Saving Seafood

ASMFC 2020 Winter Meeting Supplemental Materials Now Available

January 29, 2020 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Supplemental materials for the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s 2020 Winter Meeting are now available at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2020-winter-meeting for the following Boards/Committees (click on “Supplemental” following each relevant committee header to access the information). For ease of access, supplemental meeting materials have been combined into one PDF – http://www.asmfc.org/files/Meetings/2020WinterMeeting/2020WinterMeetingSupplementalMaterials.pdf.

Atlantic Herring Management Board – Draft Addendum III for Public Comment and Proposed Rule on Framework Adjustment 6 2020-2021 Specifications

Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board – Technical Review of Addendum VI State Implementation Plans and Conservation Equivalency Proposals; Law Enforcement Committee Recommendations on the Enforceability of Measures in the Bluefish and Striped Bass Conservation Equivalency Proposals; Advisory Panel Nominations and Resignation Letter from Arnold Leo; Public Comment

Bluefish Management Board – Bluefish Conservation Equivalency Criteria and Proposal Template; Technical Committee Review of Conservation Equivalency Proposals for the 2020 Recreational Bluefish Fishery; Regional and State Proposals; Law Enforcement Committee Recommendations on the Enforceability of Measures in the Bluefish and Striped Bass Conservation Equivalency Proposals

Atlantic Menhaden Management Board – Public Comment (please review before printing due to file size)

South Atlantic State/Federal Fisheries Management Board – Technical Committee Recommendations for Atlantic Cobia Harvest Quota; Public Comment Summary on Spot and Croaker Draft Addenda; South Atlantic Species Advisory Panel Meeting Summary; Atlantic Croaker Technical Committee and Spot Plan Review Team Meeting Summary; Stock Assessment Subcommittee Memo on Red Drum Stock Assessment Road Map

Executive Committee – Revised Agenda

Business Session – Revised Agenda

As a reminder, Board meeting proceedings will be broadcast daily via webinar beginning at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, February 4th and continuing daily until the conclusion of the meeting (expected to be 12:30 p.m.) on Thursday, February 6th. The webinar will allow registrants to listen to board deliberations and view presentations and motions as they occur. No comments or questions will be accepted via the webinar. Should technical difficulties arise while streaming the broadcast the boards/sections will continue their deliberations without interruption. We will attempt to resume the broadcast as soon as possible. To register, please go to https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3853611638258510347.

Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council Updates for January 17, 2020

January 17, 2020 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

February Council Meeting Agenda: The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will meet February 11-13, 2020 in Duck, North Carolina. The agenda is available here.

Bluefish Allocation and Rebuilding Amendment: The MAFMC has scheduled eleven scoping hearings to gather public input for the Bluefish Allocation and Rebuilding Amendment. Hearings will be held between February 13 and March 4, 2020. Written comments will be accepted through March 17, 2020. Additional details are available in the hearing announcement and scoping document.

Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Commercial/Recreational Allocation Amendment: The MAFMC and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission have scheduled eleven scoping hearings to gather public input on the range of issues and information to be considered in the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Commercial/Recreational Allocation Amendment. Hearings will be held between February 13 and March 3. Written comments will be accepted through March 17, 2020. Additional details are available in the hearing announcement and scoping document.

SSC Nominations: The MAFMC is seeking candidates to fill four seats on its Scientific and Statistical Committee. Applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, January 24, 2020. View the announcement for details and application instructions.

IT Specialist Vacancy: The MAFMC is seeking candidates for the position of IT Specialist and Data Manager. Applications are due January 31, 2020. See the vacancy announcement for more information.

Offshore Wind Updates: The latest update on offshore wind activities in the Mid-Atlantic and Southern New England is available here. Sign up for our offshore wind email list to receive these updates (be sure to check the box next to “Offshore Wind Updates”).

SSC Agenda: An agenda for the March 10-11 Scientific and Statistical Committee meeting is now available here.

Longfin Squid: Longfin squid incidental catch permit applications are due by February 29, 2020. See the NOAA Fisheries bulletin for more information.

Rutgers IFISSH Course: January 24th is the deadline to register for Rutgers Cooperative Extension’s Introductory Fisheries Science for Stakeholders (IFISSH) Course. This course was developed to educate New Jersey’s commercial and recreational fishing industries’ stakeholders on fisheries science and management. Classes will meet every Tuesday from January 28 through March 31, 2020. Learn more on the IFISSH web page.

Spanish Mackerel Trip Limits: The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is seeking input on proposed commercial trip limit reductions for Spanish mackerel in the Atlantic Northern Zone (federal waters from the North Carolina/South Carolina line northward to the New York/Rhode Island/Connecticut line). The reductions are proposed to help extend the commercial season. Webinar hearings will be held January 22 and 23 at 6:00 p.m. Written comments will be accepted until 5:00 p.m. on February 7. More information is available here.

