Saving Seafood

Retention Limit of Aggregated Large Coastal Shark and Hammerhead Shark Management Groups increase to 36 Sharks per Trip

June 24, 2019 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

NOAA Fisheries has increased the retention limit for the commercial aggregated large coastal shark and hammerhead shark management groups (Appendix 1, next page) for directed shark limited access permit holders in the Atlantic region from 3 to 36 sharks per vessel per trip effective June 25, 2019. The retention limit will remain at 36 LCS, other than sandbar sharks, per vessel per trip in the Atlantic region through the rest of the 2019 fishing season or until NOAA Fisheries announces another adjustment to the retention limit or a fishery closure via the Federal Register.

As agreed upon by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Coastal Sharks Management Board in December 2015, the Commission will follow NOAA Fisheries for in-season changes to the commercial retention limit, therefore, no more than 36 sharks per vessel per trip may be retained from the aggregated large coastal and hammerhead shark management groups by state licensed fishermen effective June 25, 2019.

The Federal Register regarding the change to the commercial retention limit will be published on June 25 at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/06/25/2019-13483/atlantic-highly-migratory-species-commercial-aggregated-large-coastal-shark-and-hammerhead-shark. Shark landings can be found at: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/atlantic-highly-migratory-species/2019-atlantic-shark-commercial-fishery-landings-and-retention.

For more information, please contact Kirby Rootes-Murdy, Senior Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at 703.842.0740 or krootes-murdy@asmfc.org.

A PDF of the announcement ca be found here –http://www.asmfc.org/uploads/file/5d11021cM19_48AdjustedCommericalRetentionLimits_June2019.pdf.

ASMFC 2019 Summer Meeting Preliminary Agenda & Public Comment Guidelines

June 17, 2019 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Please find attached and below the preliminary agenda and public comment guidelines for the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s 2019 Summer Meeting, August 6-8, 2019, in Arlington, VA. The agenda is also available at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2019-summer-meeting. Materials will be available on July 24, 2019 on the Commission website at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2019-summer-meeting.

A block of rooms is being held at The Westin Crystal City, 1800 S. Eads Street, Arlington, VA  22202. Cindy Robertson will make Commissioner/Proxy reservations and will contact you regarding the details of your accommodations. Please notify Cindy of any changes to your travel plans that will impact your hotel reservations, otherwise you will incur no-show penalties. We greatly appreciate your cooperation.

For all other attendees, please reserve online via Star Group Website at http://www.starwoodhotels.com/ or call The Westin Crystal City at 703.486.1111 as soon as possible and mention the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to obtain the group room rate of $179.00 plus tax single/dbl. Please be aware you must guarantee your room reservation with a major credit card or one night’s advance payment. Hotel reservations must be made by Sunday, July 7, 2019.  Room availability will not be guaranteed beyond this date.  If you are being reimbursed by ASMFC for your travel, please make your reservation directly with the hotel. Reservations made through travel websites do not apply toward our minimum number of required reservations with the hotel. Please note, cancellations at The Westin must be made by 4:00 p.m. two days prior to arrival to avoid penalty and an early departure fee of $100.00 will apply when checking out prior to the confirmed date. If you have any problems at all regarding accommodations please contact Cindy at 703.842.0740 or at crobertson@asmfc.org.

Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission

 Summer Meeting

August 6-8, 2019

The Westin Crystal City

Arlington, Virginia

Preliminary Agenda

 The agenda is subject to change. Bulleted items represent the anticipated major issues to be discussed or acted upon at the meeting. The final agenda will include additional items and may revise the bulleted items provided below. The agenda reflects the current estimate of the time required for scheduled Board meetings. The Commission may adjust this agenda in accordance with the actual duration of Board meetings. Interested parties should anticipate Boards starting earlier or later than indicated herein. 

