Virginia Shrimp Fishery - MMPA List of Fisheries
U.S. fisheries are classified under the Marine Mammal Protection Act according to the level incidental mortality or serious injury of marine mammals.
Current Classification on the List of Fisheries
| Category | II |
|---|---|
| Estimated Number of Participants | 12 |
| Target Species | Shrimp |
| Applicable Take Reduction Plans | N/A |
| Observer Coverage | None |
| Marine Mammal Species/Stocks Killed or Injured | None documented |
^ Number of participants estimates are based on state and federal fisheries permit data. The estimated number of participants is expressed in terms of the number of active participants in the fishery, when possible. If this information is not available, the estimated number of vessels or persons licensed for a particular fishery is provided. If no recent information is available on the number of participants, then the number from the most recent LOF is used. NOAA Fisheries acknowledges that, in some cases, these estimations may be inflating actual effort.
*Observer coverage levels include the latest information reported in the most current final Stock Assessment Report (SAR).
1 Indicates the stock or species is driving the classification of the fishery.
Basis for Current Classification
There is no information on marine mammal mortality and serious injury incidental to this fishery. In the absence of reliable information on incidental mortality and serious injury, the Virginia shrimp trawl fishery was classified as a Category II fishery, because there is no evidence of a remote likelihood of or no known incidental mortality and serious injury in the fishery.
Distribution
This fishery operates in the Commonwealth of Virginia’s coastal waters (within three nautical miles) from October 1 through January 1.
Gear Description
The fishery uses beam trawl gear with a fixed frame no larger than 4 feet by 16 feet, with mesh size ranging from 1.5-2.0 inches (stretched mesh). Tows are not to exceed 30 minutes in duration. There are 12 authorized permits for this fishery.
Management
The fishery is managed by the Virginia Marine Resources Commission.
Historical Information
| Original Category (Year added to the LOF) | II (2024) |
| Original Number of Participants | 12 |
| Basis for Original Classification | There is no information on marine mammal mortality and serious injury incidental to this fishery. In the absence of reliable information on incidental mortality and serious injury, the Virginia shrimp trawl fishery was classified as a Category II fishery, because there is no evidence of a remote likelihood of or no known incidental mortality and serious injury in the fishery. |
| Past Names | N/A |
| Species/stocks historically documented as killed or injured (but not currently on the list) | N/A |