August 9, 2012 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.
Alexandria, Va. — The Commission’s American Eel Management Board has initiated the development of Draft Addendum III with the goal of reducing mortality and increasing the conservation of American eel stocks across all life stages. The 2012 benchmark stock assessment found the American eel population in U.S. waters is depleted. The stock is at or near historically low levels, due to a combination of including historical overfishing, habitat loss, food web alterations, predation, turbine mortality, environmental changes, toxins and contaminants, and disease.
The Draft Addendum will include a range of options suggested by the American Eel Technical Committee, including possible moratoria on glass (elver) and silver eel harvest, reductions in glass and yellow eel catch and effort, seasonal closures, and future monitoring requirements. The commercial fishery is currently regulated by a six inch size minimum, with the exception of Maine and South Carolina glass eel fisheries, and the recreational fishery is currently regulated by a 50 fish per day creel limit. States and jurisdictions are required to annually report on commercial harvest and monitor juvenile abundance. The Draft Addendum will be developed for preliminary review by the American Eel Management Board in October.
For more information, please contact Kate Taylor, Fishery Management Coordinator, at ktaylor@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.