Alexandria, VA – May 3, 2012 – The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's South Atlantic State-Federal Fisheries Management Board approved the Public Information Document for the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Black Drum for public review and comment. As the first step in the development of the FMP, the PID presents the current status of the fishery and resource, and solicits public input on changes observed in the fishery; actions to be taken in terms of management, enforcement, and research; and any other concerns about the resource or fishery.
The FMP is being initiated in response to concern regarding significant increases in harvest in recent years and the fact that the fishery primarily targets juveniles. The Commission is also moving forward with conducting the first coastwide assessment of this species. The assessment will be developed concurrently with the FMP to support establishment of the interstate management program.
States will be conducting public hearings on the PID; information on those hearings will be released when they are finalized. Fishermen and other interested groups are encouraged to provide input on the PID either by attending state public hearings or providing written comment. The PID can be obtained via the Commission’s website www.asmfc.org under Breaking News or by contacting the Commission at 703.842.0740. Public comment will be accepted until 5:00 PM (EST) on July 20, 2012 and should be forwarded to Danielle Chesky, FMP Coordinator, 1050 N. Highland St, Suite A-N, Arlington, VA 22201; 703.842.0741 (FAX) or at dchesky@asmfc.org (Subject line: Black Drum PID).