Saving Seafood

ASMFC Finds the Commonwealth of Virginia Out of Compliance with Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Menhaden

October 31, 2019 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission has found the Commonwealth of Virginia out of compliance with a mandatory management measure contained in Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Menhaden. The Commission will notify the Secretary of Commerce of its finding. This action was taken pursuant to the provisions of the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act of 1993.

Specifically, the Commonwealth of Virginia has failed to effectively implement and enforce Section 4.3.7 Chesapeake Bay Reduction Fishery Cap of Amendment 3. In order to come back into compliance, the Commonwealth must implement an annual total allowable harvest from the Chesapeake Bay by the reduction fishery of no more than 51,000 mt. The implementation of this measure is necessary to achieve the goals and objectives of Amendment 3 and maintain the Chesapeake Bay marine environment to assure the availability of the ecosystem’s resources on a long-term basis.

Upon notification by the Commission, the Secretary of Commerce has 30 days to review the recommendation and determine appropriate action, which may include a federal moratorium on fishing for or possessing Atlantic menhaden in the Commonwealth’s state waters.

For more information, please contact Toni Kerns, Director, Interstate Fisheries Management Program, at tkerns@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.

ASMFC Atlantic Striped Bass Board Approves Addendum VI

October 31, 2019 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board approved Addendum VI to Amendment 6 of the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Striped Bass. The Addendum reduces all state commercial quotas by 18%, and implements a 1 fish bag limit and a 28”-35” recreational slot limit for ocean fisheries and a 1 fish bag limit and an 18” minimum size limit for Chesapeake Bay recreational fisheries. States may submit alternative regulations through conservation equivalency to achieve an 18% reduction in total removals relative to 2017 levels.

Addendum VI was initiated in response to the 2018 Benchmark Stock Assessment, which indicates the resource is overfished and experiencing overfishing. The Addendum’s measures are designed to reduce harvest, end overfishing, and bring fishing mortality to the target level in 2020.

Since catch and release practices contribute significantly to overall fishing mortality, the Addendum requires the mandatory use of circle hooks when fishing with bait to reduce release mortality in recreational striped bass fisheries. Outreach and education will be a necessary element to garner support and compliance with this important conservation measure.

States are required to submit implementation plans by November 30, 2019 for review by the Technical Committee and approval by the Board in February 2020. States must implement mandatory circle hook requirements by January 1, 2021. All other provisions of Addendum VI must be implemented by April 1, 2020. Additionally, in February 2020, the Board will consider a postponed motion to initiate an Amendment to rebuild spawning stock biomass to the target level and address other issues with the management program.

Addendum VI will be available on the Commission’s website (www.asmfc.org) on the Atlantic Striped Bass webpage in early November. For more information, please contact Max Appelman, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at mappelman@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.

ASMFC Spiny Dogfish Board Approves Addendum VI

October 31, 2019 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Commission’s Spiny Dogfish Management Board approved Addendum VI to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Spiny Dogfish. The Addendum allows commercial quota to be transferred between all regions and states to enable the full utilization of the coastwide commercial quota and avoid quota payback for unintended quota overages.

The Commission’s FMP allocates the coastwide quota to the states of Maine-Connecticut as a regional allocation and to the states of New York-North Carolina as state-specific allocations. Previously, the FMP only allowed quota transfers between states with individual allocations, with regions excluded from benefitting from quota transfers. The 2019-2020 coastwide quota was reduced by 46% due to declining biomass. If landings in the 2019-2020 fishing year remain the same as 2018-2019 landings, there was concern the coastwide quota would not be exceeded but some states could face early closures due to reaching their allocation and being unable to access available unused quota from the northern region through quota transfers.

In order for the northern region to participate in quota transfers the Director of each state’s marine fisheries agency within the region must agree to the transfer in writing. As with transfers between states, transfers involving regions do not permanently affect the shares of the coastwide quota. Additionally, the Addendum extends the timeframe for when quota transfers can occur up to 45 days after the end of the fishing year to allow for late reporting of landings data. The Addendum’s measures are effective immediately and allow for transfers between all states and the northern region starting with the 2019-2020 fishing year.

Addendum VI will be available on the Commission’s website (www.asmfc.org) on the Spiny Dogfish webpage in early November. For more information, please contact Kirby Rootes-Murdy, Senior Fishery Management Plan Coordinator at krootes-murdy@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.

Rep. Pallone Calls for Fair Treatment of New Jersey Fishing Community

October 30, 2019 — The following was released by The Office of Congressman Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ):

Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) called on the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASFMC) to pursue a conservation policy that achieves agreed upon Striped Bass stock management goals while treating states like New Jersey in a fair and consistent manner. In a letter, Pallone urged fair treatment of all states as the ASFMC considers implementing new removal limits to protect Striped Bass fishing stock on Thursday.

“We all agree that conservation of New Jersey’s Striped Bass is paramount to our state’s marine environment, but we must also ensure that New Jersey’s fishing industry is treated fairly,” Congressman Pallone said. “I strongly encourage the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to implement the agreed upon conservation goals in a way that does not unfairly harm New Jersey and our thriving coastal communities.”

