Saving Seafood

Commission eyes restrictions on striped bass harvest

August 27, 2019 — Officials with a regional fisheries management group are holding a public hearing in Delaware this week on a proposal to restrict the harvest of striped bass along the Atlantic coast.

Thursday’s meeting in Dover concerns proposed changes to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s management plan for striped bass, also known as rockfish.

The addendum to the plan proposes to reduce fishing-related mortality by 18% in response to an assessment last year that indicated that the population was overfished.

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

Peer Review for Atlantic Cobia Benchmark Stock Assessment Scheduled for November 19-21, 2019

August 27, 2019 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The benchmark stock assessment for Atlantic cobia will be peer-reviewed through the SouthEast Data, Assessment and Review (SEDAR) on November 19 –21, 2019 at the Beaufort Hotel, 2440 Lennoxville Road, Beaufort, NC. The assessment will be used to evaluate the health of the stock and inform management of the species.

Review Workshops are open to the public, with the exception of select closed sessions for Review Panel deliberations when the public and all other workshop participants may be asked to leave the room.

A copy of the agenda for the peer review can be found here –http://www.asmfc.org/files/Meetings/SEDAR58_Cobia_RW_draftagenda.pdf. For more information, please contact Patrick Campfield, Science Director, at pcampfield@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.

Peer Reviews for Atlantic Menhaden Species-Specific and Ecological Reference Points Benchmark Assessments Scheduled for November 4-8, 2019

August 27, 2019 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Atlantic menhaden single-species and ecological reference points benchmark stock assessments will be peer-reviewed through the SouthEast Data, Assessment and Review (SEDAR) from November 4 – 8, 2019 at the Town and Country Inn and Suites, 2008 Savannah Highway, Charleston, SC. The assessments will be used to evaluate the health of the stock and inform management of the species in an ecosystem context.

Review Workshops are open to the public, with the exception of select closed sessions for Review Panel deliberations when the public and all other workshop participants may be asked to leave the room.

A copy of the agenda for the peer review can be found here –http://www.asmfc.org/files/Meetings/SEDAR69RW_AtlMenhadenERPs_Agenda.pdf

For more information, please contact Patrick Campfield, Science Director, at pcampfield@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.

Atlantic Herring Eastern Maine Spawning Closure in Effect Starting August 28, 2019 through October 8, 2019

August 27, 2019 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Atlantic herring Area 1A (inshore Gulf of Maine) fishery regulations include seasonal spawning closures for portions of state and federal waters in Eastern Maine, Western Maine, and Massachusetts/New Hampshire. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Atlantic Herring Management Board approved a forecasting method that relies upon at least three samples, each containing at least 25 female herring in gonadal states III-V, to trigger a spawning closure. However, if sufficient samples are not available then closures will begin on predetermined dates.

There is currently no samples for the Eastern Maine spawning area to determine spawning condition. Therefore, the Eastern Maine spawning area will be closed starting at 12:01 a.m. on August 28, 2019 extending through 11:59 p.m. on October 8, 2019. The fishery is currently at zero landing days, and the states will notify fishermen of the spawning closure as soon as possible. Vessels in the directed Atlantic herring fishery cannot take, land, or possess Atlantic herring caught within the Eastern Maine spawning area during this time and must have all fishing gear stowed when transiting through the area. An incidental bycatch allowance of up to 2,000 pounds of Atlantic herring per trip/calendar day applies to vessels in non-directed fisheries that are fishing within the Eastern Maine spawning area.

Eastern Maine spawning area includes all waters bounded by the following coordinates

Maine coast     68° 20’ W
43° 48’ N          68° 20’ W
44° 25’ N         67° 03’ W
North along the US/Canada border

Please contact Kirby Rootes-Murdy at 703.842.0740 or krootes-murdy@asmfc.org for more information.

