U.S. federal fishery regulators met in Portland, Maine, this week to determine if there will be a commercial season for the Gulf of Maine’s northern shrimp fishery this winter.
The fishery was closed for the entire season in 2014 for the first time in 30 years because populations dipped to their lowest recorded levels.
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (ASMFC) Northern Shrimp Technical Committee met update the status of the shrimp stock. The committee’s findings will be the basis for regulators’ decision about next year’s season.
The ASMFC’s Northern Shrimp Section will meet Nov. 5 to set specifications for the 2015 season. The fishery could also reopen with new restrictions.
Northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis) are small, pink shrimp that are prized by restaurateurs and markets for their tender meat.
