August 7, 2019 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Atlantic Menhaden Management Board maintained the total allowable catch (TAC) of 216,000 mt for the 2020 fishing season with the option to revisit the 2020 TAC following review of the 2019 single-species and ecological reference point benchmark stock assessments and peer-review reports. The TAC will be made available to the states based on the state-by-state allocation established by Amendment 3 (see table below).
The 2019 benchmark stock assessments are scheduled for peer review at the Southeast Data, Assessment and Review process (SEDAR 69) in early November. It is expected the benchmark assessments and peer-review reports will be available for Board review in February 2020. The assessments will be used to evaluate the health of the stock and inform the management of the species in an ecological context. Should the Board determine a change in the quota is necessary after review of the assessments, a two-thirds vote would be required for reconsideration of the 2020 TAC.