Saving Seafood

ASMFC Horseshoe Crab Benchmark Stock Assessment Scheduled for May 8-10, 2018, in Arlington, VA

March 8, 2018 — ARLINGTON, Va. — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Horseshoe Crab Stock Assessment Workshop will be conducted May 8-10, 2018, at the Commission’s office at 1050 N. Highland Street, Suite 200A-N, Arlington, VA 22201. The assessment will evaluate horseshoe crab population along the Atlantic coast and inform the management of this species.

All Commission assessment workshops are open for public attendance. Time may be allotted for public comment at the Stock Assessment Subcommittee (SAS) Chair’s discretion, but may also be limited to keep the workshop on schedule. Due to the use of confidential data in this assessment, some portions of the workshop may be “closed door,” for which only members of the SAS with clearance to view confidential data may be present. Additionally, to ensure adherence to confidentiality laws, there will be no remote public access via webinar or conference call for this meeting.

The benchmark stock assessment will be independently peer-reviewed through a Commission External Peer Review Workshop tentatively scheduled for fall 2018. Details on the dates and location of the Peer Review Workshop will be announced later this year.

For more information about the assessment or attending the Assessment Workshop, please contact Dr. Mike Schmidtke, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at mschmidtke@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.

 

How many horseshoe crabs? Regulators want to find out

October 27, 2017 — PORTLAND, Maine — Interstate fishery regulators will soon begin work on a new effort to get a handle on the population health of horseshoe crabs on the East Coast.

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission says its assessment of the horseshoe crab stock will begin this month.

Horseshoe crabs are economically important in part because of their role in medicine. They are harvested for their blue blood, which is used to make sure medical products aren’t contaminated. Horseshoe crab blood contains a chemical that is used to detect bacteria.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at the Washington Post

 

ASMFC Begins Preparations for Horseshoe Crab Benchmark Stock Assessment

October 24, 2017 — ARLINGTON, Va. — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission: 

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission will begin work on the 2018 benchmark stock assessment for horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) starting this month.  The assessment will be used to evaluate the health of the stock and inform the 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 such as biomedical data, when the public will be asked to leave the room.  

 The Commission welcomes the submission of data sources that will improve the accuracy of the assessment.  This includes, but is not limited to, data on catch per unit effort, biological samples (sex, weight, prosomal width, life stage), life history information (growth, fecundity, natural mortality, sex ratio), stock structure (tagging data, genetics), bycatch and discard data, and biomedical data. For data sets to be considered, the data must be sent in the required format, with accompanying description of methods, to the Commission by December 20, 2017.  
 
The Data Workshop date and location have yet to be determined, but it is anticipated to take place during January or February 2018. This workshop will review all available data sources for horseshoe crab and identify data sets to be incorporated in the stock assessment.  For those interested in submitting data and/or attending the Horseshoe Crab Data Workshop (space is limited), please contact Dr. Kristen Anstead, Stock Assessment Scientist, at kanstead@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.

ASMFC Horseshoe Crab Board Sets 2018 Specifications for Horseshoe Crabs of Delaware Bay Origin

October 19, 2017 — NORFOLK, Va. — 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 2018 season. Based on the allocation mechanism established in Addendum VII, the following quotas were set for the states of New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia, which harvest horseshoe crabs of Delaware Bay origin:

  Delaware Bay Origin Horseshoe Crab Quota (no. of crabs) Total Quota**
State Male Only Male Only
Delaware 162,136 162,136
New Jersey 162,136 162,136
Maryland 141,112 255,980
Virginia* 34,615 81,331

*Virginia harvest refers to harvest east of the COLREGS line only

** Total male harvest includes crabs which are not of Delaware Bay origin.

The Board chose a harvest package based on the Technical Committee and ARM Subcommittee 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 has not been funded consistently in recent years, but was funded and conducted in 2016. A composite index of the Delaware Trawl Survey, New Jersey Delaware Bay Trawl Survey, and New Jersey Ocean Trawl Survey has been developed and used in years the Virginia Tech Survey was not conducted. While continued, long-term funding of the Virginia Tech Survey is preferred, the recent revival of this survey also allows the composite index to be improved through “tuning” relative to additional Virginia Tech Survey data points. The Virginia Tech Survey has been funded for 2017 and is currently underway. Funding for future years continues to be explored.

Terms of reference for the 2018 stock assessment were presented to and approved by the Board. Within these terms of reference were tasks specific to the horseshoe crab stock assessment, including assessments of regional populations of horseshoe crabs, incorporation and evaluation of estimated mortality attributed to the biomedical use of horseshoe crabs for Limulus Amebocyte Lysate production, and comparisons of assessment results with results from the ARM Framework used to annually set bait harvest levels for horseshoe crabs from the Delaware Bay region. The completed assessment is expected to be presented to the Board in October at the 2018 Annual Meeting.

