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ASMFC 2016 Spring Meeting Preliminary Agenda and Public Comment Guidelines

March 16, 2016 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Please find attached and below the preliminary agenda and public comment guidelines for the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s 2016 Spring Meeting, May 2-5, 2016 in Alexandria, VA. The agenda is also available at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2016-spring-meeting. Materials will be available on April 20, 2016 on the Commission website at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2016-spring-meeting.

Monday, May 2, 2016

9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. American Lobster Management Board

· Discuss Future Management of Southern New England American Lobster Stock

o Address Tabled Motion to Initiate an Addendum to Address the Declining Stock Conditions

o Technical Committee Report

o Plan Development Team Report

· Discuss Future Management for Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank American Lobster Stock

· Consider Final Action on Draft Addendum I to the Jonah Crab FMP

· Discuss Possible Action to Create a Coastwide Standard for Claw Landings in the Jonah Crab Fishery

· Update on Effort Control Measures for Jonah Crab Only Trap Fishermen in Rhode Island

· Update on the New England Fishery Management Council Deep Sea Coral Habitat Amendment and ASMFC Survey to Area 3 Fishermen

· American Lobster Law Enforcement Subcommittee Update on Offshore Enforcement and Trap Reduction Enforcement

2:30 – 3:30 p.m. Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program (ACCSP) Executive Committee

· Program Update

· Update on the MRIP APAIS Transition

· Review and Approve Standard Operating Procedures Written in Response to the Independent Program Review

· Develop a Program Governance Recommendation

· Review Request for Proposals for the Upcoming Funding Cycle

3:45 – 4:45 p.m. ACCSP Coordinating Council

· Program Update

· Update on the MRIP APAIS Transition

· Consider Approval of Standard Operating Procedures

· Review and Consider Approval of Governance Recommendations

· Review and Consider Approval of Request for Proposals for the Upcoming Funding Cycle

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

8:00 – 10:00 a.m. Executive Committee

· Report of the Administrative Oversight Committee

· Presentation of the FY17 Budget

· Discussion of ACCSP Governance

· Discussion of Plan Development Team Membership

· Future Annual Meetings Update

10:15 – 11:15 a.m. Horseshoe Crab Management Board

· Discuss Biomedical Data Confidentiality and Stock Assessment Planning

· Review of Alternative Bait Costs

· Update on Adaptive Resource Management Framework Review

11:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Shad and River Herring Management Board

· Report from Data Standardization Workshop

· Update on Activities of the River Herring Technical Expert Work Group

· Stock Assessment Planning and Timetable for American Shad and River Herring Benchmark Assessments

Noon – 5:00 p.m. Law Enforcement Committee (LEC)

· Update on Maine Lobster Trap Tag Transferability Program

· Discuss Lobster Offshore Enforcement Issues

· Review Tautog Tagging Program Options and Subcommittee Efforts

· Discuss Aerial Enforcement Issues and Subcommittee Efforts

· Review 2016 Action Plan Tasks for LEC

· Discuss Ongoing Enforcement Activities (Closed Session)

· Federal Agency Report Highlights

· State Agency Report Highlights

· Review and Discuss Additional ISFMP Species Issues (as needed)

1:15 – 3:45 p.m. Climate Change Workshop

4:00 – 5:00 p.m. American Eel Management Board

· Discuss Potential Options for Revisiting Yellow Eel Commercial Quota

6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Annual Awards of Excellence Reception

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

8:00 – 10:00 a.m. Weakfish Management Board

· Review and Consider Approval of the 2016 Weakfish Benchmark Stock Assessment for Management Use

· Discuss Next Steps for Management in Response to Assessment Results

8:30 a.m. – Noon Law Enforcement Committee (continued)

10:15 – 11:45 a.m. Interstate Fisheries Management Program (ISFMP) Policy Board

· Executive Committee Report

· Management & Science Committee Report

· Assessment Science Committee Report and Approval of the Stock Assessment Schedule

· Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership Report

· Law Enforcement Committee Report

· Consider Next Steps Relative to Climate Change and ASMFC Management

· Report on Commissioner Survey Follow-up

· Atlantic Sturgeon Benchmark Assessment Update

· Overview of the Sturgeon Research and Recovery Workshop Scheduled for May 16-19, 2016 (Coordinated by NOAA Fisheries)

