Protection for Herring Spawning
Areas Advances

by Laurie Schreiber

NEWPORT, R.I.—The New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) has begun its review of an analysis of Atlantic herring spawning grounds on Georges Bank.

NEFMC received a discussion document on the analysis at its December meeting.

The document provides an overview of management decisions leading to spawning protections in the Gulf of Maine, according to the document’s executive summary. It also includes a review of spawning protection strategies used in other parts of the north Atlantic.

“The purpose of this review is to provide up-to-date information on Georges Bank spawning dynamics (location and timing) and spawning protection strategies that may be considered by the New England Fishery Management Council in future management actions regarding herring spawning protection on Georges Bank,” the summary says.

Earlier this year, NEFMC contracted the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) to develop the document, which pulls together pertinent historical and current scientific research plus related information about spawning activity on Georges Bank, according to a NEFMC press release.

GMRI looked at results from numerous data sources, including the Maine and Massachusetts dockside sampling programs, trawl survey information, larval distribution and diet studies, essential fish habitat for herring eggs, and historical spawning areas. GMRI overlapped the information to start “building a consensus” in identifying where important spawning locations are likely to be and when spawning is likely to occur.

The study determined that spawning activity is most concentrated in two

locations along the northern edge of Georges Bank – one in the west (Nantucket Shoals/Great South Channel) and one in the east (Northern Flank). Spawning occurs primarily in the months of September and October.

NEFMC was briefed on preliminary findings at its September meeting, at which time it initiated an action to address offshore spawning of Atlantic herring.

Now that the final discussion document is complete, work on the action will continue.

The document looks at potential fishery impacts on spawner biomass and disturbance of benthic egg mats, potentially disrupting spawning activity.

It also reviews potential climate threats. According o a presentation made to NEFMC, herring is generally considered somewhat buffered from warming ocean waters because they migrate, according to a presentation to NEFMC. But the fish is highly exposed since its distribution is very large. Warming waters are expected to eventually push herring stocks northward. But this is complicated by herring’s strong natal homing instinct for spawning grounds.

The fishing industry interacts minimally with spawning grounds, but there’s a bit of overlap in the region to the east.

NEFMC also received a summary of the final report for the Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) debrief that reviewed the process used to develop a range of

alternatives for an acceptable biological catch (ABC) control rule for Amendment 8 to the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan, according to the release.

Because this was the first time NEFMC used MSE, “it took a step back to review benefits and/or drawbacks of the process and cover ‘lessons learned.’’”

The debrief addressed questions such as:

• Was the purpose and need clear? Was the education process about MSE sufficient?

• Did stakeholders find utility in using MSE in balancing tradeoffs?

• How did the MSE process compare to NEFMC’s standard practice for developing alternatives?

Opinion was split with regard to whether the MSE was better or worse than NEMC’s traditional process.