For more information, please contact Michael Schmidtke, FMP Coordinator, at 703.842.0740 or mschmidtke@asmfc.org.

A PDF version of the press release can be found here –http://www.asmfc.org/uploads/file/59e8e1eapr49HSC2018Specifications.pdf

 

Non-Traditional Stakeholders Sought for Participation on ASMFC’s Horseshoe Crab Advisory Panel

September 25, 2017 — ARLINGTON, Va. — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Horseshoe Crab Management Board is seeking nominations from nontraditional stakeholders to fill two seats on the Horseshoe Crab Advisory Panel. Examples of such stakeholders include, but are not limited to environmental organizations, grassroots organizations, and individuals/groups with an expertise or interest in shorebird conservation.

The intent of this action is to broaden the scope of public input to the Horseshoe Crab Management Board as it continues to manage resources with diverse stakeholder needs. Individuals interested in serving as advisors can submit an advisory panel nomination form via email (tberger@asmfc.org) or fax (703.842.0741) by 5:00 PM on October 6, 2017.

The Commission’s advisory panel process was established to address its increasing responsibilities under the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act. The Act mandates, among other considerations, that the Commission provide adequate public participation in its fishery management planning process, including at least three public hearings (during amendment development) and procedures for submission of written comments to the Commission. Advisory Panels have been developed for Atlantic herring, Atlantic menhaden, American eel, American lobster, black sea bass, bluefish, coastal sharks, horseshoe crab, Jonah crab, northern shrimp, scup, shad & river herring, South Atlantic species (croaker, spot, spotted seatrout, Spanish mackerel, red drum, cobia, black drum), spiny dogfish, striped bass, summer flounder, tautog, weakfish, and winter flounder.

For more information, please contact, Tina Berger, Director of Communications, at tberger@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.

Northern shrimp fishing season unlikely

November 3, 2016 — BAR HARBOR, Maine — The Atlantic States Fisheries Commission held its annual meeting in Bar Harbor last week and took action affecting the herring, menhaden, horseshoe crab and Jonah crab fisheries, among others.

The word on whether there will be a Northern shrimp fishery this winter, though, will have to wait until next week.

On Thursday, Nov. 10, the ASMFC’s Northern Shrimp Section and Advisory Panel will meet in Portsmouth, N.H., to review the latest stock status report and recommendations from the panel’s technical committee about what the 2017 shrimp fishery should look like.

Given the committee’s view that the Gulf of Maine northern shrimp stock “remains in a collapsed state,” odds are that, as during the past three seasons, it will be another winter of empty nets for fishermen.

For the past three winters, regulators have imposed a moratorium on fishing based on the what scientists said was the record low level of the shrimp resource and poor recruitment — the annual introduction of juvenile shrimp — since 2012.

Last week, the technical committee released a report incorporating its recommendations for the 2016-2017 season. Based on the latest scientific data, the recommendation was to keep the shrimp boats in port, and the trawl nets and traps out of the water for another year.

“Given the continued poor condition of the resource and poor prospects for the near future,” the committee recommended “that the Northern Shrimp Section extend the moratorium on fishing through 2017.”

Another moratorium would be bad news for Maine fishermen.

Annual landings figures are somewhat misleading, because each year includes parts of two fishing seasons. (Historically, each season ran from Dec. 1 to the following April.)

In any event, in 1996, Maine fishermen landed nearly 18 million pounds of shrimp worth some $12.9 million. By 2012, landings of shrimp in Maine had fallen to slightly more than 4.8 million pounds worth some $4.6 million.

Even at that lower number, that a significant bite out of winter fishing incomes.

According to figures compiled by the technical committee, the number of Maine boats active in the fishery in the years prior to the moratorium first imposed in 2014 has varied widely.

Read the full story at The Ellsworth American

Delaware Bay Horseshoe Crab Population Sought by Researchers

August 19, 2016 — Researchers are looking for answers with regard to determining a horseshoe crab’s survival in the Delaware bay.

Regulators with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission say they need to get a firmer grip on how many horseshoe crabs die in association with medical harvesting.

The crabs are harvested for their blue blood, which contains coagulogen, a chemical that can be used to detect bacteria in medical products.

Read and watch the full story at SNJ Today

ASMFC Horseshoe Crab Management Board Initiates Draft Addendum to Modify Adaptive Resource Management Framework for the Delaware Bay Region

August 8, 2016 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Horseshoe Crab Board approved development of Draft Addendum VIII to the Horseshoe Crab Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The Draft Addendum will propose changes to the Adaptive Resource Management (ARM) Framework, which is used annually to set harvest specifications for the Delaware Bay states, taking into consideration horseshoe crab abundance and red knot forage needs.

