Saving Seafood

August/September 2018 issue of Fisheries Focus Now Available

October 1, 2018 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The August/September 2018  issue of Fisheries Focus is now available at http://www.asmfc.org/uploads/file/5bae9553FishFocusAugSept2018.pdf.

Upcoming Meetings

page 2

From the Executive Director’s Desk 

MRIP’s Upgraded Fishing Effort Survey: A Significant Step Forward in Fisheries Science and Recreational Management

page 3

Species Profile

Horseshoe Crab

page 4

Essential Trawl Survey Receives Needed Boost

page 5

Fishery Management Actions

American Eel

Summer Flounder

Scup

Black Sea Bass

Bluefish

page 8

Science Highlight

Effects of the Biomedical Bleeding on the Behavior and Physiology of Horseshoe Crab

page 10

ACCSP Well Represented at AFS Annual Meeting

page 11

Proposed Management Actions

Summer Flounder

Scup

Black Sea Bass

Coastal Sharks

Cobia

page 12

In Memoriam
page 13

Comings & Goings

page 14

Employee of the Quarter Named

page 15

Past issues of Fisheries Focus can be found at http://www.asmfc.org/search/%20/%20/Fishery-Focus

Notice of Rescheduled Hearings for Summer Flounder Commercial Issues Amendment

September 11, 2018 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

This week the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission will begin a series of public hearings for the Summer Flounder Commercial Issues Amendment. Due to predicted inclement weather associated with Hurricane Florence, several of these hearings have been rescheduled. Hearing date and location changes are highlighted below in bold.

  • The Washington, NC hearing originally scheduled for September 12 has been rescheduled for Monday, September 24, 6:00 PM, North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries, Washington Regional Office, 943 Washington Square Mall, US Highway 17, Washington, North Carolina 27889.
  • The Dover, DE hearing originally scheduled for September 13 has been rescheduled for Wednesday, September 26, 6:00 PM, and the hearing location has been moved to Dover Public Library, Meeting Room B, 35 Loockerman Plaza, Dover, Delaware 19901.
  • The Newport News, VA hearing originally scheduled for September 13 has been rescheduled for Wednesday, September 26, 7:00 PM, Virginia Marine Resources Commission, 2600 Washington Avenue, 4th Floor, Newport News, Virginia 23607.

An updated version of the public hearing document is available here. A complete hearing schedule and additional details about this action are available here.

ASMFC Meeting Changes and Postponements in Response to Hurricane Florence

September 11, 2018 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Scheduling changes have been made to following meetings and public hearings originally planned for this week in response to Hurricane Florence. We hope that all those in the path of Hurricane Florence stay safe.
 
NO CHANGE: Atlantic Striped Bass Tagging Subcommittee, which is scheduled to meet tomorrow, September 11, is still on and will be held at the Commission’s offices.
 
IN-PERSON MEETING CHANGED TO WEBINAR: Atlantic Striped Bass Stock Assessment Workshop, which is scheduled for September 12 – 14 at the Commission’s offices, will now occur via webinar. Members can register for that webinar at https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/130242117; to join the conference call dial 1-888-585-9008 and enter passcode 110-057-813 when prompted.
 
HEARING RESCHEDULED: NC Public Hearing on the Summer Flounder Commercial Issues Amendment, which was scheduled for September 12th at 6 PM, has been rescheduled for September 24th at 6 PM at the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries Washington Regional Office, 943 Washington Square Mall, US Highway 17, Washington, NC
 
HEARING RESCHEDULED: GA and SC Public Hearing on Atlantic Cobia PID, which was scheduled for September 12th at 6 PM, has been tentatively rescheduled for September 24th or 25th.  We will issue another press release once the details are finalized.
 
HEARING RESCHEDULED: VA Public Hearing on the Summer Flounder Commercial Issues Amendment, which was scheduled for September 13th at 6 PM, has been rescheduled for September 26th at 7 PM at the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, 2600 Washington Avenue, 4th Floor, Newport News, VA
 
HEARING DATE AND LOCATION CHANGED: DE Public Hearing on the Summer Flounder Commercial Issues Amendment, which was scheduled for September 13th at 6 PM, has been rescheduled for September 26that 6 PM at the Dover Public Library, Meeting Room B, 35 Loockerman Plaza, Dover, DE

ASMFC & MAFMC Approve Catch and Landings Limits for Summer Flounder, Scup, Black Sea Bass and Bluefish for 2019

August 21, 2018 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission) and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) reviewed previously approved specifications for scup and established new specifications for black sea bass, bluefish, and summer flounder fisheries. The Commission also approved Draft Addendum XXXI for public comment and agreed to provide the states the opportunity to open their black sea bass recreational fisheries in February 2019.

