Proposed shrimp fishery restrictions unpopular with fishermen
Maine’s shrimp fishery may face sharp restrictions if it reopens for the 2015 season — restrictions that concern fishermen who rely on shrimp harvesting for their livelihoods.
The Associated Press reported that the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is considering a limit on the number of shrimp harvesting licenses or vessels allowed in the Gulf of Maine for next year’s season. The federal commission closed the fishery for the 2014 season for the first time in over 30 years, citing the lowest population of shrimp ever recorded.
While the federal commission is expected to further develop the proposed restrictions and hold public hearings later this year, the rules already have created concerns for local fishermen. Tim Simmons, president of the Maine Shrimp Trappers Association, told the AP that fishermen, including lobstermen who harvest shrimp during the winter to supplement their income, would prefer to see a quota system over a limiting of licenses or vessels.
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