Saving Seafood

ASMFC Approves Jonah Crab Interstate Fishery Management Plan

August 6, 2015 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC):

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission has approved the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Jonah Crab. The FMP implements a suite of measures to manage and monitor the Jonah crab resource for the first time along the U.S. Atlantic coast. The Plan limits participation in the trap fishery to only those vessels and permit holders that already hold an American lobster permit or can prove prior participation in the crab fishery. All others harvesters using non-trap gear must obtain an incidental permit. It also establishes a 4.75” coastwide minimum size and requires the landing of whole crabs except for individuals from New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia who can prove a history of claw landings before the control date of June 2, 2015.

The FMP seeks to cap effort and protect spawning stock biomass in the absence of a range-wide stock assessment.  The Plan was initiated in response to concern about increasing targeted fishing pressure for Jonah crab, which has long been considered a bycatch in the American lobster fishery. Since the early 2000s, growing market demand has increased reported landings by more than six-fold. The vast majority of Jonah crab are harvested by lobstermen using lobster traps.  With the increase in demand for crab, a mixed crustacean fishery has emerged that can target both lobster or crab or both at different times of year based on modifications to the gear and small shifts in the areas in which traps are fished. The mixed nature of the fishery makes it difficult to manage a Jonah crab fishery completely separate from the American lobster fishery without impacting the number of vertical lines and traps in state and federal waters. Furthermore, a lack of universal permitting and reporting requirements makes it difficult to characterize catch and effort to the full extent in order to manage the fishery. In federal waters, the crab resource is not directly regulated but rather is regulated incidentally by the American lobster regulations. Therefore, in the absence of a comprehensive management plan and range-wide stock assessment, increased harvest of Jonah crab may compromise the sustainability of the resource.

The FMP establishes commercial, recreational, and fishery-dependent monitoring measures for the Jonah crab fishery. In addition to the issues of minimum size, permitting, and crab part retention addressed above, the Plan also establishes a non-trap incidental bycatch limit of 200 crabs per calendar day, 500 crabs per trip extending longer than one calendar day and prohibits the retention of egg-bearing females. For fishery-dependent sampling, the plan requires 100% harvester reporting and 100% dealer reporting with port and sea sampling. Jurisdictions that currently require less than 100% harvester reporter are required to, at a minimum, maintain their current programs and extend them to Jonah crab. In the recreational sector, the FMP establishes a possession limit of 50 whole crabs per person per day. Finally, the FMP specifies that states whose commercial landings are less than 1% of the three-year coastwide average may qualify for de minimis status. De minimis states are not required to implement fishery-independent or port/sea sampling.

Since the fishery primarily occurs within federal waters, the Board has recommended that NOAA Fisheries implement the provisions of the Jonah Crab FMP in federal waters, pursuant to the NOAA’s authority under the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act.  The New England Fishery Management Council, which will meet in the fall to set its management planning activities for 2016, will consider whether the development of a Council Jonah Crab FMP will be one of its priorities. Regardless of its decision, the Commission and its federal partners will continue to work closely on Jonah crab management.

The FMP, which will be implemented by June 1, 2016, will be available by the end of August via the Commission’s website, www.asmfc.org, on the American Lobster page under Fishery Management Plans. Upon recommending the FMP’s final approval by the Interstate Fisheries Management Program Policy Board, the American Lobster Management Board agreed to move forward on the development an addendum to identify management measures for crab-only trap fishermen (e.g., trap and landing limits). The Board will discuss the specific measures to be included in the addendum at its next meeting. For more information, please contact Megan Ware, FMP Coordinator, at mware@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.

American Lobster Assessment Yields Mixed Stock Status Results

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — August 5, 2015 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC):

The 2015 American Lobster Benchmark Stock Assessment and Peer Review Report indicates the American lobster resource presents a mixed picture of stock status, with record high stock abundance and recruitment in the Gulf of Maine (GOM) and Georges Bank (GBK), and record low abundance and recruitment in Southern New England (SNE). The GOM/GBK stock is not overfished and not experiencing overfishing. GOM and GBK were previously assessed as separate stock units and are now combined into one stock unit due to evidence of seasonal migratory patterns and connectivity between the two areas.  Conversely, the SNE stock is severely depleted with poor prospects of recovery, necessitating protection.

Stock Status

Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank

GOM/GBK stock abundance has increased since 1979 and at an accelerated pace since 2007. Recruitment and spawning stock abundance have remained high between 2008 and 2013. Current stock abundance is at all-time highs. Exploitation (fishing mortality) declined after 1979 until the mid-1990s and then remained stable with higher exploitation on males than females. Current exploitation rates remain on par with the 2008-2013 average.

Southern New England

SNE stock abundance increased from the early 1980s, peaked during the late 1990s, then declined steeply through the early 2000s to a record low in 2013. Both the assessment and peer review support the finding that the SNE stock is severely depleted. Declines in population abundance are most pronounced in the inshore portion of the stock where environmental conditions have remained unfavorable to lobsters since the late 1990s. The stock has collapsed and is undergoing recruitment failure. Despite attrition among the fleet and fewer traps fished for lobster, declines have continued. These declines are largely in response to adverse environmental conditions including increasing water temperatures over the last 15 years combined with sustained fishing mortality.