Catch and landings limits for the summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, and bluefish fisheries were established for 2019 only. The Commission’s actions are final and apply to state waters (0‐3 miles from shore). The Council will forward its recommendations for federal waters (3 – 200 miles from shore) to NOAA Fisheries’ Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Administrator for final approval. The table below summarizes commercial quotas and recreational harvest limits (RHL) for summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, and bluefish (2018 values are provided for comparison purposes).

Summer Flounder

For summer flounder, the Commission and Council received a data update, including catch, landings, and survey indices through 2017, and stock projections for 2019. Taking into consideration the data update and model-projected increases in spawning stock biomass, the Commission and Council approved, on an interim basis, a commercial quota of 7.72 million pounds (16% increase from 2018) and RHL of 5.15 million pounds for 2019 (16% increase from 2018). Both the commercial quota and RHL may be changed in early 2019 pending the results of the upcoming benchmark stock assessment. 

Scup

For scup, the Commission and Council received a data update, including catch, landings, and survey indices through 2017. The update indicates biomass continues to be high, and the 2015 year class appears to be above average.  In response, the Commission and Council maintained the previously implemented multi‐year specifications set in August 2017. For 2018 and 2019, the commercial quota is 23.98 million pounds and the RHL is 7.37 million pounds. The Commission and Council also adjusted the incidental possession limit for the commercial fishery to 2,000 pounds during April 15 – June 15 (see table below). The adjustment was considered based on a proposal submitted by Massachusetts and Rhode Island to address discards of scup in the inshore spring longfin squid fishery. The incidental possession limit applies to vessels with commercial scup permits fishing with nets with diamond mesh smaller than 5 inches in diameter (there is no separate incidental permit for scup).  Note that during the summer quota period (May 1 – September 30), a state possession limit for directed trips may supersede the incidental possession limit.

Black Sea Bass

For black sea bass, the Commission and Council received a data update, including catch, landings, and survey indices through 2017. The update indicates biomass continues to be high, and the 2015 year class appears to be above average. The Commission and Council established, on an interim basis, a 3.14 million pound commercial quota and a 3.27 million pound RHL for 2019. Both values are a slight increase from those recommended by the Monitoring Committee due to a change in the calculation of discards. Both the commercial quota and RHL may be changed in early 2019 pending the results of the upcoming operational stock assessment update.

Bluefish

For bluefish, the Commission and Council received a data update, including catch, landings, and survey indices through 2017.  The update indicates all survey indices except one showed a decrease from 2016 values.  The Commission and Council approved a 7.71 million pound commercial quota and an 11.62 million pound RHL. The final 2019 harvest limits include a transfer of up to 4 million pounds from the recreational to the commercial sector, which generally reflects the distribution of recreational and commercial landings in 2017. The 2019 commercial quota and RHL are preliminary and will likely change following release of 2018 final Marine Recreational Information Program harvest estimates. These estimates can impact how much is transferred from the recreational sector to the commercial sector. An operational assessment is scheduled for 2019.

Framework and Addendum XXXI on Conservation Equivalency, Block Island Sound Transit and Slot Limits

The Commission and Council jointly approved for public comment alternatives included in the Council’s Framework and Commission’s Draft Addendum XXXI. Both documents propose options for conservation equivalency for black sea bass and summer flounder, and transit provisions for summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass for Block Island Sound. The Council’s Framework also addresses the use of slot limits for all three species in federal waters. The transit provision options include two alternative transit areas that could apply to recreational fisheries only, or both commercial and recreational fisheries for all three species, depending on the alternatives selected. They could also apply to differences in state and federal seasons, minimum fish sizes, and/or possession limits, depending on the alternatives selected. The Commission will issue a press release on Draft Addendum XXXI’s availability for public comment and scheduled public hearings once the hearings have been finalized.

Black Sea Bass Wave 1 Fishery and LOA Program

The Commission and Council considered opening a 2019 black sea bass recreational fishery in wave 1 (January-February). In 2017, the Commission and Council agreed to open a recreational fishery in February 2018, and to continue development of a letter of authorization (LOA) program for possible implementation in 2019. For 2019, the Commission and Council approved a February fishery with a management program similar to that used in 2018. The 2019 wave 1 fishery will be open from February 1-28 with a 15 fish possession limit and a 12.5 inch minimum size limit for states that choose to participate in the fishery. All participating states are required to adjust their 2019 recreational management measures to account for their wave 1 harvest. The Commission and Council suspended further development of an LOA program.

