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Commercial Fisheries News
Volume 34 Number 4
December 2006
ASMFC shrimp section sets 151-day season
PORTSMOUTH, NH – Unanimously supportive of industry’s request for a longer season, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (ASMFC) Northern Shrimp Section met here on Nov. 6 and added 11 days to its previous “conditional commitment” to a 140-day 2006-2007 fishery.
The new season will run Dec. 1, 2006 through April 30, 2007 for 151 consecutive days. Last year, the 140-day fishery didn’t start until Dec. 12.
Industry members asked the section for additional days based on extremely positive news from the most recent stock assessment survey aboard the 65' R/V Gloria Michelle.
According to advisory panel Chairman Terry Alexander, the majority of industry members present at an Oct. 11 meeting agreed to seek the additional time in December rather than May.
“This will provide an opportunity to get a little more of the holiday market,” he said.
Next year
Industry advisers also asked the section to conditionally set next year’s season at 183 days running Dec. 1, 2007 through May 31, 2008.
“We think it’s a good thing to set a tentative season,” said Alexander. “This would give us a chance to actually make a business plan for a year in advance.”
However, the section was more cautious about giving an early indication of tentative dates for the 2007-2008 season.
Massachusetts Commissioner Bill Adler said, “The only concern I have with going up in the number of days is if for some reason next year the (stock status) graph turns around or the effort is too high, we would have to backtrack. I think it would be very discouraging for industry.”
Adler said he genuinely hoped the section could endorse a six-month season next year, and it certainly looks optimistic given the current status of the stock.
“But I’m a little bit nervous about going forward and promising 183 days,” he said.
Other section members agreed and eventually decided to “conditionally commit” to a 151-day season again next year from Dec. 1-April 30 with the understanding that the section reconsider its position if any of the following “triggers” are tripped during this winter’s fishery:
Total landings exceed 8,000 mt;
Total number of trips exceed 7,000; and/or
The fishing mortality rate exceeds 0.20.
Furthermore, the section said its 2007-2008 decision would be conditional on a review of the 2007 summer stock assessment survey information.
Despite this air of caution, several members indicated that if stock conditions continued to be so positive, they wanted to support 183 days next year.
Stock status
Here’s what happened at the Urban Forestry Center on Nov. 6 that led to those decisions.
Northern Shrimp Technical Committee Chair Maggie Hunter of the Maine Department of Marine Resources presented the section and audience with a stock assessment update that was heavily based on the Gloria Michelle survey cruise this past August.
The survey results were incredible. The 2001 year class, made up of large, adult female shrimp that should have exceeded their life span by now, showed up in survey tows as 5-1/2-year-olds.
Since these shrimp already have defied expectations, Hunter said, “We can’t promise they’re going to be around this winter, but there’s a chance they might be,” which means they’d contribute to the commercial fishery.
The 2002 year class, as in previous years, was “virtually absent” from the survey, indicating it was a failure.
The 2003 year class was strong and looked twice as good as it did during the 2005 summer survey. According to Hunter, these large female shrimp should be the most important component of the commercial catch this winter with higher counts per pound than last year.
But the news that most buoyed scientists, managers, and industry members alike concerned the 2004 year class, which is “tremendously abundant” to the point of being off the charts.
Furthermore, the year class isn’t acting oddly like the 2001 year class, which included a fast-growing and a slow-growing component. The slow-growers are presumably the ones that will be six-year-olds this winter.
Instead, the 2004 shrimp are mostly remaining in the male stage – as they should be at this point in their lives – and staying offshore as younger, smaller males are expected to do. That means this extraordinarily huge year class, which could fuel the fishery for several years to come, should be relatively protected from the 2006-2007 fishery, which will take place largely inshore.
“This is something the survey is good at – identifying strong and weak year classes,” explained Hunter.
Survey complications
Hunter readily acknowledged that this summer’s survey cruise was fraught with financial and technical complications. As a result, the survey team only completed 29 tows vs. the more typical 40-45 tows used to conduct previous stock assessments.
Even though some of the numbers from the 2006 survey were record-breakers, Hunter said, “I do want to stress that this survey was only based on 29 tows.”
Given this, she said the survey was just as likely to overestimate the size of the stock as underestimate it.
