Saving Seafood

MAINE: Crab bycatch rule set

February 7, 2017 —  The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s American Lobster Management Board approved Addendum II to the Jonah Crab Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The addendum establishes a coast-wide standard for claw harvest and a definition of bycatch, based on a percent composition of catch, in order to minimize the expansion of a small-scale fishery under the bycatch allowance.

The lobster board is in charge of Jonah crab management, as the fisheries are linked in many states. Many fishermen fish for both species with the same gear.

Some crab fishermen keep only crab claws and throw back the rest of the crab. Under a provision in the 2015 FMP, only fishermen from New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia who have a history of claw landings prior to June 2, 2015, were allowed to harvest claws. All other fishermen were required to land whole crabs only.

The commission discovered that there also were fishermen in New York and Maine who had a history of claw landings but they were required to land whole crabs under the provisions of the FMP.

Read the full story at the Mount Desert Islander

More liberal rules might come to US striped bass fishery

February 7, 2017 — Interstate fishing managers are considering liberalizing rules for commercial and recreational fishing of striped bass along the East Coast.

The regulatory Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission says the possibility of new rules arises from concerns raised over economic hardships in the fishery in the Chesapeake Bay.

The commission says rules enacted in 2015 required reductions in catch of striped bass. But an updated assessment of the stock last year showed that striped bass aren’t being overfished.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at The Virginian-Pilot

Blacknose Shark Commercial Possession Limit South of 34˚00’ N. Latitude

February 7, 2017 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission: 

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission has adopted a commercial possession limit of 8 blacknose sharks per trip for harvesters in state waters south of 34˚00’ N. latitude. Southern states are required to implement this management measure prior to February 28, 2017. This action was taken to complement federal management measures that were implemented on January 13, 2017 for Atlantic shark limited access permit holders. Keeping with current regulations, a person operating a vessel north of 34˚00’ N. latitude may not possess, land or sell any blacknose sharks.

The blacknose and non-blacknose small coastal shark (SCS) fisheries south of 34˚00’ N. latitude are quota-linked under current regulations, meaning if landings of either fishery are projected to exceed 80% of the available commercial quota then the both fisheries will close. In May 2016, both fisheries closed because blacknose shark landings exceeded the 80% threshold, however, less than 20% of the non-blacknose SCS quota had been harvested at that time. A blacknose shark possession limit is expected to increase the utilization of available SCS quota and aid in rebuilding and end overfishing of Atlantic blacknose sharks.

The notice is attached and available at the following link – http://www.asmfc.org/uploads/file//589a1220BlacknoseCommercialRetentionLimit_Feb2017.pdf.

For more information, please contact Ashton Harp, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at aharp@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.

Could New Jersey defy summer flounder cuts?

February 6, 2017 — It didn’t take long after the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission voted to slash summer flounder harvest quotas for the rumblings of anglers calling for New Jersey to defy the regulations to pick up.

The ASMFC ordered the harvest cut by 40-percent based on science that indicates the fish is declining in abundance and survey data that reports anglers overreached their quotas last year.

The science and angling surveys are at the center of the issue. Many lawmakers in New Jersey and its environmental chief have expressed concern about its accuracy because it relies on random sampling.

“We understand the long-term impacts of overfishing a species. But we also know for a fact that fluke are abundant and the population is stable off New Jersey,” said Bob Martin, the Commissioner of the state’s Department of Environmental Protection

Read the full story at the Asbury Park Press

Fish Fight With Feds Getting Underway In New Jersey

February 3, 2017 — Newly imposed limits on New Jersey fishermen have a South Jersey congressman leading a fight to have them lifted.

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission established limits for the harvest of flounder in the ocean and waterways like Delaware Bay. Last year, you could take home five fish at least a foot-and-a-half long. The new limit will be three with a minimum length of 19 inches.

Fishermen from states further south will see limits far more favorable, according to South Jersey Congressman Frank LoBiondo.

“New Jersey fishermen are going to be arbitrarily subjected to draconian cuts when boats from Delaware or Maryland can fish in our waters and not have the same restrictions our fishermen have,” LoBiondo told KYW Newsradio. “I mean it is absurd.”

Read the full story at CBS Philly

South Jersey remains united against new flounder regulations

February 3, 2017 — That Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission winter meeting this week was surely a bummer for summer flounder fans.

The delegates went through hours of sometimes confusing debate and somehow authorized an unpopular reduction in daily possession limit and an increase in size minimum for a keeper to help achieve a 28 percent to 32 percent cut in in the flounder quota along the Atlantic Coast.

The New Jersey presence was strong at the flounder, sea bass and scup board meeting Tuesday morning at The Westin in Alexandria, Virginia.

Adam Nowalsky headed a three-man delegation that voted in opposition to the measure — Option 5 if anybody is counting — that passed by a 7-3 vote. He also spoke in favor of delaying adoption of any restrictive measures.

Read the full story at the Press of Atlantic City

ASMFC 2017 Winter Meeting Press Releases, Summaries and Motions Now Available

February 3, 2017 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Press releases, meeting summaries and motions from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s 2017 Winter Meeting are now available at http://www.asmfc.org/files/Meetings/2017WinterMeeting/2017WinterMeetingSummary.pdf. The document can also be obtained on the Commission website on the Meeting Archives page at http://www.asmfc.org/home/meeting-archive.  Presentations and audio files from this week’s meetings will be posted to the Winter Meeting page (http://www.asmfc.org/home/2017-winter-meeting) early next week. 

