Saving Seafood

ASMFC 2015 Summer Meeting Final Agenda and Meeting Materials Now Available

July 22, 2015 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC):

The final agenda and meeting materials for the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s 2015 Summer Meeting can be obtained at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2015-summer-meeting; click on the relevant Board/Committee name to access the documents for that Board/Committee. Please note due to file size (496 pages) the American Lobster Benchmark Stock Assessment and Peer Review Report can be obtained through a separate link –https://asmfc.egnyte.com/dl/FlHpq2hcUn. To access, click on the link, allow time to load (may take a couple of minutes) and press the DOWNLOAD button (upper right) to download the full report. Bookmarks have been set up in the PDF document to allow for easy navigation within the document.

 
The agenda is subject to change. The agenda reflects the current estimate of time required for scheduled meetings. The Commission may adjust this agenda in accordance with the actual duration of meetings. Interested parties should anticipate meetings starting earlier or later than indicated herein.
 
For ease of access, all Board and Section materials have been combined into one PDF (http://www.asmfc.org/files/Meetings/Summer2015/CombinedFiles.pdf). The combined file does not include the Benchmark Stock Assessment and Peer Review of American Lobster, and the ACCSP Coordinating Council and ACCSP Executive Committee meeting materials. Some documents may be large, so please be patient downloading. Supplemental materials will be posted to the website next Wednesday, July 29th.
 
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.
 
As a reminder, the guidelines for 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) are as follows: 

1.   Comments received 3 weeks prior to the start of a meeting week will be included with the main meeting 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 July 28, 2015) 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, July 28, 2015 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.

ASMFC schedules Atlantic menhaden ecosystem workshop and webinar

July 9, 2015 — The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) has scheduled an Atlantic menhaden ecosystem management workshop for August 31 through September 1.  This is an important step toward taking into full consideration the roll and impact Atlantic menhaden have as a forage fish for striped bass, bluefish, tuna and a host of other species.

In a press release last week the ASMFC said, “Based on the findings of the 2015 Atlantic Menhaden Benchmark Stock Assessment and Peer Review, the Commission’s Atlantic Menhaden Management Board initiated Draft Amendment 3 to the Fishery Management Plan.”

The Draft Amendment will consider changes to the management program including the development of ecological reference points that reflect Atlantic menhaden’s role as a forage species. To aid in the development of these reference points, the Commission has established a multi-disciplinary working group to identify potential ecosystem goals and objectives for Board review and consideration.

“This workshop reflects the Commission’s continued commitment to fully evaluating the importance of Atlantic menhaden to the ecosystem and harvesters.  This process will benefit from the expertise and input of managers, stakeholders, and scientists that are committed to the sustainable management of this valuable resource,” stated Board Chair Robert Boyles from South Carolina.  “The anticipated outcome of the workshop will be potential goals and objectives for ecosystem management that the Atlantic Menhaden Management Board will consider as part of the Public Information Document for Draft Amendment 3.” The webinar will be held on Friday, August 14 at 9:00 a.m.

Read the full story at the Warwick Beacon

 

Fishing regulators hold hearing in NH on surging crab catch

July 6, 2015 — Interstate fishery regulators are holding a hearing in Portsmouth, N.H., about a plan to manage a species of crab that is becoming increasingly popular and valuable.

Jonah crab catch is growing in volume and value as a cheaper alternative to Dungeness and stone crabs. The Jonah crab catch increased six fold from 2000 to 2013. Massachusetts and Rhode Island fishermen catch the most Jonah crabs. Maine, New Hampshire and Connecticut fishermen also catch significant amounts.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at WCSH

 

ASMFC Schedules Atlantic Menhaden Ecosystem Management Objectives Workshop for August 31-September 1

July 1, 2015 — Arlington, VA – The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Based on the findings of the 2015 Atlantic Menhaden Benchmark Stock Assessment and Peer Review, the Commission’s Atlantic Menhaden Management Board initiated Draft Amendment 3 to the Fishery Management Plan. The Draft Amendment will consider changes to the management program including the development of ecological reference points that reflect Atlantic menhaden’s role as a forage species. To aid in the development of these reference points, the Commission has established a multi-disciplinary working group to identify potential ecosystem goals and objectives for Board review and consideration. The working group contains a broad range of representation including, Commissioners, advisors, and technical representatives to provide various perspectives on menhaden management.

“This workshop reflects the Commission’s continued commitment to fully evaluating the importance of Atlantic menhaden to the ecosystem and harvesters.  This process will benefit from the expertise and input of managers, stakeholders, and scientists that are committed to the sustainable management of this valuable resource,” stated Board Chair Robert Boyles from South Carolina.  “The anticipated outcome of the workshop will be potential goals and objectives for ecosystem management that the Atlantic Menhaden Management Board will consider as part of the Public Information Document for Draft Amendment 3.”

The workshop will be facilitated by Dr. Michael Jones, who chaired the Peer Review Panel for the 2015 Atlantic Menhaden Benchmark Stock Assessment.  Dr. Jones brings a working knowledge of Atlantic menhaden science and management, as well as expertise of ecosystem management in the Great Lakes region.  The workshop will be preceded by a webinar that will review topics to be covered, expectations, and workshop goals, as well as provide participants an opportunity to ask questions and make suggestions on the process.  The webinar will also feature an ecosystem management case study from the Great Lakes region to help guide the ecosystem management workshop for Atlantic menhaden.

