WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congressman Jared Golden has released a statement regarding the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s recent decision to allow Maine fisherman to haul 58,400 pounds of shrimp during the winter of 2024-25 as part of a survey program to help determine the future of the fishery, which has been closed for a decade.
“The men and women who work on the water every day are the most committed stewards of our ocean resources, whose expertise should be respected—not ignored,” Golden said in the release. “[The] decision by ASMFC to launch an industry-based survey of the shrimp fishery in the Gulf of Maine, and to allocate stock to that survey, is great news for Maine’s working waterfronts. It puts the fishermen right where they should be—at the helm of data collection efforts that will shape their futures and their livelihoods.”
Golden wrote a letter to ASMFC in August that echoed concerns raised by Maine fishermen about federal data collection practices, and encouraged the agency to utilize industry based data collection to inform future fishery management plans.
“I’m glad the ASMFC has listened to Maine fishermen and will follow their lead in surveying this key fishery,” Golden said.