1:00 – 5:00 p.m. Commissioner Parliamentary Workshop

Thursday, May 5, 2016

8:00 – 10:00 a.m. Atlantic Menhaden Management Board

· Consider Draft Addendum I for Public Comment

· Provide Guidance to the Technical Committee Regarding Stock Projections

· Consider 2015 FMP Review and State Compliance

10:15 – 11:00 a.m. Coastal Sharks Management Board

· Review and Consider Approval of Draft Addendum IV (Smoothhound Dogfish) for Public Comment

11:15 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. South Atlantic State/Federal Fisheries Management Board

· Review and Consider Approval of the 2016 Red Drum Benchmark Stock Assessment for Management Use

· Discuss Next Steps for Red Drum Management in Response to the Assessment Results

· Progress Update on Spot and Atlantic Croaker Benchmark Stock Assessments

· Review North Carolina Report on Spanish Mackerel Pound Net Landings as Required by Addendum I to the Omnibus Amendment for Spanish Mackerel, Spot, and Spotted Seatrout

· Elect Vice-Chair

2:00 – 2:30 p.m. Business Session (if necessary)

· Review Noncompliance Findings (if necessary)

Public Comment Guidelines

With the intent of developing policies in the Commission’s procedures for public participation that result in a fair opportunity for public input, the ISFMP Policy Board has approved the following guidelines for use at management board meetings:

For issues that are not on the agenda, management boards will continue to provide opportunity to the public to bring matters of concern to the board’s attention at the start of each board meeting. Board chairs will use a speaker sign-up list in deciding how to allocate the available time on the agenda (typically 10 minutes) to the number of people who want to speak.

For topics that are on the agenda, but have not gone out for public comment, board chairs will provide limited opportunity for comment, taking into account the time allotted on the agenda for the topic. Chairs will have flexibility in deciding how to allocate comment opportunities; this could include hearing one comment in favor and one in opposition until the chair is satisfied further comment will not provide additional insight to the board.

For agenda action items that have already gone out for public comment, it is the Policy Board’s intent to end the occasional practice of allowing extensive and lengthy public comments. Currently, board chairs have the discretion to decide what public comment to allow in these circumstances.

In addition, the following timeline has been established for the submission of written comment for issues for which the Commission has NOT established a specific public comment period (i.e., in response to proposed management action).

1. Comments received 3 weeks prior to the start of a meeting week will be included in the briefing materials.

2. Comments received by 5:00 PM on the Tuesday immediately preceding the scheduled ASMFC Meeting (in this case, the Tuesday deadline will be April 26, 2016) will be distributed electronically to Commissioners/Board members prior to the meeting and a limited number of copies will be provided at the meeting.

3. Following the Tuesday, April 26, 2016 5:00 PM deadline, the commenter will be responsible for distributing the information to the management board prior to the board meeting or providing enough copies for the management board consideration at the meeting (a minimum of 50 copies).

The submitted comments must clearly indicate the commenter’s expectation from the ASMFC staff regarding distribution. As with other public comment, it will be accepted via mail, fax, and email.

View a PDF of the Agenda

Feds withdraw eel fishing moratorium for Delaware

March 16, 2016 — DOVER, Del. (AP) – The National Marine Fisheries Service says it is withdrawing a federal moratorium on fishing for American eel in the state waters of Delaware.

The agency withdrew the moratorium effective Tuesday after concluding that Delaware is in compliance with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s eel management plan.

Regulators determined last year that Delaware was out of compliance because it had not implemented regulations to rebuild depleted eel stocks and to prevent over-harvest.

Read the full story at WMDT

Law Changes for 2016 Maine Elver Season Improve Opportunity for Harvesters

March 15, 2016 — The following was released by the Maine Department of Marine Resources:

A recently passed bill will improve Maine elver harvesters’ chances of landing all of the state’s 9,688 pounds of quota. The changes come just in time for the 2016 elver season, which starts on March 22, 2016.

“Last year Maine left over 4,400 pounds of quota in the water,” said Maine Department of Marine Resources Commissioner Patrick Keliher. “That represents more than $9,600,000 in potential income that Maine harvesters could not access.

“While a cold, dry spring in 2015 made it hard for harvesters, in-season closures and the length of the season compounded that problem. This year the management improvements we have put in place will allow us to provide more flexibility and better opportunity for Maine elver harvesters.”

One provision within the law will eliminate the 48-hour closures each week while another will lengthen the season by a week.

