July 15, 2014 — New rules for managing the spiny dogfish fishery will be implemented by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). In the Federal Register of Tuesday, July 15, 2014, NMFS announced final rules governing Amendment 3 of the Spiny Dogfish Fishery Management Plan. The new policy takes effect on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2014.
The Mid-Atlantic and New England fishery management councils jointly developed the new regulations. If you have any questions, contact Fishery Policy Analyst Tobey Curtis at (978) 281-9273. NMFS, a division of the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration at the U.S. Department of Commerce, implemented Amendment 3 in 2004.
Changes taking place in August include a research set-aside. The management councils will be able to reserve up to three percent of the annual catch for scientific research aimed at improving the fishery. The new rules also update the definition of “essential fish habitat.” The definitions are updated as are the text and maps of where spiny dogfish are found, based on updated information.