Human Impacts 



Overharvesting as occurred in the late 1960s was the major limitation on 

 shrimp populations. Initially the catch consisted almost exclusively of egg- 

 bearing females, which are the largest individuals of the species and which 

 inhabit shallower waters. In recent years larger vessels, improvements in 

 fishing gear, and changes in fishing season have increased the proportion of 

 males and transitionals in the catch. 



Discharges of oil and other contaminants have the potential to affect shrimp 

 populations. The effect of these factors on shrimp stocks is unknown. 



Importance to Humanity 



The northern shrimp has supported a commercial fishery in Maine since 1938. 

 In the early years the shrimp were harvested primarily from February to April, 

 and the bulk of the catch was sold frozen (Scattergood 1952). 



In the early 1940s several packing plants for shrimp opened, and since then 

 the demand for shrimp has steadily increased. A sharp decline in the fishery 

 occurred in the early 1950s, with no landings at all from 1954 to 1957 (Maine 

 Landings 1954 to 1957). High winter temperatures during 1950 to 1953 are 

 believed to have adversely affected shrimp populations during that time 

 (Apollonio and Dunton 1969). 



The harvest began to increase dramatically in the 1960s, and by 1968 the catch 

 was over 12 million pounds (Apollonio and Dunton 1969). However, a decline in 

 catch per unit of fishing effort followed, falling from a peak of over 6000 

 lb/day fishing in 1969 to less than 2000 lb/day fishing in 1976 (Clark and 

 Anthony 1977). The shrimp catch and dollar value for the last 10 years are 

 illustrated in figure 12-7; the sharp decline since 1973 is apparent. 



In the 1960s the important shrimp ports in Maine were Portland, Boothbay 

 Harbor, New Harbor, Rockland, Vinalhaven, and Southwest Harbor. Because of 

 the recent decline in catch, the center of the Maine shrimp fishery has 

 shifted to Portland. 



Management 



Although no management of the shrimp resource of Maine took place until 1973, 

 MDMR began to study the northern shrimp in 1965. Research was focused on 

 abundance, distribution, and life history studies. In 1969 emphasis was 

 shifted to population dynamics and the development of a management model. 

 Current research includes sampling of the commercial catch and of adult and 

 larval populations. Stock size estimates for 1978 project a shrimp population 

 in the Gulf of Maine of 1 to 3 million pounds (Atlantic States Marine 

 Fisheries Commission 1977). 



The shrimp fishery of New England is regulated by the Atlantic States Marine 

 Fisheries Commission, consisting of Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. 

 The fisheries of Maine and Massachusetts are active in different seasons 

 (Maine in winter and Massachusetts in summer) and tend to focus on different 

 components of the total shrimp population (Maine inshore and Massachusetts 

 offshore). Therefore, regional regulation of the fishery is difficult. 



12-23 



10-80 



