is occurring, requiring a shortened season and limited fishing opportunities in 2012," he explained.