Saving Seafood

Revised Supplemental Materials for the February 2, 2016 Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Management Board Meeting

January 28, 2016 — The following was released by Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Supplemental materials document for the Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Management Board has been revised to include Draft Addendum XXVII for Public Comment (PDF pgs 7-36) and the Technical Committee Report on 2016 Black Sea Bass Recreational Fishery Proposals (PDF pgs 122-134). The supplemental materials link for that Board has been revised on the 2016 Winter Meeting page (http://www.asmfc.org/home/2016-winter-meeting) and is available at http://www.asmfc.org/files/Meetings/2016WinterMtg/SummerFlounderScupBlackSeaBassBoardSupplemental_revised.pdf. The combined file of all board/section supplemental meeting materials has also been revised and can be accessed at http://www.asmfc.org/files/Meetings/2016WinterMtg/SupplementalCombined_revised.pdf.

Supplemental Materials Now Available for ASMFC’s 2016 Winter Meeting

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

Supplemental meeting materials for the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s 2016 Winter Meeting have been posted at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2016-winter-meeting for the following Boards/Sections (click on “Supplemental” following each relevant committee header to access the information). 

American Lobster Management Board – Preliminary Results of Claw Removal and its Impacts on Survivorship and Physiological Stress in Jonah crab (Cancer borealis) in New England Waters; NEFMC Correspondence on Jonah Crab Permit Holders; Jonah Crab Plan Review Team FMP Implementation Memo; MaineJonah Crab FMP Implementation Program

Atlantic Herring Section – Revised Draft Amendment 3 (please note this version has been revised from January 21st draft); Public Hearing Summary; Written Comment (Summary and Submitted Comments); Advisory Panel Meeting Summary

Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board – Draft Addendum XXVII Public Hearing Summaries; Written Comment (Summary and Submitted Comments); Law Enforcement Committee Comments; General Public Comment

ACCSP Executive Committee (please note meeting materials are available through the main header not supplemental) – Draft Minutes from December 17, 2015; Draft Standard Operating Procedures; 2016 Meetings Calendar 

ACCSP Coordinating Council (please note meeting materials are available through the main header not supplemental) – Draft Minutes from November 2, 2015

Executive Committee (please note these materials are the same as those provided for the ISFMP Policy Board) – Memo on Changes to Commission Guidance Documents; Draft ISFMP Charter; Draft Compact, Rules and Regulations; Draft Technical Support Group Guidance and Benchmark Assessment Process

Atlantic Menhaden Management Board – Law Enforcement Committee Report on Maryland and Potomac River Fisheries Commission Equivalency Proposals; Public Comment

Atlantic Sturgeon Management Board – 2016 FMP Review

Horseshoe Crab Management Board – Adaptive Resource Management Subcommittee Meeting Summary

Tautog Management Board – Decision Document for Draft Amendment 1; Law Enforcement Committee Report on Commercial Harvest Tagging Program Objectives 

Winter Flounder Management Board – NEFMC Presentation on Overview of Federal Management Measures for Gulf of Maine and Southern New England/ Mid-Atlantic Stocks; Scientific and Statistical Committee Report

American Eel Management Board – Advisory Panel Report and Technical Committee Review  on North Carolina’s Aquaculture Plan; Final version of North Carolina’s Aquaculture Plan; Public Comment

ISFMP Policy Board (please note these materials are the same as those provided for Executive Committee) – Memo on Changes to Commission Guidance Documents; Draft ISFMP Charter; Draft Compact, Rules and Regulations; Draft Technical Support Group Guidance and Benchmark Assessment Process

As a reminder, Board/Section meeting proceedings will be broadcast daily via webinar beginning at 9:00 a.m. on February 2nd and continuing daily until the conclusion of the meeting (expected to be 3:45 p.m.) on February 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. To register for the webinar, please go to https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/86228471613051649.

NEW JERSEY: Fluke fortunes may rise on Delaware Bay

January 7, 2016 — STAFFORD TOWNSHIP, N.J. — Southern New Jersey anglers gave hearty support this week to a plan that would boost fluke fishing in the Delaware Bay.

A crowd of about 50 anglers showed up at the Thursday night meeting here at the municipal building on East Bay Avenue to give opinions on 2016 regulations for black sea bass, scup and fluke, which is also called summer flounder.

The most important question of the night was whether to support Option 2B of the fluke plan that would allow the New Jersey side of the Delaware Bay to compete with Delaware. This support now goes to the New Jersey Marine Fisheries Council when it makes decisions on 2016 fluke regulations in March.

The 2015 regulations for the New Jersey side of the bay included a minimum fish size of 18 inches, five fish per day, and a 128-day season.

In Delaware, Maryland and Virginia anglers were allowed a 16-inch fish, four fish a day and enjoyed a 365-day season. Option 2B would allow the New Jersey side to have a 17-inch fish, four fish a day and the 128-day season. It’s not equal to Delaware, but it is closer to parity.

Read the full story at Press of Atlantic City

Public hearing set on fluke and sea bass regulations

January 4, 2016 — A public hearing on summer flounder and sea bass regulations will be held at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 7 at the Stafford Township Municipal Building.

What’s on the table is Draft Addendum XXVII to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup, Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan.

There will be a cutback of 30-percent of the coastwide harvest of summer flounder in 2016 from 23 million pounds to 16 million pounds but it may not impact recreational regulations because anglers fished under their 2015 quota.

Read the full story at Asbury Park Press

NOAA Fisheries Announces 2016-2018 Regs for Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass

December 30, 2015 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries announces the 2016-2018 regulations for summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass.

The summer flounder catch limit is reduced by 30 percent (from 23 million lbs to 16 million lbs) due to 4 years of below average recruitment (young fish entering the fishery). The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council has requested a stock assessment update for next year.

The scup catch limit is slightly reduced compared to 2015 levels, but is still well above recent catch.

The black sea bass catch limit will increase from 5.5 million lbs to 6.67 million lbs for 2016 and 2017. This is based on the revised recommendation of the Mid-Atlantic Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. The 2018 regulations will be determined after the next scheduled stock assessment.

To get all the details on these proposed regulations, read the rule as published in the Federal Register today and the permit holder bulletin posted on our website.

Questions? Contact Moira Kelly at 978-281-9218 or moira.kelly@noaa.gov.

 

NOAA Fisheries Announces Commercial Scup Quota Increase for 2015 Winter II (Nov 1-Dec 31)

September 18, 2015 — The following was released by NOAA:

NOAA Fisheries announces that the commercial scup quota and the per trip possession limit for the 2015 Winter II quota period (November 1-December 31) is increased due to the rollover of unused quota from the Winter I period of 2,084,256 lbs.

The commercial scup possession limit for the upcoming Winter II season will be 18,000 lb, up from the initial 12,000 lbs, and is the maximum allowed in Winter II.

The commercial scup quota for Winter II has been revised up to 5,468,726 lbs from 3,384,700 lbs.

The commercial quota for scup is distributed through the coastal states from Maine to North Carolina, and is managed on a coastwide basis. Fishermen should keep in mind that when the state and Federal possession limits are different, you are required to abide by the more restrictive of the two.

Read the rule as filed in the Federal Register and the bulletin posted on our website.

Questions? Contact Reid Lichwell, Regional Office, at 978-281-9112 or Reid.Lichwell@noaa.gov.