February 5, 2016 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Management Council:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s American Eel Management Board approved North Carolina’s Aquaculture Plan for 2016, allowing up to 200 pounds of glass eels to be harvested for aquaculture purposes. North Carolina’s plan is the first to be approved under the aquaculture plan provisions of Addendum IV to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for American Eel. 

“North Carolina is grateful for the Board’s provisional approval of its Aquaculture Plan,” stated Dr. Louis Daniel, Director of the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries. “Through the plan, we hope to demonstrate that domestic aquaculture of American eel can be done successfully while maintaining the rebuilding goals and objectives of the FMP.” 

The Board reviewed comments provided by the Technical Committee, Advisory Panel, and Law Enforcement Committee on the various merits of the plan prior to its approval.  Board approval was contingent on two issues (1) export of glass eels will be prohibited, and (2) the first year of the plan will be conducted as a pilot program. During the first year, North Carolina will work with its industry to identify viable collection sites for glass eels for its use in aquaculture.  If North Carolina intends to continue this plan into a second year, which will require additional Board approval, the state will need to work with the Technical Committee to determine sampling protocols for obtaining glass eel abundance estimates across the identified collection sites. 

For more information, please contact Mike Waine, Senior Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at mwaine@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.