ASMFC Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board Initiates Development of Draft Addendum V to Consider Liberalizing Management Measures

February 3, 2017 — The following has been released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board initiated the development of Draft Addendum V to Amendment 6 to the Atlantic Striped Bass Fishery Management Plan (FMP) to consider liberalizing coastwide commercial and recreational regulations. The Board’s action responds to concerns raised by Chesapeake Bay jurisdictions regarding continued economic hardship endured by its stakeholders since the implementation of Addendum IV and information from the 2016 assessment update indicating fishing mortality is below the target. 

Addendum IV, implemented for the 2015 fishing season, required coastwide harvest reductions to reduce fishing mortality (F) to a level at or below the target. Specifically, coastal fisheries implemented measures to reduce harvest by 25% compared to 2013 levels, and Chesapeake Bay fisheries implemented measures to reduce harvest by 20.5% compared to 2012 levels. Additionally, an objective of Addendum IV is to protect the 2011 year class.

According to the results of the 2016 stock assessment update, the Atlantic striped bass stock is not overfished and overfishing is not occurring. Furthermore, Addendum IV successfully reduced fishing mortality to a level below the target (F in 2015 is estimated at 0.16), and length-frequency data from the catch in 2015 indicates a strong presence of the 2011 year class which is anticipated to join the coastal spawning population this year.

A draft of the addendum will be presented for Board review in May. For more information, please contact Max Appelman, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at mappelman@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.

ASMFC Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Board Approves Regional Management for 2017 Recreational Summer Flounder Fisheries

February 3, 2017 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Management Board approved Addendum XXVIII to the Summer Flounder and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan, maintaining regional management for the 2017 recreational summer flounder fishery. Specifically, the Addendum requires a one-inch increase in size limit and reduced possession limits to stay within the 2017 recreational harvest limit (RHL). These measures are broadly applied across all states to reduce harvest and provide for more coastwide consistency in regulations. The summer flounder regions, which are continued from 2016, are: Massachusetts; Rhode Island; Connecticut through New York; New Jersey; Delaware through Virginia; and North Carolina.

 In August 2016, the Board and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council approved an approximate 30% reduction in catch limits for both the commercial and recreational fisheries in response to the 2016 stock assessment update, which indicated the resource is experiencing overfishing but is not overfished. In order to not exceed the reduced 2017 RHL, a 41% reduction relative to the 2016 preliminary harvest estimates is needed. To achieve the reduction, the Addendum implements a one-inch increase in size limit from 2016 measures for all regions with the exception of North Carolina. Additionally, all regions are required to constrain their possession limits to 4 fish or less and maintain 2016 season lengths. The approved management program also allows for the continuation of the Delaware Bay specific management measures for New Jersey anglers west of the COLREGS line. In 2016, New Jersey had separate management measures for anglers east and west of the Delaware Bay COLREGs line.

“The Board’s decision took into account the findings of the 2015 and 2016 stock assessment updates, both of which found summer flounder abundance is declining and is experiencing overfishing; the need to take harvest reductions to end overfishing immediately through our joint management process with the Mid-Atlantic Council and as prescribed by the Magnuson-Stevens Act; and with the recognition that the confidence intervals around the harvest estimates limit our ability to precisely project the impacts of differing management measures,” stated Mike Luisi, Board Chair.  “By our action, we struck a balance between the need to reduce harvest, while taking into account the socioeconomic impacts to our stakeholders. “

 In its report to the Board, the Technical Committee (TC) supported the 2013 summer flounder benchmark stock assessment and its updates through 2016 as the best available science. Further, it agreed with the findings of the recent stock assessments, indicating the resource is declining in abundance and that associated management changes are needed to address this issue; in this case, a reduction in the RHL. The TC recommended uniform adjustments from 2016 management measures (as were approved in the Addendum) to reduce harvest and fishing mortality in an equitable manner.

Once the states have selected final management measures, the Commission will submit a letter to NOAA Fisheries detailing how the measures will constrain fishing to the 2017 RHL. The Commission annually submits this letter as part of the conservation equivalency process that allows for federal coastwide management measures to be waived and for state management measures to be applied in both state and federal waters.

Addendum XXVIII will be available on the Commission website, www.asmfc.org.  For more information, please contact Kirby Rootes-Murdy, Senior Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at krootes-murdy@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.

LoBiondo Blasts ASMFC Decision Drastically Restricting Catch Limits for South Jersey Fishermen

February 3, 2017 — Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-2nd) on Feb. 2 blasted the decision by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) to drastically reduce the catch limits for South Jersey fishermen by approximately 32 percent.

“It is absolutely absurd that New Jersey fishermen are arbitrarily subjected to these draconian cuts when those from neighboring states are free to pillage our waters at more favorable limits,” stated LoBiondo in a release. “Just when our fishing industry was recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Sandy, unelected bureaucrats in Washington use questionable methodologies and outdated science to cut us off at the knees. I will do everything in my power to run this ASMFC decision aground.”

At the ASMFC meeting in Washington, it was adopted that a three-bag limit would be instituted for this season with a fish length requirement of 19 inches instituted. In 2016, New Jersey anglers held a five fish bag limit with an 18-inch minimum requirement. The length of the fishing season did not change, and New Jersey fishermen stand to lose the most by the decision.

Read the full story at the Cape May Herald.