Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Atlantic Herring Fishery; Specification of Management Measures for Atlantic Herring for the 2016-2018 Fishing Years

NMFS is implementing final specifications and management measures for the 2016-2018 Atlantic herring fishery. This action sets harvest specifications and river herring/shad catch caps for the herring fishery for the 2016-2018 fishing years, as recommended to NMFS by the New England Fishery Management Council. The river herring/shad catch caps are area and gear-specific. River herring and shad catch from a specific area with a specific gear counts against a cap for trips landing more than a minimum amount of herring. The specifications and management measures in this action meet conservation objectives while providing sustainable levels of access to the fishery.