ASMFC Archives - Page 114 of 125

Statement from the Long Island Commercial Fishing Association on ASMFC Marine Monument Policy

May 6, 2016 — The following statement was released by Bonnie Brady, Executive Director of the Long Island Commercial Fishing Association, following the passage of the ASMFC motion calling for the president not to declare a marine monument in the Atlantic Ocean:

“The Long Island Commercial Fishing Association fully supports the motion approved by the ASMFC. The plan is a win for all. It allows for the protection of deep-sea corals, while at the at the same time protects commercial fishing jobs. It prevents the further contraction of our fisheries as we try to reclaim domestic markets from the onslaught of imported fish and shrimp, which too often is harvested by forced and involuntary laborers working in inhumane conditions.”

###

The Long Island Commercial Fishing Association works to promote and educate the public about commercial fishing on Long Island.

ASMFC Urges President to Minimize Potential Economic Harm from Atlantic Marine Monument Designation

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (Saving Seafood) – May 4, 2016 – The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) has taken a formal position on the possibility of a Presidential proclamation of an Atlantic Marine Monument.

The Obama administration, at the urging of major environmental groups, is considering creating a National Monument in the New England Canyons and Seamounts region via the Antiquities Act. Few specifics have been released about what the monument would look like, but it could have significant negative impacts on fishermen in the affected areas.

The ASMFC’s Interstate Fisheries Management Program (ISFMP) Policy Board unanimously (with three abstentions) approved a resolution today drawing a line in the ocean (see map), in close proximity to the Atlantic canyons and seamounts off of Georges Banks, and urging that the creation of a monument only take place in a region seaward of that line. The ASMFC resolution urges that management of waters under Federal control from the coastline to that line be managed under the Magnuson-Stevens Act.

The resolution states:

That it is the preference of ASMFC that the current New England Fishery Management Council coral management process continue without a Presidential proclamation on the issue;
That should the President decide to designate a deep-water marine monument off the New England coast prior to the end of his Presidency, it should be limited to the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects to be protected, as required by the Antiquities Act;
That the area be limited to depths greater than approximately 900 meters and encompass any or all of the region seaward of the line (see map) out to the outer limit of the EEZ;
That only bottom tending fishing effort be prohibited in the area and that all other mid-water/surface fishing methods (recreational and commercial) be allowed to continue to use the area;
That the public and affected user groups be allowed to review and comment on any specific proposal prior to its implementation.

The motion was initially crafted by members of the ASMFC Rhode Island Delegation, in consultation with other regional fisheries organizations. ASMFC’s Lobster Board, where the resolution originated, gave its unanimous approval to the proposal at its meeting on Monday.

In a letter this week to the ASMFC American Lobster Management Board requesting guidance on the monument issue, Board Chairman David Borden wrote about the potential consequences a monument would have for commercial and recreational fisheries in the area.

“The economic impacts of a potential Monument designation would undoubtedly be significant depending on where the boundaries are set. These economic impacts would be felt coast wide as the fishing fleets working in and around the canyons hail from ports across New England and the Mid-Atlantic.”

Specifically highlighted are the potential impacts on the offshore lobster and crab fisheries, which would be hurt by the prohibition on fishing in the monument area, or by being displaced into nearby fishing grounds. Lobster and Jonah crab revenue from Southern New England are estimated at $38 million per year. A monument designation could also hurt the lobster stock by pushing fishermen from areas where lobster is abundant into areas where lobster is more depleted. Concerns were also voiced about potential negative impacts of the proposal on whales and protected species.

Additionally, many of the States represented on ASMFC have major interests in finfish, pelagic longline, squid, and red crab fisheries, or have large recreational fisheries. “All of these fisheries could be directly affected by a closure or indirectly affected by a redirection of effort.”

According to ASMFC Chairman Doug Grout the ASMFC leadership plans to meet with representatives of CEQ next week to discuss ways to mitigate impacts on commercial and recreational fisheries.

