On December 19, 2005, NOAA Fisheries projected that 95% of the Atlantic herring Total Allowable Catch (TAC) allocated to Management Area 1B (see map below) for the 2005 fishing year would be harvested by December 24, 2005. The Division of Marine Fisheries is providing this reminder that effective 0001 hours on December 24th vessels issued federal permits for Atlantic herring may not retain or land more than 2,000 pounds of Atlantic herring from Area 1B per trip or calendar day for the remainder of the 2005 fishery. The federal catch limit restriction will cease at 0001 hours, January 1, 2006.

Figure 1. Map of Herring Management Areas.