C. NORTHERN SHRIMP ASSESSMENT SUMMARY FOR 2014

• Main Author: State Of The Stock
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: northern shrimp; Pandalus borealis
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.638.6481; http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/nefsc/publications/crd/crd1403/partc.pdf

Overfishing and overfished status could not be determined for the northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis) stock in the Gulf of Maine. The ASMFC Summer Shrimp Survey biomass index is at record low levels based on data since 1984. The 2013 northern shrimp landings were 49 % of the established quota, and were also the lowest since 1984. Catch-per-unit-effort (pounds per trap and trawl pounds per trip) also reflects the same trend (lowest on record since 1991). Several key indices are at or near record lows for their respective time series (e.g., survey biomass index, survey recruitment index, commercial landings, and CPUE); this suggests that the northern shrimp stock is very low presently, and there is considerable uncertainty about when it might increase. Projections Projections would not be conducted for northern shrimp, as recruitment is highly variable and environmentally driven, making projections unreliable even over a short time frame. The assessment has been updated annually for management purposes. Catches Annual landings of Gulf of Maine northern shrimp (Figure C1) declined from an average of