For more information about summer flounder or scup, please contact Kirby Rootes-Murdy, Senior FMP Coordinator, atkrootes-murdy@asmfc.org. For more information about black sea bass or bluefish, please contact Caitlin Starks, FMP Coordinator, at cstarks@asmfc.org.

MAFMC and ASMFC to Hold Public Hearings for Summer Flounder Commercial Issues Amendment

August 10, 2018 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission & Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) and Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission) are soliciting public input on a draft amendment to address several potential changes to the management of the commercial summer flounder fishery, as well as modifications to the fishery management plan (FMP) goals and objectives for summer flounder. Ten public hearings will be held between September 10 and September 27. Written comments will be accepted through October 12, 2018.
The specific issues under consideration in this amendment include:
  1. Requalifying criteria for federal commercial moratorium permits to address latent effort in the fishery: The amendment includes options to reduce the number of eligible commercial federal moratorium permits by implementing requalifying criteria for existing permits.
  2. Modifying commercial quota allocation: The amendment proposes several options for revising the current commercial allocation to the states, which has been in place since 1993 and is based on average landings from 1980-1989.
  3. Adding commercial landings flexibility as a framework issue in the Council’s FMP: This action does not consider implementing landings flexibility policies at this time but considers allowing the Council to implement landings flexibility through a future framework action instead of an amendment. The Commission’s adaptive management process already allows for landings flexibility.
  4. Revising the FMP objectives for summer flounder: This amendment proposes revisions to the current FMP objectives for summer flounder management to provide more meaningful and up-to-date guidance to managers.
Learn More
Additional information about the amendment and the management alternatives being considered can be found on the Council’s website at www.mafmc.org/actions/summer-flounder-amendment and on the Commission’s website at http://www.asmfc.org/about-us/public-input. This information includes three documents: (1) the Public Hearing Document, which includes all proposed management changes and was developed to solicit public comment; (2) the Commission’s Draft Amendment; and (3) the Council’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). Both the Commission’s Draft Amendment and the Council’s DEIS are required under their respective regulatory processes.
Contacts
  • Kiley Dancy, Fishery Management Specialist, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, kdancy@mafmc.org, 302.526.5257
  • Kirby Rootes-Murdy, Senior FMP Coordinator, Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, krootes-murdy@asmfc.org, 703.842.0740
Hearing Schedule
  1. Monday, September 10, 7:00 PM – Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, Marine Headquarters Boating Education Center (Rear Building), 333 Ferry Road, Old Lyme, Connecticut 06371
  2. Wednesday, September 12, 6:00 PM – North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries, Washington Regional Office, 943 Washington Square Mall, US Highway 17, Washington, North Carolina 27889
  3. Thursday, September 13, 6:00 PM – Delaware Dept. of Natural Resources & Environmental Control, DNREC Auditorium, Richardson & Robbins Building, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, Delaware 19901
  4. Thursday, September 13, 6:00 PM – Virginia Marine Resources Commission, 2600 Washington Avenue, 4th Floor, Newport News, Virginia 23607
  5. Wednesday, September 19, 5:30 PM – Bourne Community Center, Room #2, 239 Main Street, Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts 02532
  6. Wednesday, September 19, 6:00 PM – University of Rhode Island Bay Campus, Corless Auditorium, South Ferry Road, Narragansett, Rhode Island 02882
  7. Monday, September 24, 6:00 PM – Ocean County Administrative Building, 101 Hooper Avenue, Toms River, New Jersey 08753
  8. Tuesday, September 25, 6:00 PM – Ocean Pines Library, 11107 Cathell Road, Berlin, Maryland 21811
  9. Thursday, September 27, 6:30 PM – New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation, School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SOMAS), Room 120 Endeavor, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York  11794
  10. Thursday, September 27, 6:30 PM – Internet Webinar, Registration URL: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5467929991483514883; Webinar ID: 658-611-667; Phone: 1-888-585-9008; Room Number: 853-657-937
Written Comments
Given the joint nature of this management effort and to streamline the public comment process, comments should be directed to Council contact information below. In addition to providing comments at any of the scheduled public hearings, you may submit written comments by 11:59 PM, Eastern Time, on Friday, October 12, 2018. Written comments may be sent by any of the following methods:
  1. ONLINE: www.mafmc.org/comments/summer-flounder-amendment
  2. EMAIL: nmfs.flukeamendment@noaa.gov 
  3. MAIL OR FAX TO:
    Chris Moore, Ph.D., Executive Director
    Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council
    North State Street, Suite 201
    Dover, DE 19901
    FAX: 302.674.5399

Please include “Summer Flounder Commercial Issues Amendment Comments” in the subject line if using email or on the outside of the envelope if submitting written comments by mail. All comments, regardless of submission method, will be compiled into a single document for review and consideration by both the Council and Commission. Please do not send separate comments to the Council and Commission.

