July 8, 2020 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Interstate Fisheries Management Program Policy Board will be meeting via webinar on July 14th (1-2 PM) to review and consider approval of proposed guidance on adjusting recreational measures due to COVID-19 impacts. The Draft Agenda and materials are available at http://www.asmfc.org/files/
Webinar link: https://attendee.
July 8, 2020 — 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 2020 Summer Meeting Webinar, August 3-6, 2020. The agenda is also available athttp://www.asmfc.org/home/
Given the uncertainties of the pace of states reopening and potential continued prohibitions on large meetings in Arlington, Virginia in early August, the Summer Meeting will be held as a virtual meeting. Board meetings with complex decisions (e.g. Atlantic Menhaden and Atlantic Striped Bass) will recess following staff/technical presentations and a question and answer session. These Boards will reconvene the following day to allow time for Commissioners to consider the information from the previous day, fully vet the issues with their state delegates, and prepare for board discussion and action.
We are not planning to conduct pre-meeting webinar training sessions. However, staff will work with you if you would like a quick refresher or have changed computers and need to test out the webinar functions prior to the meeting. Please contact Toni Kerns, tkerns@asmfc.org, if you are interested in a test webinar.
Details about the webinar and meeting process will be provided prior to the meeting. We look forward to meeting with you at the Summer Meeting Webinar.
June 26, 2020 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission announces the release of the 16th publication in its Habitat Management Series, entitled Aquaculture: Effects on Fish Habitat along the Atlantic Coast. The document provides a broad description of current and common marine aquaculture (mariculture) practices, siting considerations, and some potential effects on fish habitats. It’s intended to serve as an introduction to the topic and facilitate a discussion on the intersection between aquaculture planning and fishery habitat conservation.
Mariculture is an important source of sustainable seafood production and a growing industry that creates jobs, supports communities, and promotes international trade. The U.S. aquaculture and mariculture industry was valued at $1.4 billion and produced 627 million pounds of meat and 1.2 million jobs in 2015. As the human population continues to grow, there will be an ever-increasing demand for seafood. Aquaculture and mariculture can help meet that demand.
June 19, 2020 — 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 (LCS) and hammerhead shark management groups (see Appendix 1 next page) for directed shark limited access permit holders in the Atlantic region from 36 to 55 sharks per vessel per trip effective June 19, 2020. The retention limit will remain at 55 LCS other than sandbar sharks per vessel per trip in the Atlantic region through the rest of the 2020 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 Commission’s Coastal Sharks Management Board, the Commission will follow NOAA Fisheries for in-season changes to the commercial retention limit, therefore, no more than 55 sharks per vessel per trip may be retained from the aggregated LCS and hammerhead management groups by a state licensed fishermen effective June 19, 2020.
The Federal Register will be published on June 22 athttps://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/06/22/2020-13373/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/2020-atlantic-shark-commercial-fishery-landings-and-retention.
Please contact Kirby Rootes-Murdy, Senior Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at 703.842.0723 orkrootes-murdy@asmfc.org for more information.
A PDF of the announcement can be found here – http://www.asmfc.org/uploads/file/5eed1303AdjustedCommericalRetentionLimits_June2020_1.pdf.
June 19, 2020 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:
Meeting summaries and motions from the Joint meeting of the MAFMC and ASMFC Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass and Bluefish Boards are now available athttp://www.asmfc.org/files/
June 5, 2020 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:
Good Afternoon – The Responsible Offshore Science Alliance (ROSA) is seeking applications from recreational and commercial fishermen to join its Advisory Council, which provides substantive direction and strategic guidance to the alliance. ROSA is a nonprofit organization that seeks to advance regional research and monitoring of fisheries and offshore wind interactions through collaboration and cooperation. ROSA’s work currently concentrates on the waters from Maine to North Carolina.
The background information and applications are attached and can also be found at https://www.rosascience.org/. The deadline for applications is July 15, 2020.
For more information, please contact:
Lyndie Hice-Dunton, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Responsible Offshore Science Alliance (ROSA)
M: (848) 863-3269
Lyndie@rosascience.org
https://www.rosascience.org/
For more background information, click here.
