WASHINGTON — January 29, 2013 — The New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) recently held two meetings which dealt with issues regarding the groundfish resource and fishery.
At the first meeting, held on January 24th, the Groundfish Oversight Committee was joined by both the Groundfish Advisory Panel (GAP) and the Recreational Advisory Panel (RAP). These groups heard from the Closed Area Technical Team (CATT) regarding modifications to areas that are closed to groundfish fishing. This issue is being developed, alongside habitat closures, as part of the Omnibus Essential Fish Habitat Amendment.
At the NEFMC’s January 25th meeting, the Groundfish Oversight Committee met to assemble either a specifications package or a framework adjustment to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan that will be submitted to the National Marine Fisheries Service. This package aimes to specify Acceptable Biological Catches (ABCs) and Annual Catch Limits (ACLs) for fishing year 2013.
The Groundfish Committee approved a modified Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic (SNE/MA) winter flounder rebuilding plan through 2023, which enables the Council to implement catch limits consistent with the new rebuilding plan.
Several motions were also approved by the Groundfish Committee at their January 25th meeting. These motions will be reviewed by the full Council at their January 30th meeting.
The motions are as follows:
-The Committee requests the Northeast Fisheries Science Center complete calculations by the June Council meeting for the appropriate reference points for the Mramp Gulf of Maine (GOM) cod model using an Fmsy proxy of F40%MSP percent and a natural mortality (M) equal to 0.4 assumed moving forward.
-The Committee recommends the Council adopt an ABC of 1,550 mt for GOM cod for fishing year (FY) 2013. This would result in an approximate ACL of 1,000 mt for the commercial groundfish fleet.
-The Committee recommends increasing the range of GOM cod ABC’s from a low of 825 to a high of 4,330 mt.
-The Committee recommends the Council adopt an ABC of 2,506 mt for Georges Bank (GB) cod for FY 2013. This would result in an approximate ACL of 2,000 mt (United States portion).
-The Committee recommends the Council adopt an ABC of 1,676 mt for SNE/MA winter flounder for FY 2013. This would result in an approximate ACL of 1,200 mt for the commercial groundfish fleet.
Several audio clips from the NEFMC’s January 24th meeting can be found below:
Listen to Drew Minkiewicz, of the Fisheries Survival Fund, discuss the relationship between habitat closures and productivity.
Listen to Groundfish Committee member, Laura Ramsden, voice concern for the status of the habitat closures.
Listen to Maggie Raymond, of Associated Fisheries of Maine, request that the CATT analyze the efficacy of specific blocks of the rolling closure areas and discuss the role of sector managers.
Listen to Maggie Raymond discuss some of the difficulties surrounding the opening of closed areas in response to a closed area proposal for groundfish in the northeastern GOM.