About the ASMFC
In the early 1940s, recognizing that they could accomplish far more through cooperation rather than individual effort, the Atlantic coast states came together to form the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. An Interstate Compact, ratified by the states and approved by the U.S. Congress in 1942, acknowledged the necessity of the states joining forces to manage their shared migratory fishery resources and affirmed the states’ commitment to cooperative stewardship in promoting and protecting Atlantic coastal fishery resources.

Read a letter from ASMFC Lobster Board Chairman David Borden to the ASMFC Lobster Board

Read a letter from Blue Water Fishermen’s Association Executive Director Terri Lei Beideman to the White House

Regulators Consider How To Save Southern New England Lobster

May 2, 2016 — NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — Interstate fishing regulators will consider authorizing new tools to address southern New England’s declining lobster population.

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s American Lobster Management Board will consider the status of the fishery on Monday. The board will discuss a potential motion to create new management measures that address the lobsters’ decline.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at CBS Boston

Menhaden Fisheries Coalition releases ‘Atlantic Menhaden: Fishing by the Numbers’

March 16, 2016 (Menhaden Fisheries Coalition) — The following was released by the Menhaden Fisheries Coalition:

While prominent environmental groups have claimed for years that the menhaden fishery has harvested too many menhaden, a thorough analysis from the Menhaden Fisheries Coalition shows that the number of fish being caught is a small fraction of the coastwide population.

Between 2004-2013, the fishery only harvested an average of 6.4 percent of the overall menhaden population. This leaves over 93% of menhaden left in the ecosystem as forage for birds, fish and other sea creatures. Menhaden fishing mortality, which hit an all-time low in the last assessment, is dwarfed by natural mortality, which accounts for predation and mortality from other causes outside of the fishery.

The analysis, “The Fate of an Atlantic Menhaden Year Class,” and accompanying infographic, “Atlantic Menhaden: Fishing by the Numbers,” is based on the catch data included in the 2015 Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Atlantic menhaden stock assessment. Also examined in the analysis is the age of menhaden that are caught by the fishery. The fishery specifically does not target juvenile menhaden-those most likely to serve as forage-and the oldest fish-those that are the most fertile spawners. This harvest approach is reflected in the catch data: the fishery overwhelmingly catches menhaden between the ages of 2 and 3, and the catch for juvenile and older menhaden is negligible.

These estimates, along with the 2015 assessment’s headline findings that menhaden are not experiencing overfishing nor are they being overfished, further confirm the sustainability of the fishery. With such a small percentage of the menhaden population actually going to harvest, as well as other positive indicators for stock health, it is clear that current menhaden management is safeguarding the health and the future of the species.

For more information on the results of the analysis, please review the infographic below. For more information on how these estimates were calculated, read “The Fate of an Atlantic Menhaden Year Class.”

ASMFC Initiates Socioeconomic Study on Atlantic Menhaden Commercial Fisheries

Arlington, VA – The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission has awarded funding to a research team headed by Dr. John Whitehead of Appalachian State University and Dr. Jane Harrison from North Carolina Sea Grant to conduct a socioeconomic study of Atlantic menhaden commercial fisheries. The study is intended to characterize the coastwide commercial fisheries, including bait and reduction sectors and the fishing communities they support.

“We are excited for this opportunity to provide the Commission with these critical data which will characterize the socioeconomic dimensions of menhaden fisheries stakeholders to help managers better understand management impacts,” stated Dr. Harrison.

The principle objective of the study is to analyze data from participants in the Atlantic menhaden commercial industry. The Atlantic menhaden reduction fishery industry converts menhaden into fishmeal and fish oil, while the bait fishery industry supports other commercial (e.g. American lobster, blue crab) and recreational fisheries (e.g. striped bass, bluefish). Case studies along the Atlantic coast will link the harvesting, processing, and distribution sectors across the supply chain. Information on landing trends, industry participation, and social leadership and organizations will also be analyzed. Over the next month, ASMFC staff will be working with the research team to identify and reach out to fishery participants.

View a PDF of the proposal

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