Saving Seafood

Federal Black Sea Bass Management Measures for Recreational Fishermen Stay Same for 2017

May 25, 2017 — The following was released by NOAA:

For recreational fishermen fishing in federal waters, the black sea bass minimum size, possession limit, and fishing season will stay the same for 2017.

The measures are:

Minimum size: 12.5 inches

Possession limit: 15 per angler

Open Seasons: May 15-Sep 21 and Oct 22-Dec 31.

For more information, please read our permit holder bulletin posted online.

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission recently made adjustments to recreational management measures in state waters for New Jersey through Massachusetts to limit recreational catch in 2017.

If the federal minimum size, possession limit, and/or season differ from the regulations for your state (where you will be landing the fish), you must follow the more restrictive regulations. Please contact your state for the latest information. 

Questions? Contact Jennifer Goebel at 978-281-9175 or jennifer.goebel@noaa.gov

Fluke fight finally finished – for 2017

May 24, 2017 — Local fishermen have finally learned what the regulations will be for the summer flounder season in New Jersey. After a very long period of bickering, a compromise has been reached.

For all coastal waters there will be a 3-fish daily limit with an 18-inch minimum size limit. The minimum size in Delaware Bay will be 17-inches while anglers fishing on the beach at IBSP will have a daily limit of two fish at 16-inches. The season will begin on Thursday, May 25, and run until Tuesday, September 5.

In 2016 the summer flounder season ran from May 21 through September 25 with a five fish per day limit and a minimum size of 18-inches. The original proposed restrictions for 2017 called for a 19-inch minimum size and a daily limit of 3 fish.

The NJ Marine Fisheries Council recommended the new rules at a meeting last week, and DEP Commissioner Bob Martin has approved them with a season running from May 25 through September 5.

The regulations adopted by DEP are final but the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Council did not accept them, and appear to be moving toward New Jersey being in non-compliance.

Although few anglers are pleased at these regulations, it is a compromise from prior statements and a reflection of the work put forth by NJ state officials at the federal level.

The federal government had mandated rules to reduce the total catch by New Jersey recreational anglers. This determination was reached when NOAA announced the stocks of summer flounder had been reduced to unacceptable levels.

The state of New Jersey decided to fight the federal mandate with Governor Chris Christie and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection coming out strongly against it. State officials including DEP head Bob Martin met with senior officials from the Department of Commerce and NOAA Fisheries to express their opposition.

Read the full story at the Asbury Park Press

N.J.’s summer flounder regulations rejected by fishery commission

May 23, 2017 — Four days before New Jersey was set to open its recreational summer flounder season, a regional fisheries management board did not approve the state’s regulations, which were adopted by emergency action last Thursday.

However, it appears fishermen will still be able to fish on opening day, according to state spokespeople, as the issue gets worked out.

Toni Kerns, the director of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s summer flounder interstate fisheries management plan, said the regulations would not meet the harvest reductions voted on by the commission.

In February the commission voted for a nearly 30-percent reduction in the total coastwide harvest of summer flounder from Massachusetts to North Carolina.

To meet the reduction the commission voted on an option that would give New Jersey’s recreational summer flounder fishery a 19-inch size limit, a three-fish bag limit and a 128 day season.

The state put forth a compromise on an 18-inch fish size limit, three-fish bag limit and a shortened season from May 25 to Sept. 5. The state’s Marine Fisheries Council adopted that regulation last week.

Read the full story at the Asbury Park Press

Meeting Summary, Motions and Presentation from May 22 Meeting of the ASMFC Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Board Now Available

May 23, 2017 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The meeting summary, motions and presentations from the May 22, 2017 meeting of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Board are available at http://www.asmfc.org/home/meeting-archive. The audio proceedings of that meeting will be posted to the website by 1 PM.

States Schedule Hearings on Tautog Draft Amendment 1

May 22, 2017 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The states of Massachusetts through Virginia have scheduled hearings to gather public comment on Draft Amendment 1 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Tautog. The details of those hearings follow.

Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries

Wednesday, June 21, 2017 at 6 p.m.

Massachusetts Maritime Academy

101 Academy Drive

Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts

Contact: Jared Silva at 617.626.1534

Rhode Island Division of Fish and Wildlife

Thursday, June 22, 2017 at 6 p.m.

University of Rhode Island Bay Campus

Corless Auditorium

South Ferry Road

Narragansett, Rhode Island

Contact: Jason McNamee at 401.423.1943

Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection

Monday, June 26, 2017 at 7 p.m.

CT DEEP Boating Education Center, Building 3

333 Ferry Road

Old Lyme, Connecticut

Contact: Mark Alexander at 860.447.4322

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

Tuesday, June 20, 2017 at 6:30 p.m.

NYSDEC Division of Marine Resources

205 Belle Mead Road, Suite 1

East Setauket, New York

Contact: John Maniscalco at 631.444.0437

New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife

Tuesday, June 27, 2017 from 6:30 – 9:30 p.m.

Ocean County Administration Building  

Public Hearing Room 119

101 Hooper Avenue

Toms River, New Jersey

Contact: Russ Allen at 609.748.2020

Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control

Wednesday, June 28, 2017 from 6 – 8 p.m.

DNREC Lewes Facility

901 Pilottown Road

Lewes, Delaware

Contact: John Clark at 302.739.9914

Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Thursday, June 15, 2017 at 6 p.m.

Ocean Pines Library

11107 Cathell Road

Berlin, Maryland

Contact: Angel Willey at 410.456.0311

Virginia Marine Resources Commission

Wednesday, June 14, 2017 at 5:30 p.m.

2600 Washington Avenue

Newport News, Virginia

Contact: Joe Cimino at 757.247.2236

The Draft Amendment proposes a fundamental change in tautog management, moving away from management on a coastwide basis towards regional management. In addition, Draft Amendment 1 proposes the establishment of a commercial harvest tagging program, as well as new goals and objectives, biological reference points and fishing mortality targets, and a stock rebuilding schedule.

Specifically, Draft Amendment 1 proposes delineating the stock into four regions due to differences in biology and fishery characteristics, as well as limited coastwide movement.

Table 1. Four-Region Management Approach

1) Massachusetts – Rhode Island

2) Long Island Sound (CT and NY LIS)

3) New Jersey – New York Bight

4) Delaware – Maryland – Virginia

Management options by region have been developed in response to the 2016 stock assessment update. Long Island Sound and New Jersey-New York Bight would be required to take harvest reductions due to the regional overfishing stock status, while Massachusetts-Rhode Island and Delaware-Maryland-Virginia would not have to take harvest reductions, but are proposing regional measures.

A commercial harvest tagging program is being proposed to address an illegal, unreported and undocumented fishery that has persisted for more than a decade. Reports of illegally harvested fish have been documented in cases against fishermen, fish houses, and at retail markets and restaurants. The tagging program, which would accommodate both the live and dead commercial markets, was recommended by the Commission’s Law Enforcement Committee to increase accountability in the fishery and curb illegal harvest. A tautog tag trial was conducted to investigate the impact of the tags on the resource and found no mortality or degradation to fish health.

The Draft Amendment is available at http://www.asmfc.org/files/PublicInput/Tautog_DraftAmendment1_PublicComment_May2017.pdf or on the Commission website, www.asmfc.org (under Public Input). Fishermen and other interested groups are encouraged to provide input on the Draft Amendment either by attending state public hearings or providing written comment. Public comment will be accepted until 5:00 PM (EST) on July 14, 2017 and should be forwarded to Ashton Harp, FMP Coordinator, 1050 N. Highland St, Suite A-N, Arlington, VA 22201; 703.842.0741 (FAX) or at aharp@asmfc.org(Subject line: Tautog Draft Amendment 1).