This action is in response to a recent technical review, which suggested changes to the ARM Framework, including the incorporation of mortality associated with biomedical bleeding activities into the Framework, and the exploration of options that allow for the harvest of female horseshoe crab in the Delaware Bay Region. In its review, the ARM Subcommittee suggested mortality associated with biomedical activities due to capture, handling, or post-bleeding stress and could be considered to be a form of harvest and recommended its inclusion in the Framework. This source of mortality had not been included in the ARM Framework as initially established in 2012.

The ARM Framework currently presents five harvest packages to ensure the sustainable annual harvest of horseshoe crab in the Delaware Bay Region. While the Framework can produce harvest packages that include female crab harvest, the threshold for horseshoe crab abundance precludes allowing for female harvest at this time. However, the Board expressed interest in exploring alternatives that allow for female harvest without compromising the integrity of the ARM Framework. As a result, the Draft Addendum will present alternative harvest packages which allow for female harvest. Further, the Draft Addendum will propose incorporating mortality associated with biomedical bleeding activities into the ARM Framework. The Draft Addendum will be presented to the Board for its consideration and possible approval for public comment at the Commission’s Annual Meeting in October 2016.

The ARM Framework was developed by the Commission, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Geological Survey in recognition of the relationship between horseshoe crab eggs and shorebirds in the Delaware Bay Region. The ARM predicts the optimal strategy for horseshoe crab bait harvest in the Delaware Bay Region while accounting for the need for successful red knot stopover feeding during migrations through the region.

Additionally, the Board tasked the Technical Committee with developing a proposal to test the use of alternative bait in the whelk and eel fisheries. The Board will review the proposal in October 2016. For more information, please contact Kirby Rootes-Murdy, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at krootes-murdy@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.

New Supplemental Materials for ASMFC Horseshoe Crab and Striped Bass Boards

August 1, 2016 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

There are two new supplemental materials for the Horseshoe Crab and Atlantic Striped Bass Boards, which will be meeting during the Commission’s 2016 Summer Meeting this week.  The meeting materials are as follows and can be found on the meeting page here as Supplemental 2 at each board header (links are also provided below). Copies of these materials will be provided at the meeting for Board members.

Horseshoe Crab Management Board – a Conference Call Summary of the Horseshoe Crab Technical Committee and the Delaware Bay Ecosystem Technical Committee; and Conference Call Summary of the Horseshoe Crab Advisory Panel

Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board – Advisory Panel Nomination

ASMFC 2016 Summer Meeting Supplemental Material Now Available

July 27, 2016 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Supplemental materials for the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s 2016 Summer Meeting have been posted here for the following Boards/Committees (click on “Supplemental” following each relevant committee header to access the information).

Executive Committee – Memo on Plan Development Team Member; ACCSP Governance (Transition Document, Draft MOU, Staff Flowchart)

South Atlantic State/Federal Fisheries Management Board – Cobia Management White Paper; FMP Reviews for Atlantic Croaker and Red Drum

Tautog Management Board – 2016 Tautog Regional Stock Assessments for Long Island Sound and New Jersey/New York Bight; Regional Assessment Desk Review; Tagging Trial Preliminary Results

Horseshoe Crab Management Board – Revised Draft Agenda and Meeting Overview; Memo on Ecobait Trials; Draft Recommendations for ARM Framework Review; Draft Biomedical Exceedance Recommendations;

Coastal Sharks Management Board – FMP Review; Advisory Panel Nomination and Request for Review of New Membership

Atlantic Menhaden Management Board – Advisory Panel Report on Draft Addendum I; Draft Public Information Document for Amendment 3; Public Comment

ACCSP Executive Committee – ACCSP Governance (Transition Document, Draft MOU, Staff Flowchart)

Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board – FMP Review

ISFMP Policy Board – Cobia Management White Paper; Risk and Uncertainty Policy Workgroup Memo; Habitat Committee Memo on Seismic Testing; MAFMC Correspondence to BOEM; SCWF Correspondence to SAFMC

ACCSP Coordinating Council – ACCSP Governance (Transition Document, Draft MOU, Staff Flowchart)

American Eel Management Board – New York Yellow Eel Allocation Proposal

American Lobster Management Board – American Lobster Technical Committee Memo on the Effect of Gauge Changes on Exploitation, SSB, Reference Abundance, and Catch; GARFO letter to ASMFC on the Southern New England Stock of American Lobster; American Lobster Plan Review Team & Advisory Panel Comments on Maine Conservation Equivalency Proposal

For ease of access, supplemental meeting materials have been combined into one PDF here.

As a reminder, Board/Section meeting proceedings will be broadcast daily via webinar beginning at 10:15 a.m. on August 2nd and continuing daily until the conclusion of the meeting (expected to be 4:00 p.m.) on Thursday August  4th. The webinar will allow registrants to listen to board/section 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. Please go here to register.