Saving Seafood

ASMFC 2024 Summer Meeting Final Agenda and Materials Now Available

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

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Summer Meeting will be August 6 – 8, 2024 at The Westin Crystal City. This will be a hybrid meeting (both in-person and remote) to allow for participation by Commissioners and interested stakeholders. The room block is now closed; if you need assistance reserving a room, please contact Lisa Carty at lcarty@asmfc.org . The Summer Meeting final agenda and meeting materials are available at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2024-summer-meeting. For ease of access, all main board materials have been combined into 2 documents: August 6 Meeting Materials & August 7 & 8 Materials. Please note that due to its file size, only the Assessment Peer Review and the Terms of Reference section of the River Herring Benchmark Stock Assessment have been included in the Shad and River Herring Management Board materials. However, full versions of the assessment and its appendices can be found here.

The agenda is subject to change. The agenda reflects the current estimate of 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.
 
Webinar Information 
Meeting proceedings will be broadcast daily via webinar beginning Tuesday, August 6 at 9 AM and continuing daily until the conclusion of the meeting (expected to be 10:30 AM on Thursday, August 8). To register for the webinar, please go to: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7224724220521378647 (Webinar ID 325-845-475)
 
If you are joining the webinar but will not be using voice over internet protocol (VoIP), you can may also call in at +1.415.655.0052, access code 565-335-899. 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.
 
Each day, the webinar will begin 15 minutes prior to the start of the first meeting so that people can troubleshoot any connectivity or audio issues they may encounter. If you are having issues with the webinar (connecting to or audio related issues), please contact Chris Jacobs at 703.842.0790.
 
Meeting Process 
Board chairs will ask both in-person and virtual board members if they wish to speak. In-person members can simply raise their hands at the meeting without logging on to the webinar, while virtual members will raise their hands on the webinar. The chair will work with staff to compile the list of speakers, balancing the flow of questions/comments between in-person and virtual attendees. The same process will be used for public comment. Depending upon the number of commenters, the board chair will decide how to allocate the available time on the agenda (typically 10 minutes) to the number of people who want to speak.
 
Public Comment Guidelines
To provide 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 opportunities to the public to bring matters of concern to the board’s attention at the start of each board meeting. Board chairs will ask members of the public to raise their hands to let the chair know they would like to speak. Depending upon the number of commenters, the board chair will decide 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 comments 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 comments 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 three weeks prior to the start of a meeting week (July 15) will be included in the briefing materials.
2.   Comments received by 5 PM on Tuesday, July 30 will be included in supplemental materials.
3.   Comments received by 10 AM on Friday, August 2 will be distributed electronically to Commissioners/Board members prior to the meeting.
 
The submitted comments must clearly indicate the commenter’s expectation from the ASMFC staff regarding distribution. Additionally, if submitting public comment in a video format, the video needs to be a URL link. As with other public comment, it will be accepted via mail and email.
 
We look forward to seeing you at the Summer Meeting!

States Schedule Public Hearings on Northern Shrimp Draft Amendment 4 Public Information Document

July 8, 2024 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic coastal states of Maine though Massachusetts have scheduled hearings to gather public input on the Public Information Document (PID) to Draft Amendment 4 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Northern Shrimp. 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 public hearing details follow:

 
Date and Hearing Format
State/Agency
Contact
Monday, July 29
Webinar Hearing
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
New Hampshire Fish and Game Dept. & Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries
 
The webinar registration link is available here, and additional webinar instructions are below.  
603.868.1095
 
508.264.4157
Tuesday, July 30
Webinar Hearing
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Maine Dept. of Marine Resources
 
The webinar registration link is available here, and additional webinar instructions are below. 
207.446.0932
Wednesday, July 31
In-person Hearing
5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Maine Dept. of Marine Resources
 
Hearing Location:
Lincoln County Regional Planning Commission
297 Bath Road
Wiscasset, ME 04578
 
207.446.0932
Thursday, August 1
Webinar Hearing
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Maine Dept. of Marine Resources, New Hampshire Fish and Game Dept., & Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries
 
The webinar registration link is available here, and additional webinar instructions are below. 
703.842.0714
 
 
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.
 
