| Northern
shrimp, Pandalus borealis, provide a unique fishery management
story, with its unusual life history characteristics and management
planning process. In recent years, scientists and industry representatives
have worked together to make recommendations to the decision makers.
This arrangement has led to increasing biomass estimates since 2001
and a series high of 75 million pounds in 2007. Currently, the stock
is not overfished and overfishing is not occurring. Despite a high
abundance of northern shrimp, processor capacity has limited the
poundage they accept from harvesters. Today’s market limits
the amount of shrimp harvested and processed.
Northern
shrimp is a relatively short-lived species whose population status
can fluctuate dramatically year-to-year. Therefore, an assessment
of population status is conducted each year. In the past, the
Commission has used a combination of closed seasons and gear restrictions
to manage the species. Amendment 1, approved in June 2004, provides
managers and fishermen with additional tools to manage this valuable
resource in a sustainable way. <species
profile> <stock
status> <habitat
fact sheet>
|
