Shrimp Samples Reinforce Closure Decision

After the decision was made by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (ASMFC) Shrimp Section that there would be no shrimp season in Maine in 2015, the technical committee arranged for shrimp samples to be harvested for continued research on the resource. Working with two other NE states that have a commercial fishery, four trawlers were engaged to trawl shrimp for research. One trawler from Massachusetts and three from Maine contracted to trawl shrimp beginning in late January.

The trawlers are each compensated with $500 and up to 1,800 pounds of shrimp, which they can sell. Trawl times are varied along the coast depending on local conditions. The trawls start in late January to catch egged-up shrimp. Another trawl is done after they drop their eggs and a third trawl late in the season.

Department of Marine Resources (DMR) marine biologist Maggie Hunter said they “want to compare what kind of shrimp resource we have now with what we’ve had in the past.” The DMR thinks the decline of the shrimp stock is driven by warmer water. The first sample trawls were done in 2014 and were useful, said Hunter. They showed the timing of the egg hatch and the size structure. A University of Maine graduate student will study shrimp fecundity and work with temperature sensors.

The 2010, 2011 and 2012 shrimp reports were low, but the 2014 report was very low, supporting the decision to not have a 2014-2015 shrimp-fishing season.

There is also shrimp-trapping component to the sampling effort. Five trappers, who are not paid, are setting shrimp traps to gather samples. About 20 percent of the shrimp harvested in past years has been caught by traps. These trappers will be allowed to keep 100 pounds each for personal use as compensation. They will be allowed to fish through the season because traps need to be tended and baited.

Hunter said both the inshore state trawl survey and the National Marine Fisheries Service offshore shrimp trawl surveys had low catch results. Some in the industry speculate that shrimp are migrating north, but Hunter said there is a thermal block to passage north.