 Tuesday, August 6

8:00 – 10:00 a.m.                     Executive Committee 

(A portion of this meeting may be a closed session for Committee members and Commissioners only)

  • Consider Policy Addressing Non-Payment of State Assessments
  • Consider Proposed Revision to the Annual Report
  • Update on Transitioning the For-hire Telephone Survey to State/ACCSP Conduct
  • Discuss Commission Involvement in Biosecurity and Bait Sources

10:15 a.m. – Noon                   South Atlantic State/Federal Fisheries Management Board 

  • Consider Approval of Atlantic Cobia Amendment 1
  • Progress Update on Draft Addenda for Atlantic Croaker and Spot Traffic Light Analyses
  • Review and Consider Approval of 2019 Fishery Management Plan Reviews and State Compliance Reports for Atlantic Cobia, Atlantic Croaker, and Red Drum

Noon – 1:00 p.m.                     Lunch

1:00– 2:00 p.m.                        American Eel Management Board  

  • Review Board Working Group Recommendations on Addressing Coastwide Cap Overages
  • Review and Consider Approval of Aquaculture Proposals

2:15 – 3:15 p.m.                       Horseshoe Crab Management Board 

  • Consider Potential Management Response to the 2019 Benchmark Stock Assessment
  • Review and Consider Approval of 2019 Fishery Management Plan Review and State Compliance Reports

3:30 – 5:00 p.m.                       Atlantic Menhaden Management Board

  • Progress Update on Menhaden Single Species and Ecological Reference Point Benchmark Stock Assessments
  • Review and Consider Approval of 2019 Fishery Management Plan Review and State Compliance Reports
  • Set 2020 Atlantic Menhaden Fishery Specifications

Wednesday, August 7

8:30 – 11:15 a.m.                     Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board

  •                   Review Potential Black Sea Bass Commercial Management Strategies and Consider Initiating Management Action to Address Commercial Allocation
  •                   Progress Update on the Recreational Management Reform Working Group
  •                   Update on Management Strategy Evaluation of Summer Flounder Recreational Fishery Project
  •                   Discuss Discard Mortality

9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.              Committee on Economics and Social Sciences

  • Review Ongoing Committee Activities
  • Discuss Efforts to Increase the Availability and Use of Socioeconomic Information in Management
  • Review Committee Input on the Commission’s Draft Risk and Uncertainty Policy

11:30 – 12:30                            Spiny Dogfish Management Board

  • Consider Approval of Draft Addendum VI for Public Comment
  • Review and Consider Approval of 2019 Fishery Management Plan Review and State Compliance Reports

12:30 – 1:15 p.m.                     Lunch

1:15 – 3:15 p.m.                       Interstate Fisheries Management Program Policy Board

  • Review 2019 Performance of the Stocks Report
  • Review and Consider Approval of ISFMP Guiding Documents
  • Update on American Lobster Enforcement Vessel
  • Committee Reports
  • Consider Noncompliance Recommendations (If Necessary)

3:15 – 3:30 p.m.                       Business Session 

  • Consider Approval of Atlantic Cobia Amendment 1
  • Consider Noncompliance Recommendations (If Necessary)

3:45 – 4:45 p.m.                       Tautog Management Board

  • Review Implementation Guidelines for the Commercial Harvest Tagging Program
  • Review and Consider Approval of 2019 Fishery Management Plan Review and State Compliance Reports

Thursday, August 8

8:30 – 11:30 a.m.                     Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board  

  • Consider Approval of Draft Addendum VI for Public CommentMid
  • Consider Postponed Motions from the April 2019 Meeting:

Main Motion: Move to initiate an Amendment to the Atlantic Striped Bass Fishery Management Plan to address the needed consideration for change on the issues of fishery goals and objectives, empirical/biological/spatial reference points, management triggers, rebuilding biomass, and area-specific management. Work on this Amendment will begin upon the completion of the previously discussed Addendum to the Management Plan.

Motion made by Mr. Luisi and seconded by Mr. Clark.

Motion to Amend: Move to amend to add reallocation of commercial quota between states.

Motion made by Mr. Pugh and seconded by Mr. Reid.