Agencies addressing problematic black sea bass rule

June 29, 2018 — A joint action on a black sea bass transit zone between Block Island and the Rhode Island mainland is being considered by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC) and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC).

Under current regulations, when scup and black sea bass fisheries are closed in federal waters but open in state waters, vessels may not transit federal waters with scup or black sea bass caught in state waters. This has been problematic in Block Island Sound from Sep. 22 to Oct. 21 when black sea bass is closed in federal waters.

State waters in Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New York are open to black sea bass fishing during that time. Anglers fishing in state waters around Block Island must pass through federal waters to return to the mainland. If they retain any black sea bass, they are in violation of the federal regulations while they pass through federal waters, even if those fish were legally caught in state waters.

Federal waters regulations for summer flounder are waived under conservation equivalency and the scup season has been open year-round since 2012 so this has not been a problem with these species.

Also, commercial vessels with state-only permits face potential obstacles when transiting between Rhode Island state waters around Block Island and state waters along the mainland.

Read the full story at the Providence Journal

NOAA Announces Recreational Rules for Summer Flounder, Black Sea Bass & Scup

June 1, 2018 — HYANNIS, Mass. — NOAA Fisheries has announced the 2018 recreational rules for summer flounder, black sea bass and scup.

Federal officials are continuing “conservation equivalency” for summer flounder and have waived the recreational bag limit, minimum fish size and fishing season for the fishery. Fishermen are subject to regulations set by the state where the fish land.

Read the full story at Cape Cod

ASMFC: Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Management Board Revises Northern Region Recreational Management Measures

May 3, 2018 — ARLINGTON, Va. — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission: 

Upon the direction of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Interstate Fisheries Management Program (ISFMP) Policy Board, the Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Management Board (Board) approved revised 2018 recreational measures for the Northern Region states of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New York (see Table 1). Further, the Board initiated new management action for the 2019 black sea bass recreational fishery and tasked the Plan Development Team to develop a white paper to consider the impacts of changes in black sea bass abundance and distribution to the management of commercial and recreational fisheries.

This action is taken in response to a Northern Region state appeal of the approved 2018 recreational measures under Addendum XXX. The appeal argued the Board’s action under Addendum XXX incorrectly applied technical data and was inconsistent with the Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan. After reviewing the appeal, Commission Leadership agreed there was adequate justification to bring portions of the appeal forward to the ISFMP Policy Board.

During the ISFMP Policy Board’s deliberations regarding consideration of the appeal, a potential management program for the 2018 black sea bass recreational fishery was presented to replace the allocations specified in Addendum XXX. The revised management program was developed to meet the needs of the Northern Region without impacting the remaining states, while still constraining harvest to the 2018 recreational harvest limit of 3.66 million pounds.

View the release in its entirety here.

 

Black Sea Bass — The New “War Between the States”

April 9, 2018 — On April 9, 1865, General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant at the Appomattox Court House in Virginia, signifying the end of the U.S. Civil War.

One hundred and fifty-three years to the day, north and south are set to do battle yet again, this time over sea bass.

From April 30 through May 3, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASFMC) will hold its 2018 spring meeting in Arlington, VA, a city that was once the dividing line between Confederates to the South and the Union Army to the north during the bloodiest war in U.S. history.

Sometime during the first week in May, the ASFMC policy board will address an appeal by Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New York, over the disparity in coastwide black sea bass regulations with New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina. Late last week, a panel convened by ASMFC officially validated the northern appeal to allow their fight against the southern states to move forward during the first few days of May in Arlington.

Earlier this year, ASFMC’s Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Management Board approved Addendum XXX to the Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan establishing a regional allocation of the coastwide Recreational Harvest Limit (RHL) of black sea bass. The final 6-4 vote across geographic lines separating north and south established three management regions for black sea bass; Massachusetts through New York (61.35% of the RHL), New Jersey as its own state-specific region (30.24% of the RHL), and Delaware through North Carolina (8.41% of the RHL). States within each region are collectively responsible for managing harvest to their regional allocation through cooperative measures.

When ASMFC members were considering their decision during their winter meeting in February, states from Delaware through North Carolina didn’t want New Jersey included in their southern region. On the other hand, northern states were already facing an 11% reduction in black sea bass landings for 2018, where New Jersey alone was expected to get hit with a significantly higher 20% reduction. Though New Jersey historically has the most participation in the black sea bass fishery and qualified for the highest RHL percentage coastwide, delegates from New York through Massachusetts viewed the 20% reduction as a potential liability, so they didn’t want New Jersey part of their northern region either.

Read the full story at The Fisherman