A copy of the letter is available here.

VIRGINIA: The Battle Over Menhaden Harvesting in the Bay

October 30, 2019 — Set along the northern-most section of Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay is a town called Reedville, a fishing community established in the 1870’s. Though quaint and scenic, the heart pumping life into Reedville is a fish processing plant owned by Omega Protein.

Omega Protein harvests and processes a small, oily fish called menhaden for various commercial uses that include fish oil and fish meal, which is used as food ingredients and animal feed. It’s a good business for Reedville’s economy, but there are others who say this business is bad for the bay.

One of those people is Allen Girard of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, a watchdog group that fights for the health and restoration of the bay.

“Menhaden are an incredible species,” says Girard. “A link in the food chain to the whole food web to the Chesapeake Bay.”

A close eye is kept on that link by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries.

“The menhaden issue is a very complex issue the commission is currently facing,” says Toni Kerns, ASMFC’s director of Interstate Fisheries Management Program and Policy Development.

The ASMFC is a group that, under federal law, manages and oversees coastal fisheries including the menhaden species. Essentially, the ASMFC has regulatory authority.

Read the full story at WBOC

Patrick C. Keliher Elected ASMFC Chair

October 30, 2019 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Today, member states of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission) thanked James Gilmore of New York for an effective two-year term as Chair and elected Commissioner Patrick C. Keliher of Maine to succeed him.

“It is both a great honor and huge responsibility to be trusted to lead the Commission for the next two years. I am humbled by my fellow Commissioners’ confidence in me,” said Mr. Keliher. “While my obligation to the great State of Maine will always come first and foremost, I also recognize that Maine sits on boards for just 10 of the 27 species managed by the Commission. As Chair, I will be working with ASMFC leadership to shape the course of interstate fisheries management for more than just the Pine Tree State and will ensure substantial resources are devoted to issues of equal importance in the fisheries of the Mid- and South Atlantic states. I look forward to bolstering the Commission’s relationship with NOAA Fisheries and Congress to ensure mutual cooperation. I’d like to thank Jim Gilmore for his superb leadership over the past two years. I learned a great deal from him and will use the knowledge gained to work with newly elected Vice-chair Spud Woodward to advance the Commission’s vision of Cooperative and Sustainable Management of Atlantic Coastal Fisheries.”

Under Mr. Gilmore’s chairmanship, the Commission made important strides in furthering its strategic goals. Management accomplishment’s during the past two years include approval of plan amendments for Atlantic cobia and summer flounder, protections for spawning Atlantic herring, and approval of an addendum to end overfishing of Atlantic striped bass. The Commission’s Science Program completed benchmark assessments and peer reviews for horseshoe crab, Atlantic striped bass and northern shrimp, and made significant progress on the benchmark assessments for American lobster, American shad, and Atlantic menhaden (including the establishment of ecological reference points).

The Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program (ACCSP) continued to successfully implement state conduct of the Marine Recreational Information Program’s Access-Point Angler Intercept Survey. ACCSP also made significant advancements in technological innovations, including tablet and mobile data entry apps for dealers, commercial fishermen and the for-hire industry. During his chairmanship, Mr. Gilmore oversaw the selection of a new ACCSP Program Director, Geoff White.

The Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership funded restoration projects in six states to conserve a total of 40 acres of fish habitat and provide access to over 29 river miles and 3,900 acres of spawning habitat. It also launched a redesigned website, created an online query tool for the Species-Habitat Matrix, and completed a research project to understand black sea bass habitat use in the Mid-Atlantic Bight.

A Gardiner native, Mr.  Keliher has spent much of his life in the woods and on the waters of Maine.  His experiences as a youth, fishing and lobstering with family in Casco Bay, instilled in him early on an appreciation for the importance and value of our natural resources. He has been Commissioner of Maine’s Department of Marine Resources since January 2012.

The Commission also elected Spud Woodward, Georgia’s Governor Appointee to the Commission, as its Vice-Chair.

ASMFC Horseshoe Crab Board Sets 2020 Specifications for Horseshoe Crabs of Delaware Bay Origin

October 30, 2019 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Horseshoe Crab Management Board approved the harvest specifications for horseshoe crabs of Delaware Bay origin. Under the Adaptive Resource Management (ARM) Framework, the Board set a harvest limit of 500,000 Delaware Bay male horseshoe crabs and zero female horseshoe crabs for the 2020 season. Based on the allocation mechanism established in Addendum VII, the following quotas were set for the States of New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland and the Commonwealth of Virginia, which harvest horseshoe crabs of Delaware Bay origin:

The Board chose a harvest package based on the Delaware Bay Ecosystem Technical Committee’s and ARM Subcommittee’s recommendation. The ARM Framework, established through Addendum VII, incorporates both shorebird and horseshoe crab abundance levels to set optimized harvest levels for horseshoe crabs of Delaware Bay origin. The horseshoe crab abundance estimate was based on data from the Benthic Trawl Survey conducted by Virginia Polytechnic Institute (Virginia Tech). This survey, which is the primary data source for assessing Delaware Bay horseshoe crab abundance for the past two years, as well as the ongoing benchmark stock assessment, does not have a consistent funding source. However, due to the efforts of three Senators and six Representatives – namely, Senators Chris Coons (D-DE), Tom Carper (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ); and Representatives Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), Lisa Blunt-Rochester (D-DE), Donald Norcross (D-NJ), Chris Smith (R-NJ), and Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) – and the support of NOAA Fisheries, annual funding for the survey has been provided since 2016. They have also requested that NOAA Fisheries incorporate the survey into the agency’s annual budget.