The public is welcome to attend the webinar and workshop. Since the webinar and workshop will be working meetings, there will be a limited opportunity for the public to provide comments at the end of the meeting if time permits. The webinar will be held on Friday, August 14 at 9 AM; please go here to register, and call 866.244.8528 and enter passcode 629107 to join the conference call.  The workshop will be conducted on August 31 and September 1 from 8:30 AM to 5 PM at the Hotel at Arundel Preserve, 7795 Arundel Mills Boulevard, Hanover, Maryland 21076; 888.624.4011.  Space may be limited; please contact Mike Waine, Senior Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at mwaine@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740 if you are interested in attending.

Since Draft Amendment 3 will also consider changes to current state-by-state allocation, a working group of the Management Board (see Board Subgroup membership in text box on page 1) has been established to begin discussions on various allocation schemes to help inform the Board as it develops options to be included in the Draft Amendment. The Working Group will meet via webinar on Wednesday, July 15 at 1 PM; please go here to join webinar and call 888.394.8197 and enter passcode: 815277 to join the conference call.  As with the ecosystem webinar and workshop, the public is welcome to listen in on the webinar. If time permits, there will be a limited opportunity for the public to provide comments at the end of the meeting.

It is important to note that no management decisions are being formulated or acted upon at the workshop or the webinars. The meetings are a means to initiate discussions on ecosystem objectives and allocation schemes, allowing for the identification of issues and options for Board discussion and consideration. There will be several opportunities throughout the amendment development process for interested stakeholders and the public to submit public comment.

Additional meetings of both working groups may be scheduled. If you are not already on the ASMFC email alerts for Atlantic menhaden, please email info@asmfc.org (Subject line: Menhaden Meetings) to receive email updates on these meetings.

 

ASMFC Begins Preparations for Joint 2016 Benchmark Stock Assessments for Atlantic Croaker and Spot

ARLINGTON, Va. — June 30, 2015 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission has begun work on the joint benchmark stock assessments for Atlantic croaker and spot. The spot assessment will be the first coastwide assessment for this species, while the Atlantic croaker assessment will build upon the last benchmark assessment conducted in 2010. The assessments will evaluate the health of Atlantic croaker and spot populations and inform future management of these species. The Commission’s stock assessment process and meetings are open to the public (with the exception of discussion of confidential data).

The Commission welcomes the submission of data sets that will improve the accuracy of the assessments. These include, but are not limited to data on growth, maturation, migration, genetics, tagging, recruitment, natural mortality, abundance/biomass, and fishery removals. An essential need is data to inform the stock assessments of discards and bycatch in other directed fisheries (e.g., the South Atlantic shrimp trawl fishery). For data sets to be considered at the Data Workshop, the data must be sent in the required format, with accompanying methods description, to the Commission by August 1, 2015. All available data will be reviewed and vetted by the Atlantic Croaker and Spot Stock Assessment Subcommittee for possible use in the assessments. For those interested in submitting data, please contact Jeff Kipp (jkipp@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740), Stock Assessment Scientist, for details.

The Data Workshop will take place September 21-25, 2015 with the location to be determined.  The assessment workshop and peer review will be conducted in 2016. For more information on the Atlantic croaker and spot stock assessment process, please contact Megan Ware, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at mware@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.

 

ASMFC: June 29 Atlantic Herring Conference Call Cancelled

June 22, 2015 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission

Arlington, VA – The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Atlantic Herring Section will not meet via conference call on June 29 at 10 AM to discuss Area 1A landings and days out measures. As of June 19th, preliminary landings for Area 1A are estimated to be 1,200 mt, 1,100 mt less than was projected to have been harvested at this time. The next Section Days Out meeting is scheduled for July 30th.  Information on that meeting will be released in mid-July.

Jonah crabs booming in value as managers seek fishery plan

June 22, 2015 — PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — New England lobstermen are catching and selling more of a long-overlooked crab species in their traps, leading regulators to try to craft a management plan for the fishery before it becomes overexploited.

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is working on regulations for Jonah crabs, a species common along the Eastern Seaboard that is rapidly growing in market share as an economic alternative to more expensive Dungeness and stone crabs. The crabs are popular with diners and cooks alike for their meaty claws and as a low-cost source of processed crab meat.

Jonah crab catch increased sixfold from 2000 to 2013, with fishermen catching nearly 7,000 metric tons two years ago, federal data show. The crabs also increased more than 700 percent in value in that time, with the fishery worth nearly $13 million in 2013.

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

Changes likely in striped bass limits

September 18, 2014 — While absolutely nothing is certain when it comes to fishery management, it does seem fairly likely that a reduction in the catch limit for striped bass is coming in 2015.

The current limit for striped bass is two fish at 28 inches and it looks like it's heading for one fish at a still undetermined size.

The ASMFC is holding a series of meetings to ask for public comment on Draft Addendum IV to the Atlantic Striped Bass Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Striped Bass which aims to set new biological reference points for the stock.

The reason behind the new amendment is that the 2013 benchmark stock assessment showed that, while the stock was not overfished and overfishing was not occurring, fishing mortality (F) was on the increase and the spawning stock biomass (SSB), was decreasing. Obviously, if a stock is dying faster than it can be replaced, the outcome will never be good.

So even though the stock is not being overfished, projections show that the SSB will likely fall below its threshold in coming years. As a result the Atlantic State Marine Fisheries Commission elected to initiate an addendum to address the situation. The fishery management plan is designed so that if these threshold numbers are approached, something has to be done to address the problem

Another reason for the addendum was that fishery managers saw too many similarities in the current striped bass situation to the one that preceded the crash of the stock in the 1980s, which led to a moratorium on the fishery. Few wanted to see a repeat of that bit of history.

Read the full story at the Asbury Park Press