“The 48-hour closures were established at a time when there was no limit on the amount harvesters could land,” said Commissioner Keliher. “Because this is now a quota based fishery, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s technical committee and eel management board voted unanimously to allow Maine to eliminate in-season closures.”

“Now, with the quota system and the ability to monitor the harvest in near real-time with swipe cards, both of which we implemented in 2014, we can manage this fishery with precision. That means better prospects for fishermen and better protection for the resource.”

The new law will also provide an additional week of harvesting opportunity. Previously the season went from March 22 to May 31. This year it will last until June 7. “Last year, migration started late because of the cold spring, so there were elvers running strong at the end of the season. But unfortunately we had to close it on the statutorily mandated date. The combined success of our quota and swipe card systems allows us to extend the season a week and provide more opportunity for fishermen,” said Commissioner Keliher.

This season harvesters will also have an opportunity to choose their gear type rather than continue to use the type they were previously authorized to fish. “While the law will not allow harvesters to choose more gear than they are currently authorized to use, we want to provide people with the flexibility to fish the gear type they prefer.”

The new law also authorizes Commissioner Keliher to enter into a Memorandum of Agreement with Maine’s tribes if they request a waiver of the requirement to allocate individual fishing quotas. The agreement would allow tribal members to fish under an overall tribal quota, rather than an individual quota. “This compromise acknowledges the unique interests of the tribes while maintaining the important measures that have allowed Maine to protect and preserve this valuable fishery for all license holders.”

ACFHP Seeks Nominations for Melissa Laser Fish Habitat Conservation Award: Nominations Due April 22nd

March 10, 2015 — The following was released by the Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership:

The Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership (ACFHP) is seeking nominations for its annual Melissa Laser Fish Habitat Conservation Award. The award is bestowed upon individuals deemed to further the conservation, protection, restoration, and enhancement of habitat for native Atlantic coastal, estuarine-dependent, and diadromous fishes in a unique or extraordinary manner. The award was established in memory of Dr. Melissa Laser, who was a biologist with the Maine Department of Marine Resources where she worked tirelessly to protect, improve, and restore aquatic ecosystems in Maine and along the entire Atlantic Coast.

Award nominations should be sent to Lisa Havel (LHavel@asmfc.org) by April 22, 2016. The nomination should include the following information:

· how and to what project the individual or individuals contributed (please note if the individual or individuals are directly associated with ACFHP (i.e. member of a committee, working group, or funded/endorsed project team);

· a description of how this project furthers the goals or mission of ACFHP; and

· what qualities the individual or individuals possess that set them apart from others

Please go here for more information on the award and the process to submit nominations. The award will be presented at the 75^th Annual Meeting of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission in October 2016 in Bar Harbor, Maine. For more information, please contact Lisa Havel, ACFHP Coordinator, at lhavel@asmfc.org.

MAINE: Elver fishermen unite as tribes agree to new rules

March 9, 2016 — ROCKPORT — Last year, Maine fishermen harvested elvers worth more than $11.4 million from the state’s streams and rivers. That made the fishery for the tiny, translucent juvenile eels the fourth most valuable in the state, but it still wasn’t a good year.

A cold, dry spring delayed the migration of elvers from the sea into the rivers where harvesters set their gear. As a result, Maine fishermen landed just 5,259 pounds of the tiny wrigglers, little more than half the 9,688-pound quota allocated the state by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.

The good news was that those elvers were worth $2,171 per pound to the harvesters fortunate enough to catch some.

When the Maine Elver Fishermen Association gathered for its annual meeting Saturday morning, harvesters received some good news from Department of Marine Resources Commissioner Patrick Keliher and former MEFA Executive Director Jeffrey Pierce.

Emergency legislation enacted that morning should give fishermen a better chance to actually fill the quota, and Keliher said he also hoped it would reduce friction over the elver fishery between the state and Maine’s four tribal governments.

Of immediate consequence, the new law extends the elver season, which begins on Tuesday, March 22, from May 31 to June 7 and allows fishing every day of the week. Under the prior law, the fishery was closed on weekends as a conservation measure.

Initially, LD1502 gave Keliher flexibility to set the 48-hour closures before the season to take account of the tides and minimize the impact on the industry. With fishing limited by a fixed quota since 2014, though, the closure became unnecessary.