For more information, please contact Dr. Michael Schmidtke, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at 703.842.0740 or mschmidtke@asmfc.org.

Virginia Out of Compliance with Menhaden Cap

October 29, 2019 — The menhaden harvest limit decision-makers have found Virginia to be out of compliance with the Chesapeake Bay harvest cap.

Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (ASMFC) Menhaden Management Board voted overwhelmingly to take action against Virginia after Omega Protein, the Reedville-based producer of fish meal and fish oil, exceeded ASMFC’s harvest cap back in September.

Menhaden, an oily little fish, makes for big business, but it’s also a key piece of the Chesapeake Bay food chain, providing food for predators like striped bass.

The ASMFC set the Bay’s menhaden harvest cap at 51,000 metric tons back in 2017, but Virginia’s General Assembly, who control state menhaden management, refused to enact the new cap. So the state limit remains at 87,216 metric tons.

The ASMFC considered a non-compliance motion last year, for Virginia’s failure to adopt the cap, but postponed it because Omega Protein hadn’t actually exceeded 51,000 metric tons in recent years.

Read the full story at the Chesapeake Bay Magazine

A beloved New Jersey fish is in big trouble. What’s next for striper fishing?

October 28, 2019 — Paul Haertel has been reeling in striped bass — stripers, as they’re better known — along the Jersey Shore since he was a teen.

The 64-year-old angler from Barnegat lives for a good trophy fish; he’s even mounted two of his largest catches on his wall: one a 50-pounder he caught off Barnegat Inlet in 2003, the other he nabbed in 2011 during a thunderstorm, while chasing bunker fish off the Shore.

“I don’t want a replica of somebody else’s fish hanging on my wall — I want my fish” Haertel said.

Haertel’s sense of striper pride echoes throughout the state: when the bass migrate north in the spring and when they head south in the fall, pictures of monster fish are shared by proud anglers across social media. Stripers are a key component of in New Jersey’s multi-billion dollar fishing industry, too, as charter boats up and down the Shore make their living bringing striper-seekers out into open saltwater.

But trouble now looms amid the churning waves.

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, an agency formed by 15 states that manages the fishing of multiple species swimming along the East Coast, announced in May that striped bass are being overfished.

Read the full story at NJ.com

Revised Effort Controls for the Atlantic Herring Area 1A Fishery in Period 4

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

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Atlantic Herring Management Board members from Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts revised effort control measures for the 2019 Area 1A (inshore Gulf of Maine) fishery for period 4 (November and December). The Area 1A fishery will remain at zero landing days for the remainder of October as the period 3 quota has been met.

For period 4, the Area 1A fishery will move to one landing day per week starting at 6:00 p.m. on November 3 for Maine and 12:01 a.m. on November 4 for Massachusetts and New Hampshire, contingent upon a notice by NOAA Fisheries that the Area 1A sub-ACL has been adjusted. As outlined in the Atlantic herring specifications, if the New Brunswick weir fishery catch through October 1 is less than 4,000 mt, then 1,000 mt will be subtracted from the management uncertainty buffer and added to the Area 1A sub-ACL. NOAA Fisheries is currently evaluating landings data from the New Brunswick weir fishery and will make a determination in the coming weeks. If a notice by NOAA Fisheries has not been issued by 10 a.m. on October 31, the fishery will remain at zero landings until the transfer has occurred. Upon notification from NOAA Fisheries, the fishery will move to one landing day per week with a Sunday/Monday start date based on the timing of the announcement. In order to provide states enough time to notify stakeholders, the notice from NOAA Fisheries must be posted by 10 a.m. on Thursday for the fishery to move to one landing day the subsequent Sunday/Monday.

Period 4 landings will be closely monitored and the directed fishery in Area 1A will close when 92% of the sub-ACL is projected to be reached, or when 95% of the ACL for the stock-wide fishery is projected to be reached. Fishermen are prohibited from landing more than 2,000 pounds of Atlantic herring per trip on days out of the fishery.

Please note the Western Maine and Massachusetts/New Hampshire spawning areas remain closed through 11:59 p.m. on November 3 (vessels cannot take, land, or possess Atlantic herring during spawning closures).

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

A PDF of the announcement can be found here – http://www.asmfc.org/uploads/file/5db1e21bAtlHerringDaysOutRevisedSpecifications_Oct2019.pdf