Management Overview

How is this fishery managed?

The herring fishery is managed by a stock-wide annual catch limit (ACL) that is allocated to four distinct management areas (sub-ACLs, also known as management area quotas). 

Who manages this fishery?

Herring is managed in federal waters by the New England Fishery Management Council and NOAA Fisheries. Herring is managed in state waters by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and individual states. Individual states may set different regulations, such as possession/landing restrictions or spawning area closures. If state regulations differ from federal regulations, herring permit holders must adhere to the more restrictive regulations.

What is the fishing year for this fishery?

January 1 – December 31

How often do the quotas change for this fishery? 

Specifications are set every three years for the herring fishery. The specifications from the previous year roll over if specifications are not in place at the start of the fishing year. 

What is the control date for this fishery?

September 16, 1999

What are the different management areas for the herring fishery? 

Area 1A – Inshore Gulf of Maine

Area 1B – Offshore Gulf of Maine

Area 2 – South Coastal Area

Area 3 – Georges Bank

What time of year are Atlantic herring most commonly found?  

The fishery follows the migration of the herring resource. Spawning occurs in the summer and fall, starting earlier along the eastern Maine coast and becomes increasingly scarce south of New Jersey (August–September) than in the southwestern Gulf of Maine (early to mid-October in the Jeffreys Ledge area) and Georges Bank (as late as November–December). From December to March, the fishery operates in the waters of southern New England. In late summer/early fall, most fishing is in the inshore Gulf of Maine (coastal waters of ME, NH, and MA) Georges Bank, and an area east of Nantucket Shoals.

What is the geographic extent of the fishery?  

Herring are distributed from North Carolina to Maine and from inshore to offshore waters to the edge of the continental shelf. The species is most abundant north of Cape Cod and become increasingly scarce south of New Jersey. The majority of the harvest comes from federal waters, specifically between May and November in the Gulf of Maine.

At what depths are herring found?  

Adult Atlantic herring are found in shallow inshore waters, 20 meters deep, to offshore waters up to 200 meters deep.

Management Plans

Atlantic Herring Management Plan

Regulatory History

1972-1976 – Herring is managed by the International Commission for the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries

1976-1978 – NOAA Fisheries regulates international fishing through a preliminary fishery management plan

1978 – United States adopts its own management plan to manage herring stocks on Georges Bank and in the Gulf of Maine, achieve higher levels of spawning biomass and stable recruitment, and rebuild the juvenile herring resource and sardine fishery in the Gulf of Maine

1982 – NOAA Fisheries rescinds the 1978 management plan because of conflicts between state and federal regulations

1982 – Herring is placed on prohibited species list, eliminating directed fisheries for the species by international fleets within the U.S. federal waters and requiring any herring bycatch be discarded

1983 – Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission adopts Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Herring

Mid-1980s – Georges Bank herring population begins to rebuild

1994 – Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission adopts a management plan for herring to address the growth of the herring resource and interest in Internal Water Processing operations

1999 – Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission adopts Amendment 1 to the herring management plan to complement the federal management plan in development at the time by the New England Fishery Management Council

2000 – NOAA Fisheries implements Federal Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan in conjunction with the New England Fishery Management Council

2006 - Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission adopts Amendment 2 to complement Amendment 1 in development at the time by the New England Fishery Management Council.

2007 – Amendment 1 implemented a limited entry for herring vessels, a seasonal purse seine/fixed gear only area in the inshore Gulf of Maine, a three-year specification process, and addressed other management measures for herring.

2008 – Amendment 2 implemented the Standardized Bycatch Reporting Methodology as a part of an Omnibus Amendment.

2011 – Amendment 4 implemented annual catch limits and accountability measures in the herring fishery.

2011 – Herring Regulatory Amendment implemented daily catch reporting for limited access herring vessels using vessel monitoring systems, weekly fishing vessel trip report reporting, and other catch reporting measures.

2014 – Amendment 5 was developed to improve the collection of real-time, accurate catch information; enhance the monitoring and sampling of catch at-sea; and address bycatch issues through responsible management. 

2015 - Amendment 6 established standards of precision for bycatch estimation for all New England and Mid-Atlantic fisheries.