Webinar Instructions
Please note that in order to comment during virtual webinar hearings you will need to use your computer or download the GoTo app for your phone. Those joining by phone only will be limited to listening to the presentation and will not be able to provide input. In those cases, you can send your comments to staff via email or US mail at any time during the public comment period. To attend the webinar in listen only mode, dial 213.929.4212 and enter access code 846-921-953. If you are unable to participate in your state’s scheduled hearing, you are welcome to participate in any of the virtual hearings.
 
For all virtual hearings, please click HERE and select the hearing(s) you plan to attend from the dropdown menu to register for a public hearing webinar. Hearings will be held via GoToWebinar, and you can join the webinar from your computer, tablet or smartphone. If you are new to GoToWebinar, you can download the software by (clicking here) or via the App store under GoTo. We recommend you register for the hearing well in advance of the hearing since GoToWebinar will provide you with a link to test your device’s compatibility with the webinar. If you find your device is not compatible, please contact the Commission at info@asmfc.org (subject line: GoToWebinar help) and we will try to get you connected. We also strongly encourage participants to use the computer voice over internet protocol (VoIP) so you can ask questions and provide input at the hearing.
 
Hearing Presentation Recording
For those who cannot attend any in-person or virtual hearings, the Commission will also post a recording of the hearing presentation on the Commission’s YouTube page so that stakeholders may watch the presentation and submit comment at any time during the comment process. This recording will be available by July 22, with the recording link provided at https://asmfc.org/about-us/public-input.
Submitting Comments
The PID is available athttps://asmfc.org/files/PublicInput/NShrimpAm4PID_PublicComment_June2024.pdf or on the Commission’s Public Input webpage at https://asmfc.org/about-us/public-input. All those interested in the management of northern shrimp are encouraged to provide input either by participating in public hearings, which may be conducted in-person or via webinar, or providing written comment.Public comment will be accepted until 11:59 PM (EST) on August 15, 2024 and should be sent to Chelsea Tuohy, FMP Coordinator, at 1050 N. Highland St., Suite 200 A-N, Arlington, Virginia 22201; or at comments@asmfc.org (Subject line: Northern Shrimp PID). For more information, please contact Chelsea Tuohy at ctuohy@asmfc.org.

Northern Shrimp Section Releases for Public Comment the PID to Draft Amendment 4 to the Interstate FMP for Northern Shrimp

June 28, 2024 — The following was released by Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Commission’s Northern Shrimp Section has released for public comment the Public Information Document (PID) to Amendment 4 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Northern Shrimp. The states of Maine through Massachusetts will be conducting hearings on the PID; the details of those hearings will be released in a subsequent press release.

Given the stock’s continued depleted status, the Section initiated the draft amendment 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 could inform whenan ongoing or multiyear moratoria should be re-evaluated if improved stock conditions are evident, indicated through recruitment trends or other specified biological indicators.
 
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.
Submitting Comments
The PID is available athttps://www.asmfc.org/uploads/file/667dd835NShrimpAm4PID_PublicComment_June2024.pdf or on the Commission’s Public Input webpage at https://asmfc.org/about-us/public-input. All those interested in the management of northern shrimp are encouraged to provide input either by participating in public hearings, which may be conducted in-person or via webinar, or providing written comment. Public comment will be accepted until 11:59 PM (EST) on August 16, 2024 and should be sent to Chelsea Tuohy, FMP Coordinator, at 1050 N. Highland St., Suite 200 A-N, Arlington, Virginia 22201; or at comments@asmfc.org (Subject line: Northern Shrimp PID). For more information, please contact Chelsea Tuohy at ctuohy@asmfc.org.

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