Saving Seafood

Spiny Dogfish Board Approves Addendum VII to Ensure Consistency with the Councils’ Spiny Dogfish Framework Adjustment 6

February 6, 2025 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Spiny Dogfish Management Board approved Addendum VII to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Spiny Dogfish. The Addendum implements measures to maintain consistency with the federal FMP in response to Spiny Dogfish Framework Adjustment 6.

 
The Mid-Atlantic and New England Fishery Management Councils developed Spiny Dogfish Framework Adjustment 6 in response to a 2021 Biological Opinion and 2022 Action Plan that called for reducing bycatch of Atlantic sturgeon in spiny dogfish gillnet fisheries. The coastwide Atlantic sturgeon population is made up of five distinct population segments, all of which are listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act, and Atlantic sturgeon harvest has been under a coastwide moratorium in federal and state waters since 1998. The Commission’s Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic sturgeon maintains the moratorium through at least 2038, and while the 2024 stock assessment update showed signs of improvement, the stock remains depleted coastwide.
 
The Framework prohibits overnight soaks for federal spiny dogfish permit holders on gillnets with 5”-10” mesh in November and May for a certain area of state and federal waters off of New Jersey (see figure 1 on next page), as well as for gillnets of 5.25”-10” mesh in November through March in specified areas off of Maryland and Virginia (see figure 2 on next page). Addendum VII ensures consistency by applying those overnight soak restrictions for harvesters who have state spiny dogfish permits in Maryland and Virginia but do not possess a federal spiny dogfish permit. New Jersey does not issue permits by species, but due to New Jersey’s permitting rules, any person or vessel selling spiny dogfish in the state is required to have a federal permit and follow the regulations in the bycatch reduction area, including state waters of the area. The Addendum’s measures are effective May 1, 2025.
 
Addendum VII will be available on the Commission’s website (https://asmfc.org) on the Spiny Dogfish webpage in late February. For more information, please contact James Boyle, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator at jboyle@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.

Spiny Dogfish Assessment Stakeholder Session: Feb 15, 2022, 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.

February 11, 2022 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

As part of the Research Track Assessment for Atlantic spiny dogfish, a virtual stakeholder session will be held on Tuesday, February 15, 2022, from 3:00 – 5:00 pm. This meeting will provide an overview of the fisheries stock assessment process before opening up for public questions and input.

Topics to be covered include:

•An introduction to the Research Track and Terms of Reference

•Current Research Track Assessment focus areas

•The assessment model

•Ecosystem drivers

•Life history updates

•Survey and catch information

To join this meeting, please register using this RSVP link no later than February 14th. If you are unable to attend but would like to add a question or comment you can submit one in the RSVP link. A WebEx meeting link will be sent to the email you provide in the RSVP. This WebEx meeting link is also available on the Spiny Dogfish Working Group webpage along with the Terms of Reference.

This stakeholder session will be hosted by the Northeast Fisheries Science Center. Please direct any questions to Michele Traver, Assessment Process Lead.