For the application, click here.
June 4, 2020 — East Coast sea scallop stocks will likely follow lobsters in shifting away from rich Mid-Atlantic and southern New England grounds in the coming decades as a consequence of warming ocean waters, according to a new study that projects the impact of climate change on the two richest Atlantic fisheries.
Researchers used species distribution models and a high-resolution global climate model to picture the possible impact of climate change on habitat for lobsters and scallops in the Northeast continental shelf ecosystem, ranging from the New York Bight north to southern New England, Georges Bank and the Gulf of Maine.
The researchers note that the latest benchmark assessment of the lobster stock, cited by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission in 2015, showed the stock in the southern Mid-Atlantic range was already severely depleted due to several environmental factors including recruitment failure and shell disease related to warmer waters.
June 2, 2020 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission announces the release of the 16th publication in its Habitat Management Series, entitled Aquaculture: Effects on Fish Habitat along the Atlantic Coast. The document provides a broad description of current and common marine aquaculture (mariculture) practices, siting considerations, and some potential effects on fish habitats. It’s intended to serve as an introduction to the topic and facilitate a discussion of the intersection of aquaculture planning and fishery habitat conservation.
Mariculture is an important source of sustainable seafood production and a growing industry that creates jobs, supports communities, and promotes international trade. The U.S. aquaculture and mariculture industry was valued at $1.4 billion and produced 627 million pounds of meat and 1.2 million jobs in 2015. As the human population continues to grow, there will be an ever-increasing demand for seafood. Aquaculture and mariculture can help meet that demand.
From a fish habitat perspective, it is important to carefully consider spatial planning before establishing an aquaculture operation. Habitats such as submerged aquatic vegetation, coral reefs, or mangroves should be avoided as they are sensitive to nutrient fluxes, sedimentation, and disturbance, as well as being important habitats for a variety of organisms, including many Commission-managed species. Additionally, it’s important to consider if a particular location will have spatial conflicts with other individuals that use the area, namely fishermen, boaters, or landowners. Since there are many misconceptions about the impacts of aquaculture, it is important to raise awareness about both the potential benefits and adverse impacts to the public or any stakeholders that may be involved.
Aquaculture: Effects on Fish Habitat along the Atlantic Coast is available at http://www.asmfc.org/files/Habitat/HMS16_Aquaculture_May2020.pdf. For more information on aquaculture, visit the Commission website at http://www.asmfc.org/habitat/hot-topics or contact Dr. Lisa Havel, Habitat Committee Coordinator, at lhavel@asmfc.org.
May 20, 2020 — Pennsylvania is one of the beneficiaries of the Commerce Department’s allocation of $300 million in CARES Act funding to support marine fisheries and states that have “direct and indirect” commerce with that industry.
Receiving approximately $3.3 million, Pennsylvania will be directed to use the funding for support of businesses within fishery industry, including “Tribes, commercial fishing businesses, charter/for-hire fishing businesses, qualified aquaculture operations, processors, and other” fishery businesses. Not included are “vessel repair businesses, restaurants, or seafood retailers.” New Jersey receives $11.3 million.
May 20, 2020 — Omega Protein is no longer threatened with a moratorium on its menhaden fishing operations. Thursday, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission notified the U.S. Secretary of Commerce that Virginia is now in compliance with the menhaden catch limits set by the commission and exceeded by Omega last year. Thus, the Reedville operation is no longer facing a possible closure.
In 2019, Omega, faced with bad weather outside the Chesapeake Bay, took 15,000 metric tons more from the Bay than the ASMFC 51,000 metric tons limit permitted. The fish were targeted from a school that was just inside the Bay Bridge-Tunnel. Had the school been on the other side of the bridge-tunnel, there would have been no violation since that side is not in the Bay.
The ASMFC asked the Secretary to find Omega out of compliance and subject to a moratorium. The federal regulatory commission was supported by Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, a long-time opponent to the industrial menhaden operation and the secretary found Omega out of compliance and subject to a moratorium.