“With 29 tows, you’re getting down to the point where it’s possible to have a biased survey if you’re not getting to enough places,” she said. “Still, there are a lot of shrimp out there by all indications. We’re just not sure if there are twice as many as there have ever been or five times as many.”
Since the fleet did not trip any of last year’s fishing mortality, trip level, or landing “triggers,” and because the stock looked so robust during this summer’s survey cruise, Hunter said the technical committee did “not oppose another 140-day season for 2007,” as long as fishing mortality stayed at or below 0.20. (See CFN November 2006 for more on last year’s triggers and fishery.)
Shrimp are “out there”
That’s all industry needed to hear, and according to Vito Calomo, an ASMFC proxy commissioner for state Rep. Tony Verga of Gloucester, the technical committee’s overall report captured what industry was witnessing on the water. He said groundfish fishermen were seeing shrimp in 6" mesh and lobstermen were finding shrimp in traps – both indicators of the current high abundance level.
“I think you’re pretty much on the money,” he said to Hunter.
Confirming his support for the advisory panel’s recommendation for a Dec. 1 season start for this year’s fishery, Calomo said, “I, from the commonwealth of Massachusetts, believe we should start with an earlier season.”
Commissioner Pat White of Maine also supported the 151-day season.
“What we all don’t know is how many more people will get into the fishery due to (groundfish) Framework 42 or other things. And I do think the market is the intangible right now,” he said. “But we do have the product out there, and even if the spike (in stock status) is only 50% right, the whole future looks better.”
The section’s vote for a 151-day 2006-2007 season was quick and unanimous. It was the commitment to next year’s season that was more difficult.
Biological trigger
Several board members expressed concern about supporting industry’s request for a 183-day season so far in advance, and Hunter said the technical committee wanted to see a “biological trigger” included in the list of items that will spur the section to reconsider whatever season length it picks.
“The technical committee is concerned about the ’05 year class and the possibility that the ’06 year class could be weak,” she said. “We haven’t seen the ’06 yet, but we don’t want two weak year classes in a row.”
Hunter said the technical committee didn’t want to see the number of age 1.5 shrimp drop below 300 animals per tow during next summer’s survey cruise, so this index could serve as a biological trigger.
The number of shrimp per tow during this summer’s 2006 survey averaged 423, reflecting the modest size of the 2005 year class.
During the 2005 survey, the number was a record breaker at 1,753 age 1.5 shrimp per tow, reflecting the phenomenal size of the 2004 year class.
Industry opposition
This idea of adding a biological component to the list of triggers didn’t sit well with industry.
Terry Alexander said fishermen had hoped to do away with all of the triggers except fishing mortality, which by itself would limit impact on the resource.
Spencer Fuller, shrimp director for Cozy Harbor Seafood in Portland, strongly opposed the biological trigger.
“We’ve completely lost sight of why we set the season for two years last year,” he said.
The reason, he emphasized, was to provide stability in the industry so processors could begin to re-establish lost markets for shrimp. Forcing everyone to wait until next summer’s survey results won’t give processors any advance notice or faith that they’ll see even a 151-day season.
“I think it’s an insult to the industry if you hold us back to 151 days based on what we’ve seen in the survey,” Fuller said. “There’s no reason we shouldn’t be sitting here with the 183 days.”
Maine fisherman Marshall Alexander backed him up.
“I saw us get into the problem we’re in today,” he said, referring to the lack of markets.
“It’s important that you do what you have to do for the stocks, but we need to manage for the best economic benefit to the country too. It’s important that you look at a minimum number of days so we’ll never be shut out of the marketplace again, so our processors can keep some of the markets they have,” said Alexander.
Review survey results
The section appeared sympathetic and dropped the 300-shrimp trigger, but it still added language stating it would review the 2007 survey results before making a final decision next year.
ASMFC’s Bob Beal said, “The survey is the thing that kind of trumps everything else.”
Pat White added, “We’re always influenced by the survey results no matter what it says in the motion. But it’s our intention to continue with the 151 days if not more.”
Given the amount of weight the section is placing on the financially troubled summer survey, Maine fisherman Glen Libby said, “I would implore everyone to make sure there’s enough money to do this survey right.”
Janice M. Plante
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