Saving Seafood

AESA Urges U.S. Government to Reject ESA Listing for American Eel

WASHINGTON (Saving Seafood) — September 21, 2015 — The following was released by the American Eel Sustainability Association:

Following a petition from the Council for Endangered Species Act Reliability (CESAR), the U.S. government this month will once again consider calls to list the American eel as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The American Eel Sustainability Association (AESA) reiterates its position that the American eel does not require either a “threatened” or “endangered” designation. AESA cites ample scientific study from a Federal agency and strict regulations already in place as support for this stance.

Substantial scientific evidence demonstrates that American eels are being harvested sustainably and are not under threat, according to AESA. The organization notes that CESAR’s petition does not consider the current, responsible management structures in place for American eel, and ignores previous rulings on the issue that further verify the species’ health.

The American eel stock has already been the subject of a comprehensive review by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) as to whether it requires protection under the ESA. In 2007, FWS conclusively determined that American eels were not endangered, and that extending ESA protections to the species were not warranted. Specifically, the Service found “the species’ overall population is not in danger of extinction or likely to become so in the foreseeable future.”

Because there has been no significant increase in the amount of fishing pressure being exerted on the eel population, AESA contends that the 2007 ruling should stand.

Independent estimates support the FWS’s 2007 conclusion, according to AESA. Young-of-the-year recruitment, the measure of eels born into the population, has been stable for much of the last 30 years. And, according to a 2013 study, recent estimates place the annual breeding population of the species somewhere between 50 and 100 million eels.

AESA remains confident that the stock is being sustainably fished under the responsible, precautionary management of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC). In 2014, the Commission established a coastwide quota for the species, with the support of its Eel Management Board, including representatives from the FWS.

In tandem with other effort restrictions and controls against illegal fishing, existing regulations ensure that eel quotas are not exceeded and the species is not overharvested. The fishery finished under its quota for the 2015 fishing year, indicating that overfishing is not currently a problem in the eel fishery.

AESA is committed to a sustainable future for American eel, and is an advocate for responsible management, strong law enforcement, reliable science, and other initiatives that strengthen the health of the species. An ESA listing for eels is not necessary.

The American Eel Sustainability Association (AESA) is a leading industry organization focused on the science and management of American eel.

Read the release from the American Eel Sustainability Association

Delaware facing possible moratorium on eel fishing

DOVER, Del. — September 4, 2015 — Federal regulators are eyeing a possible moratorium on eel fishing in Delaware waters.

The National Marine Fisheries Service is reviewing a referral from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission that found Delaware out of compliance with the interstate management plan for American eel, whose numbers are depleted.

If the national agency determines that Delaware failed to carry out its responsibilities, and that the measures the state failed to implement are necessary for conservation, then it must declare a moratorium on eel fishing in Delaware waters. A determination must be made by Sept. 18.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at The Washington Post

ASMFC Finds Delaware Out of Compliance with Addendum III to the Interstate FMP for American Eel: Noncompliance Finding Forwarded to the Secretaries of Commerce and the Interior

August 19, 2015 — ARLINGTON, VA – The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission has found the State of Delaware out of compliance with the mandatory management measures contained in Addendum III to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for American Eel. The Commission has notified the Secretaries of Commerce and the Interior of its finding.  This action was taken pursuant to the provisions of the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act of 1993.

The State of Delaware has failed to effectively implement and enforce the provisions of Addendum III to the FMP for American Eel. Specifically, Delaware has not implemented the following regulations required by Addendum III:

•     9” minimum size for yellow eel recreational and commercial fisheries

•     ½” x ½” min mesh size for yellow eel pots

•     Allowance of 4”x4” escape panel in pots of ½” x ½” mesh for 3 years (beginning on January 1, 2014)

•     Recreational 25 fish bag limit per day per angler

•     Crew and Captain involved in for-hire are exempt and allowed 50 fish bag limit per day

The implementation of these measures is necessary to achieve the conservation goals and objectives of the FMP to rebuild the depleted American eel stock. In order to come back into compliance the State of Delaware must implement all of the above measures.  Upon notification by the Commission, the Secretaries of Commerce and the Interior have 30 days to review the recommendation and determine appropriate action, which may include a federal moratorium on fishing for American eel in Delaware’s state waters.

For more information, please contact Toni Kerns, Director, Interstate Fisheries Management Program, at tkerns@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.

ASMFC 2015 Summer Meeting Supplemental Materials Now Available

July 29, 2015– The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Supplemental meeting materials for the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s 2015 Summer Meeting have been posted at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2015-summer-meeting for the following Boards (click on “Supplemental Material” following each relevant board header to access information).

Executive Committee – Review of Commission Guidance Documents

American Lobster Management Board – Draft Proceedings from May 2015; Public Comment Summary and Submitted Public Comment on the Draft Jonah Crab Fishery Management Plan (FMP); Reports of the Law Enforcement Committee and Jonah Crab Advisory Panel on the Draft FMP; Letter from Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries; and Technical Committee Report on NMFS Observer Coverage of the American Lobster Fishery

American Eel Management Board – Revised Meeting Overview and Delaware Annual Compliance Report

Tautog Management Board – Draft Public Information Document for Amendment 1 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Tautog

Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board – Public Comment and Draft 2015 Fishery Management Plan Review

Atlantic Menhaden Management Board  – Atlantic Menhaden Allocation Working Group Conference Call Summary; ASMFC Press Release on Atlantic Menhaden Ecosystem Management Objectives Workshop; and Public Comment

ISFMP Policy Board – 2015 Annual Stock Performance

South Atlantic State/Federal Fisheries Management Board  – Draft Proceedings from May 2015

For ease of access, all supplemental meeting materials (with the exception of ACCSP materials) have combined into one PDF –http://www.asmfc.org/files/Meetings/Summer2015/CombinedSupplemental.pdf. As a reminder, Board/Section meeting proceedings will be broadcast daily via webinar beginning at 10:15 a.m. on August 4th and continuing daily until the conclusion of the meeting (expected to be 12:15 p.m.) on August 6th. The webinar will allow registrants to listen to board/section deliberations and view presentations and motions as they occur. No comments or questions will be accepted via the webinar. Should technical difficulties arise while streaming the broadcast, the boards/sections will continue their deliberations without interruption. We will attempt to resume the broadcast as soon as possible. To register for the webinar, please go to https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/453851280130891265.