The legislation also allows licensed fishermen to chose before each season starts what type of gear they will use — fyke nets or dip nets. It does not, however, authorize the use of more gear.

Read the full story at The Ellsworth American

Scientists say ocean warming is driving lobsters northward

March 2, 2016 — It’s too early to know what Maine’s 2015 lobster landings will look like, but there’s no doubt that the number will be huge.

In 2014, the last year for which the Department of Marine Resources has figures, Maine’s fishermen landed more than 123 million pounds of lobster — the third year in a row that landings topped 120 pounds — worth a record $457 million.

While last year’s numbers aren’t in, fishermen and dealers talk about a bonanza fishery, and mild weather saw the fishery stay active into December.

In a sense, the landings are unsurprising.

According to a 2015 Atlantic States Fisheries Management Commission stock assessment, the abundance of lobsters in the Gulf of Maine and on Georges Bank showed a meteoric rise starting in 2008 and is now at an all-time high. In southern New England, though, the story is completely different.

From a peak in 1997, the southern New England stock fell swiftly to a point where, by 2004, it was well below what scientists consider the threshold of sustainability. Things leveled off briefly; then the resource began an ongoing plunge again in 2010.

According to last year’s assessment, the Gulf of Maine-Georges Bank stock is not depleted and is not being overfished. The estimated lobster population from 2011 to 2013 was 248 million lobsters, which is well above the abundance threshold — a red flag for fisheries managers — of 66 million lobsters.

In contrast, in the years 2011 to 2013, the southern New England stock was depleted at an estimated 10 million lobsters. The “red flag” abundance level is 24 million lobsters.

Read the full story at The Ellsworth American

ASMFC Releases 2015 Annual Report

March 2, 2015 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is pleased to provide you with our 2015 Annual Report, http://www.asmfc.org/files/pub/ASMFC_AnnualReport_2015.pdf. It describes the Commission’s activities and progress in carrying out our public trust responsibilities for the valuable marine fisheries under Commission stewardship. Included in this report are figures displaying the historical trends in stock status or landings for each species managed by the Commission. Also provided is a summary of the significant management actions Commissioners took in 2015 to maintain and restore the abundance of Commission managed species.

This report reflects our Commissioners’ commitment to accountability and transparency in all they do to manage and rebuild stocks under their care. We hope that you will find the information contained within this report useful and interesting.

NORTH CAROLINA: Director of Marine Fisheries resigns abruptly

February 29, 2016 — In a move that surprised commercial and recreational fishermen alike, Dr. Louis Daniel, III resigned as director of the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries this afternoon.

John Evans, chief deputy secretary of the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality sent an e-mail to all NCDEQ personnel that Daniel had stepped down, effective immediately, and that Col. Jim Kelley of the N.C. Marine Patrol would serve as acting director until a replacement for Daniel is selected.

Daniel, who received his B.A. in Biology from Wake Forest University, a M.S. in Marine Science from the College of Charleston, and a Ph.D. in Marine Science from the College of William and Mary, School of Marine Science, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, followed Preston Pate as the DMF director on Feb. 1, 2007.

Daniel worked a year with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service before joining DMF as a biological supervisor in 1995. Before being appointed director, he served nine years as an executive assistant to director Pate, working extensively with the South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council (SAFMC). Daniel served as chairman of the SAFMC from 2004 to 2006.

Daniel began as the North Carolina commissioner to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission in 2007 and was elected ASMFC Chair in 2013. He is a recipient of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources Distinguished Service Award and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Outstanding Service Award.

Read the full story at North Carolina Sportsman

NYSDEC Jonah Crab Public Hearing Date Changed from March 23 to April 6

March 1, 2016 – The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The states of Maine through Maryland have scheduled their hearings to gather public comment on Draft Addendum I to the Jonah Crab Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The details of those hearings follow.