Upcoming Meetings:

Questions? Contact Mary Sabo – msabo@mafmc.org, (302) 518-1143.

Supplemental Scoping Hearings Scheduled for Bluefish Allocation and Rebuilding Amendment

January 13, 2020 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold eleven supplemental scoping hearings to gather public input for the Bluefish Allocation and Rebuilding Amendment. The Council is developing this action in cooperation with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission in order to (1) update the goals and objectives of the Bluefish Fishery Management Plan (FMP); (2) perform a comprehensive review of the bluefish sector allocations, commercial allocations to the states, and transfer processes; and (3) initiate a bluefish rebuilding plan. Scoping hearings will be held between February 13 and March 4, 2020. Written comments will be accepted through March 17, 2020.

An initial round of scoping was conducted in the summer of 2018 to gauge public interest in the development of an amendment. Since then, recalibrated Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) estimates became available and were incorporated into the 2019 bluefish operational assessment. The assessment concluded that the stock was overfished but not experiencing overfishing. The Council and Commission subsequently recommended including the rebuilding plan into this ongoing amendment. Because the additional issue modifies the scope of the amendment, the Council is holding additional hearings to provide the public ample opportunities to comment on the expanded scope of the amendment.

Public comments during scoping will help the Council address issues of public concern in a thorough and appropriate manner. Some management questions for consideration in this amendment include:

  • Are the existing goals and objectives appropriate for managing the bluefish fishery?
  • Is the existing allocation between the commercial and recreational sectors based on the annual catch limit appropriate for managing the bluefish fishery?
  • Are the existing commercial state allocations appropriate for managing the bluefish fishery?
  • Are the existing transfer processes appropriate for managing the bluefish fishery?
  • What is the appropriate approach to take for rebuilding?

Read the full release here

Cuts Coming to Bluefish Recreational Fishing Limits

December 18, 2019 — According to federal fishery managers, one of the most popular sport fish in the Chesapeake and the Atlantic Ocean is overfished. Consequently, recreational anglers will see significant cuts to help rebuild the stock.

Under new rules approved last week, anglers fishing in state and federal waters will be limited to three bluefish per day while people fishing from charter boats may take home five.

The decision came at a joint meeting of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), which oversees migratory species in state waters along the coast, and the Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Council (MFC), which manages fish three to 200 miles off the Mid-Atlantic coast.

Maryland’s current minimum size limit is eight inches with a 10-fish daily limit. Delaware and Virginia have no size limits and a 10-fish per-day per angler possession limit. It’s a 365-day season all around, and the current rules are the same for charter boats and individual anglers.

The current limit in federal waters from three to 200 miles offshore is 15 fish per person with no minimum size restriction. For 2020, no restrictions were made to minimum fish size or seasons. This amounts to a predicted 18 percent reduction in the recreational harvest. The commercial fishery will see a 64 percent reduction in quota.

Read the full story at the Chesapeake Bay Magazine

Council and Commission Recommend Recreational Bluefish Management Measures for 2020

December 17, 2019 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Last week, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) recommended and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission) approved new recreational fishing regulations for the 2020 Atlantic bluefish fishery from Florida to Maine. These measures, which include a 3-fish bag limit for private anglers and shore-based fishermen and a 5-fish bag limit for for-hire fishermen, represent a substantial reduction compared to the federal 15-fish bag limit that has been in place since 2000. The Commission’s actions are final and apply to state waters (0-3 miles from shore), while the Council will forward its recommendation for federal waters (3 – 200 miles from shore) to the NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Administrator for final approval.

The most recent operational assessment of the Atlantic bluefish stock concluded that the stock is overfished but not experiencing overfishing. During their joint meeting in October, the Council and Commission adopted a recreational harvest limit (RHL) of 9.48 million pounds for 2020 and 2021, which is an 18% decrease compared to the 2019 RHL. Using the current regulations, the recreational sector is projected to land 13.27 million pounds, which will exceed the RHL by 28.56%. Therefore, the Council and Commission met last week to approve new recreational management measures to constrain harvest to the reduced RHL.

The Council and Commission considered several combinations of bag limits and minimum size limits, including options to set a single set of regulations for all fishing modes or different regulations for shore/private modes and the for-hire mode. Although the Council’s Bluefish Monitoring Committee recommended a coastwide 3-fish bag limit, the majority of comments from the public and Bluefish Advisory Panel (AP) members expressed opposition to this option, noting that it would have severe economic consequences for the for-hire sector, which was only responsible for 3.6% of coastwide landings from 2016 to 2018. Additionally, AP members and the public emphasized that these proposed reductions come at a challenging time for for-hire stakeholders as they are also facing new restrictions on striped bass, black sea bass, summer flounder, and scup.

After an extensive discussion and thorough consideration of public comments, the Council recommended and Commission approved a 3-fish bag limit for private and shore modes and a 5-fish bag limit for the for-hire mode. No restrictions were made to minimum fish size or seasons.

