October 26, 2015 — The following was released by the North Carolina Fisheries Association:
NCFA BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING TIME CHANGED
Our board of directors will meet tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. at the Washington Civic Center, 110 Gladden St., Washington. We encourage all fishermen who are able to attend, especially those participating in the summer and southern flounder fisheries.
SAFMC HEARINGS ON PROPOSED FEDERAL MANAGEMENT MEASURES
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council has scheduled public hearings regarding the commercial dolphin trip limit for the Atlantic Coast, blueline tilefish, yellowtail snapper and black sea bass in South Atlantic in November. For more information on the hearings, dates and how to submit comments see the news release.
MAFMC OCTOBER 2015 MEETING SUMMARY
NMFS SEEKS PUBLIC COMMENTS ON DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT TO MODIFY A BLACK SEA BASS POT SEASONAL PROHIBITION
NOAA Fisheries is seeking public comment on a draft environmental impact statement for Regulatory Amendment 16 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (Regulatory Amendment 16). On Oct. 23, 2013, fishery managers implemented an annual prohibition on the use of black sea bass pots from Nov. 1 through April 30 in the South Atlantic. Regulatory Amendment 16 contains management measures to modify this prohibition in terms of area and time closed. The regulatory amendment also contains management actions to require specific rope marking for black sea bass pot gear. The purpose of the proposed actions is to reduce the adverse socioeconomic impacts from the prohibition while continuing to protect whales in the South Atlantic region. For more information see news release.
NILS STOLPE: “SO HOW’S THAT ‘CATCH SHARES’ REVOLUTION WORKING OUT FOR GROUNDFISH?”
“I’ll add here that catch share management is not a cure-all for all that’s wrong with fishery management – though at the time Dr. Lubchenco and her “team” apparently believed it was – nor is it the reason for management failures. It is nothing more than an option for dividing the catch among users. As such it can have profound socioeconomic impacts on participants in the fishery and on fishing communities that depend on it, but not on the fishery resources themselves.”
Read Nils’ entire opinion here as published in FishNet USA/October 22, 2015.
NOAA LAUNCHES NEW MOBILE-FRIENDLY FISHWATCH.GOV
October is National Seafood Month, and NOAA Fisheries has launched our first-ever mobile-friendly website to enable our users to access the nation’s database on sustainable seafood anywhere, anytime, on any device.
FishWatch offers the same great seafood information, but now it’s easier to use on the go from your phone or tablet. Using the site, consumers can:
- Make smart seafood choices with facts about what makes U.S. seafood sustainable-from the ocean or farm to your plate.
- Get information on the status of some of the nation’s most valuable marine fish harvested in U.S. federal waters as well as U.S. farmed fish that help meet our country’s growing seafood demand.
- Understand how U.S. seafood is responsibly harvested and grown under a strong monitoring, management, and enforcement regime that works to keep the marine environment healthy, fish populations thriving, and our seafood industry on the job.
REGULATION AND RULE CHANGES:
–Commercial Scup Winter II quota and possession limits increase effective Nov. 1
–Commercial harvest of yellowtail snapper in South Atlantic federal waters will close Oct. 31
DEADLINES:
Oct. 29 – NMFS Proposed Rules for Snapper-Grouper, Dolphin and Golden Crab Comments
Nov. 4 – Atlantic HMS SEDAR Pool Nominations
Nov. 9 – NMFS Proposed Rule on ICCAT Bluefin Electronic Documentation Comments
Nov. 16 – SAFMC Proposed Federal Management Measures Comments
Nov. 19 – Derelict Fishing Gear Recovery Project Applications
Dec. 16 – NMFS Draft Ecosystem-based Fishery Management Policy Comments
MEETINGS:
If you are aware of ANY meetings that should be of interest to commercial fishing that is not on this list, please contact us so we can include it here.
Oct. 27 at 12:30 p.m. – NCFA Board of Directors Meeting, Washington Civic Center, 110 Gladden St., Washington, NC
Nov. 2 at 6 p.m. – Question and Answer Webinar for Snapper Grouper Regulatory Amendment 25
Nov. 2-5 – ASFMC Annual Meeting, World Golf Village Renaissance, St. Augustine Resort, 500 Legacy Trail, St. Augustine, Fl
Nov. 9 at 6 p.m.- SAMFC Snapper Grouper Regulatory Amendment 25 Public Hearing
Nov. 12 at 6 p.m. – SAFMC Dolphin Wahoo Regulatory Amendment 1 Public Hearing to address commerical trip limits for dolphin
Nov. 18-20 – ASFMC River Herring Data Collection Standardization Workshop, Linthicum, MD
PROCLAMATIONS:
View a PDF of the Weekly Update