Pair Trawlers Banned from Inshore GOM Waters

[Offshore]

Diggin,
The times when the River Herring mix with the sea Herring varies. The experts claim the S.Herring come inshore as the water warms and can be there between May and Sept. The R.Herring begin spawning now through July but some don't drop down to the salt until later. The inshore pair trawling ban is as much guess-work as knowledge, IMHO. At least they are trying to take some preventative measures.

[JohnR]

But the sea herring boats that access the processing ships, how far offshore are those boats? If they are here through late winter, is there a comingling happening between the river and sea herring fisheries?

[Offshore]

I don't know where you see them, John but there are no processing boats from the cape north. Haven't been for years. Those pair-trawlers are operating mostly out of Gloucester, New Bedford and Portland and land their fish in those ports and Boston. Depending on the season, they fish up on Jeffries and down off the Jersey shore.