Saving Seafood

American Lobster Benchmark Stock Assessment Workshop #1 Scheduled for July 22-24 in New Bedford, MA

June 24, 2024 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission will hold the American Lobster Benchmark Stock Assessment Workshop at the UMass Dartmouth’s School for Marine Science & Technology West building, 706 South Rodney French Boulevard, MA. The stock assessment will evaluate the health of American lobster stocks and inform management of this species. The Commission’s stock assessment process and meetings are open to the public, with the exception of discussions of confidential data*, when the public will be asked to leave the room.

 
The July Stock Assessment Workshop will be the first of two workshops that focus on evaluation of models developed to estimate stock status. The second Assessment Workshop, tentatively scheduled for October 2024, will focus on addressing the below stock assessment terms of reference. The final workshop will be the Peer Review Workshop in April 2025, where an independent panel of fishery scientists, will review the assessment for its appropriateness to advise future management of American lobster.
 
Relevant American Lobster Stock Assessment Terms of Reference:
 
·       Evaluate new information on life history such as growth rates, size at maturation, natural mortality rate, and migrations


·       Identify, describe, and, if possible, quantify the effect of environmental/climatic drivers on stock abundance considering annual to decadal scales
·       Use length-based model(s) to estimate population parameters (e.g., effective exploitation rate, abundance) for each stock unit and analyze model performance
 
For more information about the assessment or attending the July workshop (space will be limited), please contact Caitlin Starks, Senior Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at cstarks@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.
 


* Each state and federal agency is responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of its data and deciding who has access to its confidential data.  In the case of our stock assessments and peer reviews, all analysts and, if necessary, reviewers, have been granted permission by the appropriate agency to use and view confidential data. When the assessment team needs to show and discuss these data, observers to our stock assessment process are asked to leave the room to preserve confidentiality.

ASMFC Northern Shrimp Section Meeting Summary and Motions Now Available

June 22, 2024 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Northern Shrimp Section approved the Public Information Document (PID) for Draft Amendment 4 for Northern Shrimp for public comment. Given the stock’s continued depleted status, the draft amendment was initiated to consider extending the specifications setting timeline to allow for ongoing or multiyear harvest moratoria and adding management triggers to the management program. A management trigger, defined by a set of biological indicators, would inform when a harvest moratorium could be reevaluated to allow for a potential fishery in future years.

As the first step in the Commission’s amendment process, the PID is intended to gather information concerning northern shrimp and provide an opportunity for the public to identify and comment on major issues relative to the management of the species. Following the initial phase of information gathering and public comment, the Section will evaluate potential management alternatives and develop Draft Amendment 4 for public review. After the next round of public comment, the Section will identify the management measures to be included in Amendment 4. A tentative schedule for the completion of Amendment 4 is included in the PID.

The PID will be available on the Commission’s website under Public Input at https://asmfc.org/about-us/public-input in late June. A press release announcing the availability of the PID and state public hearing schedule will be released upon the PID’s posting and finalization of the hearing schedule.

For more information, please contact Chelsea Tuohy, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at ctuohy@asmfc.org.

Motions

Move to approve the Public Information Document for Draft Amendment 4 to the Northern Shrimp Fishery Management Plan for public comment as amended today.

Motion made by Cheri Patterson seconded by Dr. Mike Armstrong. Motion approved by unanimous consent

ASMFC Northern Shrimp Section Virtual Meeting Scheduled for June 20 to Consider Approval of Draft Amendment 4 PID for Public Comment

June 2, 2024 — The following was released by Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Commission’s Northern Shrimp Section will meet via webinar on June 20 from 1 – 3 PM to consider the approval of the Public Information Document (PID) for Draft Amendment 4 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Northern Shrimp. Due to the continued depleted status of northern shrimp, Draft Amendment 4 will explore a new management approach that would allow for the setting of a multiyear moratorium that could be modified when a set of biological indicators shows the northern shrimp stock is at a population level that could to support a sustainable fishery. As the first step in the amendment process, the PID seeks input from stakeholders and those interested in northern shrimp about changes observed in the fishery/resource and potential management measures and processes.

The webinar details follow:

Webinar: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5692220515082807125

Webinar ID: 892-762-579

If you are joining the webinar but will not be using VoIP, you can may also call in at +1 (213) 929-4212, access code 617-874-883. A PIN will be provided to you after joining the webinar. For those who will not be joining the webinar but would like to listen in to the audio portion only, press the # key when asked for a PIN.