  • Review and Consider Approval of 2019 Fishery Management Plan Review and State Compliance Reports

 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.         Lunch

12:30 – 5:00 p.m.                     NOAA Fisheries Wind Power Workshop for New England and Mid-Atlantic Commissioners

Public Comment Guidelines

With the intent of developing policies in the Commission’s procedures for public participation that result in a fair opportunity for public input, the ISFMP Policy Board has approved the following guidelines for use at management board meetings:

For issues that are not on the agenda, management boards will continue to provide an opportunity for the public to bring matters of concern to the board’s attention at the start of each board meeting. Board chairs will use a speaker sign-up list in deciding how to allocate the available time on the agenda (typically 10 minutes) to the number of people who want to speak.

For topics that are on the agenda, but have not gone out for public comment, board chairs will provide limited opportunity for comment, taking into account the time allotted on the agenda for the topic. Chairs will have flexibility in deciding how to allocate comment opportunities; this could include hearing one comment in favor and one in opposition until the chair is satisfied further comment will not provide additional insight to the board.

For agenda action items that have already gone out for public comment, it is the Policy Board’s intent to end the occasional practice of allowing extensive and lengthy public comments. Currently, board chairs have the discretion to decide what public comment to allow in these circumstances.

In addition, the following timeline has been established for the 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).

1.   Comments received 3 weeks prior to the start of a meeting week will be included in the briefing 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 30, 2019) 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 30, 2019 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.

NEW JERSEY: Striped bass: with cuts pending, fishermen asked for input

June 7, 2019 — Have you taken the striped bass survey?

The New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife is emailing fishermen and asking for input into measures to take to reduce striped bass harvest.

The step has to be taken before the 2020 season, according to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. The driving force for cuts to the harvest is the 2018 Atlantic Striped Bass Benchmark Stock Assessment, which was not great.

One silver lining is the stock is not in as bad shape as it was in the 1980s when there was a moratorium.

The female spawning stock biomass was estimated at 151 million pounds, below the desired threshold of 202 million pounds. In the mid-1980s though, the biomass of breeder females was under 50 million pounds — according to the stock assessment.

In the 1990s, the female breeders rebounded and pushed out strong year classes in 1994 and 2002. Both those years saw recruitment at or over 300 million pounds of one-year-old fish.

The ASMFC is mandating that measures be taken to reduce the harvest of the fish by 17 percent within its range on the Atlantic coast.

Read the full story at the Asbury Park Press

April/May 2019 issue of Fisheries Focus Now Available

June 6, 2019 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The April/May 2019 issue of Fisheries Focus is now available at http://www.asmfc.org/uploads/file/5cf95e78FishFocusAprilMay2019.pdf.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

ASMFC Presents Annual Awards of Excellence
page 1

Upcoming Meetings

page 2

From the Executive Director’s Desk
5-Year Strategic Plan Updates Vision & Addresses Need to Prioritize Limited Resources
page 3

Species Profile
Atlantic Striped Bass
page 4

Fishery Management Actions
Atlantic Herring
Coastal Sharks
Atlantic Cobia
page 6

In Memoriam: Ed O’Brien
page 7

Comings & Goings
page 9

Horseshoe Crab Benchmark Stock Assessment Approved for Management Use
page 10

On the Legislative Front
page 10

Science Highlight
Striped Bass Assessment Overview
page 12

ACCSP Update
ACCSP Announces FY19 Funding Recipients & Issues Request for FY20 Proposals
page 14

ASMFC Seeks New ACCSP Director
page 16

Past issues of Fisheries Focus can be found at http://www.asmfc.org/search/%20/%20/Fishery-Focus

NOAA Fisheries Seeks Comments on Proposed 2019 Recreational Rules for Summer Flounder

May 17, 2019 — The following was published by NOAA Fisheries: 

NOAA Fisheries is seeking comments on proposed recreational fishery management measures for the 2019 summer flounder fishery.

We propose to continue the conservation equivalency approach for the summer flounder recreational fishery, in which states or regions develop minimum sizes, possession limits, and fishing seasons that will achieve the necessary level of conservation. Both the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission recommended continuing conservation equivalency.

The proposed rule contains additional details on conservation equivalency, including what measures would be put in place if conservation equivalency is not ultimately recommended by the Commission.