Declines in catch and fishery-independent survey indices in the offshore portion are evident as well; however they are not as severe.  It is believed the offshore area of SNE depends on nearshore larval settlement and offshore migration as the source of recruits (e.g., young of the year lobsters). Therefore, unless fishing effort is curtailed, the offshore component will be in jeopardy in the future when the poor year classes fail to materialize offshore. The Peer Review Panel noted while the SNE stock is not experiencing overfishing based on the current reference points, these reference points were established “without considering the possibility that the stock could be at the lowest abundance level ever and the production of recruits in the inshore area (on which the offshore area depends) could be brought to an extremely low level. It is noted that pre-recruits are not measured in the offshore surveys, so the effects of recruitment failure in the inshore would not be seen in the offshore until years later when the lobsters become available to the fishery and surveys. Hence, by any reasonable standard, it is necessary to protect the offshore component of the stock until increased recruitment can be observed.”

Peer Review Panel Recommendations

For SNE, the Panel recommends close monitoring of stock status along with implementing measures to protect the remaining lobster resource in order to promote stock rebuilding. Stock indicators should be updated annually and reported to the Management Board for appropriate action. Given the good condition of the GOM/GBK stock, the Panel recommended stock indicators be monitored prior to the next benchmark assessment to detect signs of changing recruitment or other conditions.

Landings

Total U.S. landings in the fishery have steadily increased in the past 35 years. Up until the late 1970s, landings were relatively constant at about 30.87 million pounds. However by 2000, landings almost tripled to roughly 86 million pounds and by 2006 grew to 92.61 million pounds. Landings in 2013 were roughly 149.94 million pounds. These landings are primarily comprised of catch from inshore waters (0 to 12 nautical miles). GOM supports the largest fishery, constituting approximately 76% of the U.S. landings between 1981 and 2007 and accounting for approximately 87% of landings since 2002. Landings in the GOM were stable between 1981 and 1989, averaging 32.13 million pounds, and then increased dramatically from 42.34 million pounds (1990) to 141.12 million pounds (2013). Landings averaged 112.46 million pounds from 2008-2013. GBK constitutes a smaller portion of the U.S. fishery, with landings averaging 4.93 million pounds between 2008 and 2013. Like the GOM, landings were stable in the 1980s and then quickly doubled in the early 2000s to a high of 5.29 million pounds in 2005. Before 2011, SNE was the second largest fishery, accounting for 19% of the U.S. landings between 1981 and 2007; however, a sharp decline in the population has significantly reduced catch. Landings peaked in the 1990s, reaching a high of 21.91 million pounds in 1997. Since this time, landings have precipitously dropped to a low of 3.31 million pounds in 2013.

The Board accepted both the stock assessment and peer review report for management use. In response to the findings regarding the status of the SNE stock, the Board established a working group of Board and Technical Committee members to review the assessment and peer review findings and develop recommendations for Board consideration. The final report will be available by mid-August via the Commission’s website at www.asmfc.org on the American Lobster page under Stock Assessment Reports.  For more information, please contact Megan Ware, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator for Management, at 703.842.0740 or mware@asmfc.org.

NOAA Fisheries Seeks Comments on Proposed Rule to Modify Lobster Area 4 Seasonal Closure

August 5, 2015 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries is proposing a modification to the Lobster Conservation Management Area 4 seasonal closure at the recommendation of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, which leads the management for American lobster.

Under the proposed rule, the Area 4 closure would be changed from February 1-March 31 to April 30-May 31.

This measure is designed to better reduce fishing effort on the Southern New England lobster stock, which is in poor condition. This area closure shift has already been implemented by states adjacent to Area 4.

Read the proposed rule as published in the Federal Register.

The comment period is open through September 4. Submit your comments online through Regulations.gov or by mailing your comments to:

John K. Bullard, Regional Administrator
NMFS,Greater Atlantic Regional Office
55 Great Republic Drive
Gloucester, MA 01930

Please mark the outside of the envelope: Comments on American Lobster Proposed Rule.

Questions? Contact Jennifer Goebel, Regional Office, at 978-281-9175 or Jennifer.Goebel@noaa.gov.

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.

 

ASMFC Atlantic Herring Section July 30 Days Out Conference Call Cancelled

July 29, 2015 — ARLINGTON, Va. — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Comission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Atlantic Herring Section will not meet via conference call on July 30th to discuss Area 1A landings and days out measures. As of July 24th, preliminary landings for Area 1A are estimated to be 6,062  mt, consistent with projected landings. The Section will meet via conference call in August to review Trimester 2 landings and set Area 1A days out specifications for Trimester 3 (October 1 – December 31); the details of this call will be released once they are finalized.  Landings will continue to be closely monitored and the directed fishery will be closed when the trimester’s quota is projected to be reached.
 
For more information, please contact Ashton Harp, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at aharp@asmfc.org.

VIRGINIA: Meeting could lead to truce over menhaden

July 26, 2015 — Decades of animosity don’t disappear overnight. But a conversation is a good place to start.

Officials from Omega Protein met with recreational charter captains Tuesday night to discuss the conflict between two groups that depend on the same waters to earn a living.

Reedville-based Omega is the East Coast’s only menhaden reduction fishery. Recreational anglers often have blamed the company for harming certain fisheries. Omega reduces the small, oily fish to produce Omega 3 fish oil supplements and pet food.

There also are small fleets that catch menhaden to sell as bait for commercial and recreational fishermen. In Virginia, Omega often gets blamed for just about any problem caused by the bait industry.

The menhaden fishery is highly regulated by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and must report its catches and mishaps. Omega even employs a Norfolk-based company to take care of spillages or beachings of spilled fish.

Menhaden also are a vital food source for a vast majority of game fish targeted by anglers. And they are considered a filter feeder that is vital to the health of the environment.

Read the full story at the The Virginian-Pilot

 

 

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.