Code of Maine Rules › 13 - DEPARTMENT OF MARINE RESOURCES › 188 - MARINE RESOURCES - GENERAL › Chapter 36 - ATLANTIC HERRING › Section 188-36-01 - HERRING MANAGEMENT PLAN

Current through 2024-29, July 17, 2024
A. Definitions
(1) Herring.
Herring means Atlantic Sea Herring, particularly the
Clupea Harengus harengus.
(2) ICNAF gonad stages.
ICNAF gonad stages are the official stages adopted by the
				  International Commission for the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries in 1964.
Excerpt from ICNAF, 1964, Table 2 definitions:
Stage V. Gonads fill body cavity. Eggs large, round; some
				  transparent. Ovaries yellowish; testes milkwhite. Eggs and sperm do not flow,
				  but sperm can be extruded by pressure.
Stage VI. Ripe gonads. Eggs transparent; testes white; eggs
				  and sperm flow freely.
(3)
				Spawn herring.
Spawn herring is a sexually mature herring (male or female)
				  in ICNAF gonad stages V or VI.
(4) Herring harvester.
Any person or vessel operator in command of any type of gear
				  used to harvest herring.
(5) Management Area 1.
Management Area 1 is all U.S. waters of the Gulf of Maine
				  encompassed by the shoreline and an imaginary line beginning at the
				  intersection of the 41º 35' N parallel with the eastern shore of Monomoy
				  Island; thence along a straight line in a northeast direction to its
				  intersection with the U.S.-Canada boundary at the point 42º 53' 14" N
				  parallel of latitude and 67º 44' 35" W meridian of longitude; thence in a
				  northerly direction along the U.S.-Canada boundary.
Management Area 1 is subdivided into Area 1A (inshore) and
				  Area 1B (offshore). The line dividing these areas is described by the following
				  coordinates:
Beginning at 70º 00' W Longitude on the Cape Cod
				  shoreline; thence due north to
42º 38.4' N Latitude, 70º 00' W Longitude; thence
				  due northeasterly to
42º 53.0' N Latitude, 69º 40' W Longitude; thence
				  due northeasterly to
43º 12.0' N Latitude, 69º 00' W Longitude; thence
				  due northeasterly to
43º 40.0' N Latitude, 68º 00' W Longitude; thence
				  due northeasterly to
43º 58.0' N Latitude 67º 22' W Longitude at the
				  U.S.-Canada boundary; thence northerly along the irregular U.S.-Canada
				  boundary.
(6) Management
				Area 2.
South Coastal Area: All waters west of 70 º 00' W
				  Longitude and south of 41 º 35' N Latitude, to include state and Federal
				  waters adjacent to the states of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New
				  York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina.
(7) Management Area 3.
Georges Bank: All U.S. waters east of 70º 00' W
				  Longitude and southeast of the line that runs from a point at 70º 00' W
				  Longitude and 41º 35' N Latitude, northeasterly to the Hague Line at
				  67º 44' 35" W Longitude and 42º53' 14" N Latitude.
(8) Herring Dealer.
Any person who purchases herring directly from a herring
				  harvester for other than their own use and then sells the herring as a
				  wholesale or retail product.
(9) "GSI"means the gonadosomatic index
				calculated by the following formula:
(Gonad Weight/ Total Body Weight - Gonad Weight) X 100
				  percent.
(10) Spawning
				Sample.
Sample means a batch of 100 adult herring taken randomly from
				  commercial catch or fish surveys.
(11) Landing.
To come to shore, float or a dock and offload herring; or to
				  transfer herring at sea to a vessel utilizing the herring for bait.
Exception: Fixed gears may transfer at sea to a vessel
				  utilizing the herring as bait.