“For many years, bluefish has been one of our most abundant recreational fisheries,” said Council Chairman and ASMFC Board member Mike Luisi. “The Council and Commission are fully committed to the effective conservation and management of this stock, but we also recognize that a sudden change in regulations could have severe socioeconomic consequences for some stakeholders. After evaluating a wide range of options and considering numerous comments from the public, we feel that this approach is the most fair and effective way to achieve the necessary reduction in harvest next year.”

The Council and Commission are continuing to work on development of a rebuilding plan as part of the Bluefish Allocation and Rebuilding Amendment. Additional information and updates on this action are available at http://www.mafmc.org/actions/bluefish-allocation-amendment.

NEW YORK: Disappearing bluefish lead to regulators’ plan to limit catch

December 6, 2019 — A precipitous drop in the abundance of bluefish in New York and East Coast waters has led interstate fisheries regulators to call for unprecedented cuts in allowable catch limits for the once-ubiquitous fish, starting next year.

At a meeting of the Department of Environmental Conservation in Setauket Thursday night, state regulators announced a planned 64% reduction in the commercial take of bluefish for 2020, to 287,667 pounds from this year’s quota of more than 800,000. The DEC, which regulates state waters, reported commercial fishermen this year landed 568,931 pounds.

Most bluefish are harvested recreationally by anglers in coves, bays and beaches, from Maine to Florida. On Long Island, bluefish are prized as a good fighting fish and young bluefish, or snappers, are the mainstay of fishing derbies that bring children into the sport.

A coastal stock assessment showed an all-time low in the recreational harvest 2018, to 13.47 million pounds coast wide, a steady drop from the approximately 50 million pounds reported in 2010 and a far cry from the all-time coastal high 151.46 million pounds reported in 1986.

While fisheries managers say overfishing is the likely cause of the declines, they acknowledged there’s much they don’t know about why bluefish, once prevalent year-round and famous for blitzes — the appearance of acres of bluefish feasting on baitfish such as bunker, with gulls and terns striking from above — visible from spring to fall, are so scarce.

Read the full story at Newsday

NOAA Fisheries Announces 2020-2021 Summer Flounder Specifications and Interim 2020 Scup, Black Sea Bass, and Bluefish Specification

October 8, 2019 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

We are implementing the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s recommended 2020-2021 summer flounder specifications and initial 2020 specifications for the scup, black sea bass, and bluefish fisheries. The initial 2020 specifications for scup, black sea bass, and bluefish will be re-evaluated early in the fishing year to address the results of an operational assessment for all three species.

Read the final rule as published in the Federal Register, and our permit holder bulletin.

NOAA Fisheries Announces Proposed 2020-2021 Summer Flounder Specifications and Interim 2020 Scup, Black Sea Bass, and Bluefish Specifications

July 30, 2019 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

We are proposing the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s recommended 2020-2021 summer flounder specifications and initial 2020 specifications for the scup, black sea bass, and bluefish fisheries.  The initial 2020 specifications for scup, black sea bass, and bluefish will be re-evaluated in early 2020 following the results of an operational assessment for all three species.  The proposed specifications for all four species is identical to what is in place for the 2019 fishing year.

How Do I Comment?

Read the proposed rule as published in the Federal Register, and submit your comments through the online portal. You may also submit comments through regular mail to:

Michael Pentony, Regional Administrator
Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office
55 Great Republic Drive
Gloucester, MA 01930

The comment period is open through August 26.

Read the full release here

NEFMC Joins MAFMC in Commercial eVTR action

July 16, 2019 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council is taking steps to bring all commercial fishermen who hold federal permits for Council-managed species into the digital age by requiring vessel trip reports (VTRs) to be submitted electronically instead of on paper. These electronic reports are known as eVTRs, and this proposed action will apply to all of the Council’s fishery management plans.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC) has been working since December of 2018 on a Commercial eVTR Omnibus Framework Action that would apply to all vessels with federal commercial permits for MAFMC-managed species, which include summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, Atlantic mackerel, squid, butterfish, surfclams, ocean quahogs, bluefish, and tilefish.

Read the full release here

Young fish might soon be the ones that get away from North Carolina fishermen

June 21, 2019 — Fishermen won’t be able to catch certain species of fish in North Carolina unless they meet minimum size standards set by state regulators under a proposal that cleared the House on Thursday.

House Bill 483, dubbed “Let Them Spawn,” directs the state Marine Fisheries Commission to set minimum sizes for spot, Atlantic croaker, kingfish, striped mullet, southern flounder and bluefish. The sizes will be based on biological data to ensure that 75 percent of juvenile fish in each species will be able to reach maturity and spawn at least once.

The issue pits recreational anglers against commercial fishermen and was debated for about two hours over two days before the House voted 58-47 on final approval – a preliminary vote Wednesday was even closer, at 58-54 – sending the measure to the Senate.

Read the full story at WRAL