Alexandria, VA – May 1, 2012 — The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Atlantic Herring Section has approved for public comment Draft Addendum V to Amendment 2 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Herring. The Draft Addendum proposes measures to refine and consolidate Atlantic herring spawning regulations as recommended by the Atlantic Herring Technical Committee. These include (1) refining sampling protocols; (2) providing flexibility to change spawning boundaries based on Technical Committee input through Section action; and (3) consolidating all spawning regulations into one document.
The Draft Addendum responds to observed changes in Atlantic herring spawning behavior (size of spawning fish and extent of spawning area) as well as the need to clarify spawning regulations so that they are interpreted and applied consistently among the implementing states.
Fishermen and other interested groups are encouraged to provide input on the Draft Addendum. The Draft Addendum will be available on the Commission website (www.asmfc.org ) under Breaking News or by contacting the Commission at 703.842.0740 by May 11, 2012. Public comment will be accepted until 5:00 PM (EST) on June 15, 2012 and should be forwarded to Christopher Vonderweidt, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, 1050 N. Highland St., Suite 200 A-N, Arlington, VA 22201; 703.842.0741 (FAX) or at comments@asmfc.org (Subject line: Atlantic Herring Draft Addendum V).