Maine Dept. of Marine Resources

March 17, 2016; 6-8 PM

Casco Bay Lines Conference Room

56 Commercial Street

Portland, Maine

Contact: Terry Stockwell at 207.624.6553

Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries

March 14, 2016; 5:30 PM

New Bedford Fairfield Inn and Suites

185 McArthur Drive

New Bedford, Massachusetts

Contact: Dan McKiernan at 617.626.1536

March 15, 2016; 6:00 PM

MA DMF Annisquam River Field Station

30 Emerson Avenue

Gloucester, Massachusetts

Contact: Dan McKiernan at 617.626.1536

Rhode Island Dept. of Environmental Management

March 16, 2016; 6-9 PM

University of Rhode Island Bay Campus

Corliss Auditorium

South Ferry Road

Narragansett, Rhode Island

Contact: Scott Olszewski at 401.423.1934

New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation

April 6, 2016; 6:30 PM

205 North Belle Mead Road, Suite 1

East Setauket, New York

Contact: Rachel Sysak at 631.444.0469

Maryland Department of Natural Resources

April 4, 2016; 2-4 PM

Greater Ocean City Chamber of Commerce

12320 Ocean Gateway

Ocean City, Maryland

Contact: Craig Weedon at 410.643.4601 ext. 2113

The Draft Addendum proposes changes to the incidental bycatch limits for non-trap gear (e.g., otter trawls, gillnets) and non-lobster trap gear (e.g., fish, crab, and whelk pots). For non-trap gear, the Draft Addendum includes options to maintain, increase, or eliminate the bycatch limit, while options for non-lobster traps include establishing bycatch limits of varying size or maintaining no limit on these gears. The intent of the Draft Addendum is to cap incidental landings of Jonah crab while ensuring the inclusion of current participants in the Jonah crab fishery. The FMP currently prescribes a 200 crab per calendar day/500 crab per trip incidental bycatch limit for non-trap gear; however, concerns were expressed over the appropriateness of these limits. Data submitted by the New England Fishery Management Council and NOAA Fisheries illustrate while 97-99% of trips from 2010 through 2014 were within the current limit, there were several trips above the limit. Furthermore, current bycatch landings were sufficiently low, accounting for approximately 0.1% of total landings.

Bycatch limits for non-lobster trap gear were added as a second issue for consideration in the Draft Addendum to address concerns regarding the lack of effort controls on non-lobster traps and the potential for trap proliferation. Data submitted by NOAA Fisheries show between May 1, 2013 and August 31, 2015, 194 trips landed Jonah crab with whelk pots, crab pots, and fish pots. Of these, 80 trips landed 100 crab or fewer and 115 trips landed 200 crab or fewer. Approximately 45 trips landed between 200 and 500 crab and 40 trips landed more than 450 crab. Landings from Maryland show between 2012 and 2015, 33 trips landed Jonah crab with fish pots. All of these trips were under 200 pounds. Reports also indicated from 2014-2015, 36 trips landed Jonah crab with whelk pots. Average landings per trip with whelk pots were under 500 pounds; however, there is concern that these whelk pot landings may in fact be rock crab, a closely related species which is often misreported as Jonah crab.

Fishermen and other interested groups are encouraged to provide input on the Draft Addendum either by attending state public hearings or providing written comment. The Draft Addendum can be obtained at http://www.asmfc.org/files/PublicInput/JonahCrabDraftAddendumI_PublicComment_Feb2016.pdf or via the Commission’s website,www.asmfc.org, under Public Input. Public comment will be accepted until 5:00 PM (EST) on April 18, 2016 and should be forwarded to Megan Ware, FMP Coordinator, 1050 N. Highland St, Suite A-N, Arlington, VA 22201; 703.842.0741 (FAX) or at mware@asmfc.org (Subject line: Draft Addendum I).

New York DEC Reports Recovery Signs for Atlantic Sturgeon

February 29, 2016 — A joint Federal and State 2015 Juvenile Atlantic Sturgeon Survey shows the highest number of Atlantic sturgeon in the Hudson River in the 10-year history of the survey and the trend of the results show an increasing juvenile sturgeon abundance (see chart below), New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Acting Commissioner Basil Seggos has announced.

“Juvenile Atlantic sturgeon are at the highest level recorded in the Hudson River in the last 10 years. These survey results are an encouraging sign for the recovery of Atlantic sturgeon,” Acting Commissioner Seggos said. “We are cautiously optimistic that, with our continued vigilance and efforts to protect this species, Atlantic sturgeon will have a secure future.”

Commercial fishing rates for Atlantic sturgeon exceeded the ability of the fish to replenish themselves in the late 1980s and early 1990s. New York led the way in conservation through implementation of a harvest moratorium for Atlantic sturgeon in 1996. In 1998, an amendment of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic sturgeon resulted in a coast wide moratorium on Atlantic sturgeon harvest for 40 years and aimed to protect two generations of females in each spawning stock.

Read the full story at The Fishing Wire