Final action on the Amendment is scheduled to occur in August. For more information, please contact Ashton Harp, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at aharp@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.

Supplemental Materials for May 22 Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Management Board Conference Call

May 19, 2017 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The supplemental meeting materials for Monday’s Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Board are available at http://www.asmfc.org/calendar/5/2017/Summer-Flounder,-Scup-and-Black-Sea-Bass-Board-Conf-Call/1052.

The materials include the Technical Committee Report on New Jersey’s Proposal and New Jersey’s Notification to Implement Conservation Equivalency Measures. The direct link to those materials is http://www.asmfc.org/files/Meetings/SFLScBSB_BoardConfCallSuppMaterials_May22_2017.pdf.  

ASMFC Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Management Board Schedules Conference Call to Consider New Jersey Conservation-Equivalency Proposal for the 2017 Summer Flounder Recreational Fishery

May 18, 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 will meet via conference call on Monday, May 22 at 12:30 p.m. to review the Technical Committee’s report on New Jersey’s 2017 summer flounder recreational fishery proposal and consider final action on New Jersey’s measures.

 The Board tasked the Technical Committee with reviewing the technical merits of the New Jersey’s proposal in meeting both the objectives of the proposal and the objectives of Addendum XXVIII. Addendum XXVIII, approved by the Board in February 2017, requires a one‐inch increase in size limit and a reduction in possession limits to no more than four fish to constrain coastwide harvest to 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 measures approved in the Addendum seek to achieve the 2017 RHL.

The public is welcome to listen to the discussion by phone (888.394.8197; passcode 815277) and view the webinar using the following link – https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/499991200830679809.

The meeting agenda and materials are available at http://www.asmfc.org/files/Meetings/SFLScBSB_BoardConfCallMaterials_May22_2017.pdf.  

The Technical Committee report on New Jersey’s proposal will be posted, no later than 5 PM on May 19th, at http://www.asmfc.org/calendar/5/2017/Summer-Flounder,-Scup-and-Black-Sea-Bass-Board-Conf-Call/1052.

Time permitting, there will be a limited opportunity to provide comments at the end of the agenda. The Board Chair will outline the procedures for accepting public comment at the beginning of the conference call. We ask the public and other nonparticipating attendees to please mute their phones in order to minimize distractions to the Board’s deliberations.

For more information, please contact Toni Kerns, ISFMP Director, at tkerns@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.                

New rules crafted to avert another lobster bait shortage

May 17, 2017 — Interstate regulators approved a host of new rules in the Atlantic herring fishery in an attempt to avoid another bait shortage like the one that befell the lobster industry last year.

Herring are the most important bait for the lobster fishery, which is based in New England. Herring was frequently expensive and scarce last summer, especially north of Cape Ann, and the shortage sent ripples through the lobster supply chain.

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission approved new rules last week. The commission says the rules are intended to stabilize the rate of catch in the near-shore area of the Gulf of Maine, a critical fishing area for herring boats.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at the Gloucester Times

Presentations and Audio Files from ASMFC’s 2017 Spring Meeting Now Available

May 17, 2017 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The presentations and audio files from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s 2017 Spring Meeting are now available at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2017-spring-meeting; go to the relevant board header and click on either “Presentations” or “Audio.”  Some Boards may have two audio links given the length of the meetings.  

Regulators push pause on allowing greater striped bass catch

May 12, 2017 — Fishing regulators are pulling away from a plan to liberalize the regulation of the commercial and recreational striped bass fishery.

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission was considering sending new rules for the fishery out to public comment, but chose not to this week. The commission will instead wait until the results of a new assessment of the striped bass stock.

Striped bass have been fished commercially from Maine to North Carolina over the years. The fishery was worth more than $18 million in 2015. Striped bass are also a very popular recreational sport fish.

The commission had been considering allowing more catch of the fish. Members were concerned that changing the management of the fishery could result in over-harvest.

Read the full story at Central Maine