The draft agenda can be found at https://asmfc.org/calendar/6/2024/Northern-Shrimp-Section/2341. Meeting materials will be available the week before the meeting. Public comment may be submitted tocomments@asmfc.org until 10 AM on June 12th. For more information, please contact Chelsea Tuohy, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at ctuoy@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.

States Schedule Public Hearings on Atlantic Cobia Draft Addendum II

May 26, 2024 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic coastal states of New York through Georgia have scheduled hearings to gather public input on Draft Addendum II to Amendment 1 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Cobia, which considers recreational allocation, harvest target evaluation, and the timeline for setting management specifications. South Carolina will also be conducting a hearing; the details of which will be released when they become available.

Some hearings will be conducted in-person, and some hearings will be conducted via webinar. If you are unable to participate in your state’s scheduled hearing, you are welcome to participate in any of the virtual hearings.
The Commission’s Coastal Pelagics Management Board initiated the Draft Addendum to consider updating recreational allocations using more recent harvest data, which reflects increased cobia landings in some Mid-Atlantic states in recent years. Draft Addendum II presents options for Atlantic cobia management, including a framework for recreational allocation, ways to account for data uncertainty and respond to quota overages, and an extended multi-year specification setting. For the recreational allocation framework, Draft Addendum II considers options for the data timeframe to form the basis for allocations, and options for the geographic scope of allocations (state-by-state, regional, or coastwide).

ASMFC Schedules Horseshoe Crab Management Objectives Workshop for July 15-16 in Lewes, Delaware

May 20, 2024 — The following was released Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:
The Commission’s Horseshoe Crab Management Board is convening a stakeholder workshop aimed at generating recommendations for Board consideration regarding horseshoe crab management in the Delaware Bay region. The workshop responds to public concern and differing positions related to use of the Adaptive Resource Management (ARM) Framework, which describes acceptable harvest levels for the Delaware Bay bait fishery based on the abundance of horseshoe crabs and shorebirds. The participants represent a broad range of perspectives reflecting various stakeholder interests, including horseshoe crab and shorebird/rufa red knot biologists; environmental organizations; commercial harvesters and dealers; biomedical industry representatives; and resource managers.
 
Following a revision to the ARM Framework in 2021 that incorporated new data and modeling approaches, the ARM-calculated harvest level included limited female harvest in the Delaware Bay region for the first time since its implementation in 2012. While the ARM Framework output has provided for limited female harvest since 2023, the Board has not implemented female harvest to date. Nonetheless, this possibility drew extensive public concern focused in large part on the potential for female horseshoe crab harvest to impact the threatened shorebird rufa red knot. While environmental groups continue to advocate for zero female horseshoe crab harvest from the Delaware Bay population, commercial industry participants have indicated they would value the opportunity to harvest limited number female horseshoe crabs.
 
The workshop will be facilitated by Dr. Kristina Weaver, who recently moderated a Virginia Institute of Marine Science workshop to develop a plan for the study of Atlantic menhaden in Chesapeake Bay. Dr. Weaver brings expertise in facilitation and mediation to empower communities to create shared solutions for complex social and environmental problems.
 
The public is welcome to attend the workshop. Since the workshop will be a working meeting, there may be a limited opportunity for the public to provide comments at the end of the meeting. The workshop will be conducted from July 15-16 at the Delaware Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Control Lewes Field Office, 901 Pilottown Road, Lewes, Delaware 19958; 302.855.7290.
 
It is important to note that no management decisions are being formulated or acted upon at the workshop. The meeting is intended to initiate discussions on ecosystem and management objectives, identify common ground among divergent stakeholder views, and develop options for Board discussion and consideration. For more information or if you plan to attend the workshop, please contact Caitlin Starks, Senior Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at cstarks@asmfc.org, or James Boyle, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at jboyle@asmfc.org.

MARYLAND: Striped Bass Fishing Season in Maryland Kicks Off Amidst Controversy Over New Regulations

May 19, 2024 — On the opening day of striped bass fishing in Maryland, recreational anglers and charter boats ventured out onto the Chesapeake Bay, but not all were enthusiastic about the start of the season. New regulations set by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) aimed at bolstering the struggling rockfish population in the Chesapeake have left some captains and guests apprehensive.