ASMFC Spiny Dogfish Board Approves Draft Addendum VI for Public Comment

August 22, 2019 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Commission’s Spiny Dogfish Management Board approved Draft Addendum VI to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Spiny Dogfish for public comment. New Hampshire and Rhode Island have scheduled hearings to gather public input on the Draft Addendum. The details of those hearings, as well as a public hearing webinar follow:

New Hampshire Fish and Game Department

September 3, 2019; 7 PM
Urban Forestry Center
45 Elwyn Road
Portsmouth, NH

Read the full release here

NOAA Fisheries Seeks Comments on a Control Date for the American Lobster Fishery

August 22, 2019 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries is seeking comments on a control date (a date that may be used to establish eligibility) of April 29, 2019 for the American lobster fishery, as we consider ways to reduce threats of entanglement by fixed-gear fisheries to North Atlantic right whales.

In April 2019, NOAA Fisheries convened the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Team (TRT) to discuss management measures to reduce the risk of serious injury and entanglement of endangered whales in fishing gear. At the meeting, the New England states and the offshore lobster industry committed to reducing the risk of serious injury and mortality from lobster gear to the North Atlantic right whale by 60 percent in all lobster management areas. The specific measures to achieve this goal are not yet finalized, but will focus on reducing the number, and lowering the breaking strength of, vertical lines used in the lobster trap fishery.

Following the TRT meeting the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s  Lobster Management Board established a control date of April 29, 2019, and recommended that NOAA Fisheries do the same for federal waters.

Read the full release here

States Schedule Public Hearings on Atlantic Striped Bass Draft Addendum VI

August 21, 2019 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Commission’s Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board releases Draft Addendum VI to Amendment 6 of the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Striped Bass for public comment. Atlantic coastal states from Maine through North Carolina, including Pennsylvania, the District of Columbia, and the Potomac River Fisheries Commission, have scheduled their hearings to gather public input on Draft Addendum VI. The details of those hearings follow. Massachusetts is still scheduling its hearings; a subsequent release will announce the details of those hearings once they are finalized.

Read the full release here

Geoffrey White Named ACCSP Director

August 20, 2019 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Robert E. Beal, Executive Director of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, has announced the selection of Mr. Geoffrey White as the Director of the Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program (ACCSP). Mr. White has been with the Commission for more than 20 years and has worked in various capacities for ACCSP for the past 15 years. Since 2015, Mr. White has coordinated and managed the transition to and full implementation of state conduct of the Access Point Angler Intercept Survey (APAIS), an integral component of the Marine Recreational Information Program. Mr. White replaces Mr. Michael Cahall, who served as ACCSP Director from 2007 to May 2019.

“Geoff’s long-standing dedication to the Commission and ACCSP, combined with his outstanding record of accomplishments over two decades, made him a clear choice for ACCSP Director,” stated Robert Beal. “His leadership in overseeing the transition of APAIS from a federal contractor to state conduct for the states of Maine through Georgia is particularly notable. With an extensive background in both fisheries science and information technology, Geoff is ideally suited for this position. He understands the absolute necessity for high quality, dependable, and timely fisheries data, as well as the need to leverage technological innovations to improve efficiencies at all levels of data collection and management.”

Read the full release here

Atlantic Herring Area 1A Fishery Moves to Zero Landing Days on August 18, 2019

August 14, 2019 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Area 1A (inshore Gulf of Maine) Atlantic herring fishery is projected to have harvested 92% of the Period 2 allocation by August 17, 2019. Beginning 12:01 a.m. on Sunday, August 18, 2019, the Area 1A fishery will move to zero landing days through August 31, 2019, as specified in Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Herring.

Vessels participating in other fisheries may not possess more than 2,000 pounds of Atlantic herring per trip per day harvested from Area 1A. In addition, all vessels traveling through Area 1A must have all seine and mid-water trawl gear stowed.

Read the full release here

Presentations and Audio Files from the ASMFC 2019 Summer Meeting Now Available

August 13, 2019 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The presentations and audio files from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s 2019 Summer Meeting are now available at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2019-summer-meeting; go to the relevant board/committee header and click on either “Presentations” or “Audio.”  Audio files of this meeting and prior meetings can also be found on the Commission’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/ASMFCvideos.