Note that black sea bass and scup recreational measures for 2019 are unchanged from 2018.

Read the proposed rule as published in the Federal Register today.

Comments are due June 3, 2019.

Submit your comments through the e-rulemaking portal or by mailing: Michael Pentony, Regional Administrator, Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office, 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930.

Questions?

Fishermen: Contact Emily Gilbert, Regional Office, 978-281-9244

Media: Contact Jennifer Goebel, Regional Office, 978-281-9175

Omega Protein comes out swinging as magazine questions MSC’s integrity

May 14, 2019 — US firm Omega Protein has come out fighting following a column, published in Sport Fishing Magazine, made claims of impropriety in the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification process of the Atlantic menhaden fishery.

In the editorial, Sport Fishing Magazine “impugns the integrity of both the [MSC] and the Atlantic menhaden fishery,” said Omega Protein. In response to the recommendation by the independent auditor that the menhaden fishery be MSC certified, editor Doug Olander made accusations of impropriety rather than critiquing the fishery, the independent assessment, or the MSC process on its merits, it said.

“MSC certification has always been based on objective criteria, which are evaluated by independent, third-party auditors,” the company said. “The process is entirely transparent, publicly available and easily accessible to [the magazine’s editor, Doug] Olander. If a fishery doesn’t score high enough on the assessment, it isn’t certified. Fisheries can be denied certification, and several fisheries have lost their certification for not maintaining standards.”

Olander wrote that Omega Protein was “buying its way to public respectability”, and looking to “wrap itself in a cloak of respectability by claiming it’s a certified sustainable fishery”. In fact, said Omega Protein, as made clear in the report compiled by the independent auditors, the menhaden fishery does meet the criteria for MSC certification.

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

NEW JERSEY: As striper population drops, Jersey Shore anglers split over new rules

May 14, 2019 — On calm, sunny days, dozens of boats dock at Kammerman’s Marina in Atlantic City. Most set out to sea for one fish in particular: the Atlantic striped bass.

The popular recreational catch faced near extinction a few decades ago, leading to a temporary ban on capturing the species in the mid-1980s.

Now, striped bass are being overfished again amid a decades-long drop in their population, and new regulations are coming next year, leaving South Jersey fishermen divided.

The Atlantic States Marines Fisheries Commission, which manages fishing from Maine to North Carolina, wants to put more restrictions on the harvest. In an April memo, the commission said it was launching a study into how to reduce fish deaths by 17% by 2020.

“Striped bass are one of the most sought-after game on the East Coast,” said Max Appelman, fishing coordinator at the commission. “There are probably a number of other variables are play, but these (fishing and overfishing) are the only two we can put our fingers on.”

Read the full story at the Press of Atlantic City

States Schedule Public Hearings on Atlantic Cobia Draft Amendment 1

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

The Commission’s South Atlantic State/Federal Fisheries Management Board approved Draft Amendment 1 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Atlantic Migratory Group Cobia (Atlantic cobia) for public comment. Atlantic coastal states from Virginia through South Carolina have scheduled their hearings to gather public input on Draft Amendment 1. The details of those hearings follow.

Virginia Marine Resources Commission

  • June 12, 2019; 6:00 PM
  • 380 Fenwick Rd, Building 96
  • Fort Monroe, Hampton, VA
  • Contact: Pat Geer at 757.247.2200

North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries

  • June 13, 2019; 7:00 PM
  • Dare County Commissioners Office
  • 954 Marshall Collins Drive, Room 168
  • Manteo, NC
  • Contact: Chris Batsavage at 252.808.8009

Read the full release here

States Schedule Public Hearings on Atlantic Cobia Draft Amendment 1

May 10, 2019 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Commission’s South Atlantic State/Federal Fisheries Management Board approved Draft Amendment 1 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Atlantic Migratory Group Cobia (Atlantic cobia) for public comment. Atlantic coastal states from Virginia through South Carolina have scheduled their hearings to gather public input on Draft Amendment 1. The details of those hearings follow.

Read the full release here

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

May 9, 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 Spring Meeting are now available at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2019-spring-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.