Charter boat captains, such as John Motovidlak, voiced concerns about the impact of the regulations on their business. “I’m gonna say I’m between 30 and 40 percent short on my bookings,” Motovidlak lamented.

Under the ASMFC’s new rules, only one fish within the 19 to 24-inch slot size is allowed to be kept, with larger fish over 25 inches designated as breeders. Some charter guests expressed frustration, deeming the regulations overly restrictive and detrimental to the industry.

Read the full article at WBOC

MAINE: Maine lobster gauge increase brings economic worries

May 14, 2024 –A Maine congressman and fishing groups are urging the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) to delay the proposed increase to the minimum allowable catch size for Maine lobstermen. Concerns have been raised regarding the dire economic consequences this could have on harvesters and Maine’s economy.

Last May, the ASMFC Lobster Board passed Addendum 27, which would entail implementing a gauge increase from 3 ¼ inches to 3 5/16 inches in response to juvenile lobsters reaching a 35 percent decline. The increase was initiated in 2017 as a proactive measure to improve the resilience of the lobster stock in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank but was paused to prioritize work on the North Atlantic right whales. There was a seven-month delay in implementing the gauge, which will now be enforced on Jan. 1, 2025.

In a letter addressed to Robert Beal, the executive director of ASMFC, Rep. Jared Golden shared that he is “deeply concerned about the implications a gauge increase next year- absent robust economic and scientific analyses- will have on the viability of Maine’s lobster industry and the communities it supports.”

Fishermen, Rep. Golden, and lobster dealers are concerned that the data used by ASMFC to arrive at the 35 percent trigger index was “overly precautionary” and may not accurately reflect the current status of the stock.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

States comply with new striped bass catch curbs as more limits are considered

May 7, 2024 — With errant states falling in line with new striped bass catch curbs, East Coast fishery managers agreed last week to consider imposing still more limits on recreational fishing later this year to help the struggling fish recover.

The striped bass management board of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, which regulates inshore fishing for migratory species, accepted revised plans May 1 from Maryland, Pennsylvania and the Potomac River Fisheries Commission for making required cutbacks in recreational and commercial harvests.

The board had rejected the three jurisdictions’ plans in March, putting them in jeopardy of having the federal government shut down all fishing for striped bass if the deficiencies weren’t corrected.

At issue for Maryland and the bi-state Potomac fisheries agency were their plans to delay action until 2026 if their 2024 commercial harvests exceeded the reduced level ordered by the Atlantic States commission.

The commission in January had ordered reductions in recreational and commercial catch amid concerns over an unexpected jump in recreational catch along the coast and surveys finding poor reproduction in the Chesapeake Bay, where most of the coastwide stock is spawned.

Read the full story at the Bay Journal

ASMFC Presents 2024 Annual Awards of Excellence

May 2, 2024 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Last evening, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission presented its Annual Awards of Excellence to a number of individuals for their outstanding contributions to management, scientific, and law enforcement efforts along the Atlantic coast. Specifically, the 2024 award recipients are Phil Edwards for management and policy contributions; Nicole Lengyel Costa and Laura Lee for technical and scientific contributions; and Deputy Chief Jason Snellbaker for law enforcement contributions.

“Every year a great many people contribute to the success of fisheries management along the Atlantic coast. The Commission’s Annual Awards of Excellence recognize outstanding efforts by professionals who have made a difference in the way we manage and conserve our fisheries,” said Awards Committee Chair Spud Woodward of Georgia. “I am humbled by the breadth and extent of accomplishments of the recipients and am grateful for their dedication to Atlantic coast fisheries.”

Management and Policy Contributions

Phil Edwards of the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management

Phil has been an active and integral member on several Commission species management boards over the years, including serving as Chair of the American Eel, and Shad and River Herring Boards. Management of these diadromous resources is challenging due to data limitations and the various threats they face throughout their extensive range between freshwater and ocean ecosystems. Under his leadership, Phil has been able to deftly guide management of these species. As board chair and member on other boards, Phil has brought a wealth of knowledge and policy acumen to all his Commission endeavors, and the Commission at-large has benefitted from Phil’s work ethic, leadership, and expertise.

Phil’s strong policy and fisheries management skills are backed by over 20 years of participation on various technical committees and assessment work for Commission species. His extensive knowledge and years of work on fish passage has improved conservation of diadromous fish in Rhode Island, and by extension along the East Coast, and serves as an example of his dedication to these efforts.

