Examining the Northern Shrimp Fishery in a Changing Gulf of Maine

• Main Author: Charleson, Ashley N
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: DigitalCommons@UMaine 2020
• Subjects: Fisheries; Resource; Management; Policy; Shrimp; Maine; Environmental Policy; Marine Biology; Natural Resources Management and Policy; northern shrimp; Pandalus borealis
• Online Access: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/etd/3243; https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/context/etd/article/4251/viewcontent/Charleson__Ashley_Final_5.8.2020.pdf

Northern Shrimp (Pandalus borealis) once supported a key commercial fishery in the State of Maine. Since its closure in 2013, the stock has remained in a particularly vulnerable state following recruitment failure, overfishing, and rising water temperatures. Furthermore, without this source of supplemental income, local fishermen have also experienced financial stress following unstable fishing conditions in other fisheries. The collective goal of this research project was to assess factors impacting the feasibility of reopening and maintaining this vulnerable winter fishery. These goals are addressed over 4 chapters. Chapter two offers insight regarding what is most often omitted from the regulatory process in fisheries management, including fisher acumen and cooperative opportunities to broaden the coalition for stewardship among resource users. By examining qualitative data collected through survey efforts, fishermen provide a first-hand account of fundamental and broadly applicable circumstances that impact fisher behavior, often resulting in inefficient outcomes in fisheries management. Collectively, qualitative data collected through industry based surveys highlight relevant environmental, biological, socioeconomic, and fishery-specific factors hindering the development and implementation of more efficient management practices. Assessment of the response of shrimp to changing environmental conditions and anthropogenic activity is critical to accurately determine appropriate fishing levels, especially given the lowered ability of the stock to build resilience. In Chapter three, I explore the relationship between size-at-transition and potential environmental and anthropogenic sources of influence impacting this biological process. Results showed that size-at-transition is more strongly influenced by environmental conditions experienced by northern shrimp as juveniles. Specifically, surface temperatures observed throughout the summer and fall seasons inshore were most significant, with decreases in ...