There is a real possibility that Gulf of Maine shrimpers will be forced to the sidelines for the entire 2014 shrimping season because increasingly dire stock assessments indicate the stock was overfished in the previous two seasons.
In a report prepared last week, the Northern Shrimp Technical Committee of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission said it will recommend a total “moratorium on fishing in 2014 to maximize spawning potential” of the Gulf of Maine shrimp population.
If accepted by the Northern Shrimp Section at its meeting next week in Portland, Maine, that recommendation effectively would close down the entire 2014 Gulf of Maine shrimping season before it even begins. The meeting will be held Tuesday, Dec. 3, at the Holiday Inn by the Bay.
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