Scientific and Technical Contributions

Nicole Lengyel Costa of the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management

For many years, Nicole has been an engaged and important member of several Commission technical committees, fish ageing projects, and plan development teams, and has served as Chair of the Atlantic Striped Bass Technical Committee for the past few years.

Aside from her technical contributions, Nicole has helped the Commission develop several particularly tricky management actions for striped bass, including recent actions to stop overfishing and aid in stock rebuilding. These actions were structurally complex and Nicole, working closely with her colleagues at the Commission, put together well-crafted documents in order for the public to understand and comment on these complicated proposed measures.

In addition to her efforts with striped bass, Nicole is a long serving member of the ACCSP Operations Committee and has been involved with age and growth work used in stock assessments across Commission species. Nicole brings to all her endeavors a strong scientific skill set and a keen understanding of fisheries management policy. Her efforts not only benefit Rhode Island but fisheries science and management activities along the entire East Coast.

Laura Lee of the US Fish and Wildlife Service and formerly with the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (NC DMF)

Laura has been involved in Commission stock assessments for nearly 25 years, including some of the first stock assessments for species such as Atlantic croaker, American eel, and spot. She has advanced fisheries science through the development of innovative approaches to common issues faced by stock assessments and the contribution of years of expertise and mentorship to numerous stock assessment subcommittees and scientists along the Atlantic coast. There is hardly a coastal Atlantic species Laura has not worked on, having been involved with or serving as chair on technical committees or stock assessment subcommittees for a multitude of species. During her time as a stock assessment scientist with NC DMF, she developed numerous codes for routine analyses used by the majority of Commission stock assessments today. With her new position as an ecologist at the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Laura will continue her productive fisheries career.

Aside from these professional accomplishments, Laura is an invaluable resource on Atlantic coast fish species and stock assessment methods. She is generous with her time and has mentored several fisheries scientists through complex analyses and approaches. Laura provided advanced statistical analysis and guidance to DMF staff for virtually every FMP adopted during her tenure. Some of these scientists have 3 gone on serve on Commission technical committees and to further their careers at other state agencies, NOAA Fisheries, and in academia. Despite her formal transition off Commission and Division committees due to her new role, she has continued to show her dedication to Atlantic species by regularly participating in committee meetings and providing valuable feedback to keep science projects moving forward.

Law Enforcement Contributions

Deputy Chief Jason Snellbaker of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Bureau of Law Enforcement

Since becoming a member of the Commission’s Law Enforcement Committee (LEC) in 2014, Jason has promoted the role of law enforcement in fisheries management. He has represented the Committee on a number of species management boards, including tautog; summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass; Atlantic sturgeon; and bluefish. He has been the voice of the LEC on critical topics such as commercial tautog tagging and the summer flounder research set aside program.

During Jason’s time with the LEC, he was selected by his peers to serve in a leadership role as Vice-chair and Chair. He accepted these roles during the pandemic, a particularly challenging time for the LEC as members were drawn to other responsibilities in their home states. Jason kept the flow of communication open and provided steady leadership by staying on as Chair for an extended period. At the state level, Jason’s exceptional leadership has been recognized by both NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement for his efforts in support of the Cooperative Enforcement Program, and by the Commission for his work as part of a team of officers working in the New Jersey Fish and Wildlife marine region. He has also promoted marine fisheries law enforcement in forums such as the National Association of Conservation Law Enforcement Chiefs where he took on an advisory role and participated in an exchange program with an agency in Belize. 

US regulators maintain fishing quota for valuable baby eels, even as Canada struggles with poaching

May 2, 2024 — U.S. regulators decided Wednesday to allow American fishermen to harvest thousands of pounds of valuable baby eels in the coming years, even as authorities have shuttered the industry in Canada while they grapple with poaching.

Baby eels, also called elvers, are harvested from rivers and streams by fishermen every spring. The tiny fish are sometimes worth more than $2,000 per pound because of their high value to Asian aquaculture companies.

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission decided Wednesday that U.S. fishermen will be allowed to harvest a little less than 10,000 pounds (4,536 kilograms) of the eels per year. That quota, which holds current levels, will stand through at least 2027 and could be extended beyond that year, the panel decided.

Read the full story at the AP