CONTACT:
Cheri Patterson: (603) 868-1095
Jay Martin: (603) 271-3211
December 27, 2018
DURHAM, NH – The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department will hold a public hearing on proposed changes to Atlantic menhaden rules on January 7, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. at the Urban Forestry Center, 45 Elwyn Road, Portsmouth, NH. The public is welcome to attend and offer comments on the proposed rules.
The proposed changes to the menhaden rules were developed in an effort to provide greater opportunity for harvesters to catch the menhaden quota assigned to New Hampshire. The proposed changes include:
- Allowing certain sink gill net configurations to be used to catch menhaden.
- Allowing small, hand-drawn purse seines to be used for harvesting menhaden under certain conditions.
- Requiring menhaden harvesters using gillnet and purse seines to report any entanglements with marine mammals or other gear to NH Fish and Game within 12 hours.
Atlantic menhaden are an important source of bait for lobster harvesters and are sustainably managed by the Atlantic coast states under the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. Last year, commercial harvesters only caught approximately 10% of the state quota for menhaden due to current gear restrictions. The intent of the proposed changes to the menhaden rules is to provide increased opportunity to harvest a larger percentage of the state’s quota consistent with sound conservation and management practices.
The proposed rules are available for public review at www.fishnh.com/marine
Written public comment will be accepted through January 14, 2019. Send written comment to:
Paul G. Sanderson, Esq.
Legal Coordinator, New Hampshire Fish and game Department
11 Hazen Drive
Concord, NH 03301
Or submit email comments to comments@wildlife.nh.gov.