This page contains Commission documents which are currently available for public review and comment. In most cases, these documents will be in Abobe PDF format. Click here to download Acrobat Reader.
We encourage you to download these documents and forward your comments to the identified individual(s) via email or mail. The Commission's mailing address is: 1050 N. Highland Street, Arlington, VA 22201. You may also submit your comments directly to the Commission at comments@asmfc.org.
The Draft Amendment considers options for setting multi-year moratoria and implementing management triggers. Management trigger options include biologic and environmental triggers comprised of indicators that would signal improvement in stock conditions and the potential to re-open the fishery.
The last time a new plan amendment to the Northern Shrimp FMP was adopted was in 2017 (Amendment 3). Since then, the status of the northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis) stock has remained unchanged with a depleted stock status and continued fishing moratorium. Given the poor condition of the stock, the Section supported initiation of a new plan amendment to consider several changes to the FMP including to the current management program requirement of annual specifications and addition of management triggers for stock monitoring. Through extending the specifications timeline, the Section may implement multi-year moratoria on harvest rather than meeting annually to implement a new moratorium for the following year. A management trigger for the stock could inform when a moratorium should be re-evaluated if improved stock conditions are evident, indicated through recruitment trends or changes in Gulf of Maine temperature.
The public is encouraged to submit comments at any time during the addendum process. Public comment will be accepted until 11:59 PM (EST) on March 11, 2025 and should be sent to:
Chelsea Tuohy
FMP Coordinator
1050 N. Highland Street
Suite 200 A-N
Arlington, Virginia 22201
or to comments@asmfc.org (Subject line: Northern Shrimp Draft Amendment 4)
Additional Resources
Draft Addenda on Recreational Measures Setting Process
The Draft Addenda consider changes to the process used by the Commission and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) to set recreational management measures (bag, size, and season limits) for bluefish, summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass. The Council is considering an identical set of options through a framework action. The option that is ultimately selected by the Commission and Council is intended replace the currently used Percent Change Approach implemented through the Harvest Control Rule Framework/Addenda, which will sunset at the end of 2025. The Draft Addenda propose five possible options for setting recreational measures. Taking final action on these addenda in 2025 will not implement any specific bag, size, or season limits, but start a new specification process for setting recreational management measures starting with 2026 measures.
The public is encouraged to submit comments at any time during the addendum process. Public comment will be accepted until 11:59 PM (EST) on February 15, 2025 and should be sent to:
Chelsea Tuohy
FMP Coordinator
1050 N. Highland Street
Suite 200 A-N
Arlington, Virginia 22201
or to comments@asmfc.org (Subject line: Recreational Measures Setting Process)
Additional Resources