Federal fisheries regulators are shutting down the in-shore Atlantic herring fishery in the Gulf of Maine, effective 1 a.m. Sunday.
The National Marine Fisheries Service estimates the fishery has exceeded 92 percent of the total allowable catch allocated to Management Area 1A, historically the primary source of fresh herring bait for the lobster industry. The area stretches from the tip of Cape Cod to the U.S.-Canadian border.
The fishery will remain closed through May 31. During a closure, vessels that are fishing for species may land an incidental catch of herring as long as it does not exceed 2,000 pounds per trip.
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