Saving Seafood

NOAA Fisheries Proposes New Recreational Measures for Summer Flounder; No Changes to Scup

April 19, 2017 — The following was released by NOAA:

NOAA Fisheries is seeking comment on proposed recreational fishery management measures for the 2017 summer flounder and scup fisheries. 

The 2017 summer flounder recreational harvest limit is 3.77 million lb (1,710 mt), a decrease from the 2016 harvest limit of 5.42 million lb (2,458 mt). Accordingly, more restrictive management measures are necessary in 2017 to reduce landings by approximately 41 percent compared to 2016 landings, to ensure that the landings do not exceed the recreational harvest limit.

We are not proposing any changes to the recreational measures for the 2017 recreational scup fishery. The current measures are expected to keep landings within the 2017 recreational harvest limit. 

We are proposing black sea bass recreational management measures in a separate rulemaking action. 

Summer Flounder Proposed Measures

For summer flounder, in order to prevent overfishing in 2017, we are proposing stricter management measures than those in place in 2016. These measures would apply to all federally permitted party/charter vessels with applicable summer flounder and scup permits, regardless of where they fish, unless the state in which they land implements measures that are more restrictive.

We propose the Council’s and Commission’s recommended coastwide management measures for summer flounder, which are:

  • 19-inch minimum fish size
  • Four fish per person possession limit
  • Open season from June 1-September 15

We propose to continue the “conservation equivalency” approach, in which states develop state or regional minimum sizes, possession limits, and fishing seasons that will achieve the necessary level of conservation. Both the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission recommended continuing conservation equivalency.

For state waters, the Commission has reviewed measures submitted by the regions and certified that they are, in combination, the conservation equivalent of the Federal coastwide measures that would prevent overfishing. 

Read the proposed rule as published in the Federal Register today, and the Supplemental Information Report on our website.

The comment period is open through May 4.

Submit your comments through the e-rulemaking portal or by mailing:

John Bullard, Regional Administrator

Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office

55 Great Republic Drive

Gloucester, MA 01930

Joint Council Meeting with ASMFC Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Board in Alexandria, VA: May 10, 2017

April 19, 2017 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The public is invited to attend a joint meeting of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Board to be held on May 10, 2017 in Alexandria, Virginia. The meeting will be held at The Westin Alexandria, 400 Courthouse Square, Alexandria, VA, 22314, Telephone (703) 253-8600.

Meeting Materials: Briefing documents will be posted at http://ww.mafmc.org/briefing/may-2017 as they become available.

Public Comments: Written comments received byThursday, April 27, 2017 will be included in the Council meeting briefing book. Comments received after this deadline but before close of business on Thursday, May 4, 2017 will be posted as “supplemental materials” on the Council meeting web page. After that date, all comments must be submitted using an online comment form. Comments submitted via the online form will be automatically posted to the website and available for Council consideration. A link to this form will be available at http://www.mafmc.org/public-comment. Late comments will no longer be distributed to Council members via email.

Webinar: Webinar connection information will be posted at http://ww.mafmc.org/briefing/may-2017 prior to the meeting.

Agenda

Wednesday, May 10th

1:00 p.m. Welcome/Call to Order

1:15 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Scup Quota Period Framework (Framework 10 to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass FMP)

  • Final action

2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Comprehensive Summer Flounder Amendment

  • Review draft range of alternatives for commercial issues
  • Approve range of alternatives for further development and inclusion in a public hearing document

3:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Review Implementation of 2017 Summer Flounder and Black Sea Bass Recreational Measures

4:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Black Sea Bass Wave 1 Fishery

  • Review white paper on potential experimental recreational Wave 1 black sea bass fishery
  • Consider postponed motion to allow experimental wave 1 for-hire fishery: Motion to allow an experimental 2018 January/February (wave one), recreational, federally permitted for-hire fishery for black sea bass with a 15 fish per person possession limit, a suspended minimum size limit, and a zero discard policy to allow for barotrauma, and a mandatory trip reporting requirement.

4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Review Board White Paper on Summer Flounder Recreational Specifications

5:30 p.m. – 5:45 p.m. Other Business/Adjourn

Web Version / PDF Version

CANCELLED: April 20th ASMFC Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Board Conference Call

April 18, 2017 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Board Conference Call, which had been tentatively scheduled for April 20th at 2 PM, has been cancelled. The primary purpose of the call was to consider final 2016 black sea bass recreational harvest estimates and determine whether changes to 2017 recreational management measures are warranted.  However, since the release of the final harvest estimates by the Marine Recreational Information Program is still pending, the conference call has been cancelled. Discussion of the issue will occur at the next Board meeting (contingent upon the release of the final harvest estimates), scheduled for May 10, 2017 at 1 p.m., as part of the Commission’s Spring Meeting (http://www.asmfc.org/home/2017-spring-meeting). This meeting will be a joint meeting with the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council.

Flounder season uncertain as New Jersey continues to fight cuts

April 14, 2017 — New Jersey’s fight against approved summer flounder measures hangs in the balance, and a meeting next month could prove critical for flounder fishermen.

The state’s Marine Fisheries Council met Thursday evening at the Galloway Township branch of the Atlantic County Library in part to discuss its strategy in opposing a federal regulatory commission’s decision to cut this year’s summer flounder catch by 30 percent.

“I’m getting questions every day,” said Dick Herb, the council’s chairman. “We just don’t know what’s going to happen there.”

“There’s a lot of things going on behind the scenes,” he added.

Earlier this year, the state council voted to go out of compliance with the federal measures, which could trigger a pivotal decision by new Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross following a federal regulatory meeting in May, Herb said.

Ross could decide to shut down recreational and commercial flounder fishing in New Jersey, or he could study the issue and allow fishing to continue, among other options, according to Herb.

“He can do what he wants to do,” Herb said. “I think we’re going to have to move awfully quickly when we get some movement on this.”

In February, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission approved the new reductions, which would limit New Jersey recreational fishermen to three fish at 19 inches in the Atlantic Ocean and three at 18 inches in the Delaware Bay.

Read the full story at the Press of Atlantic City

ASMFC Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Management Board Meeting Summary, Motions, Presentations and Audio Now Available

March 31, 2017 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission: 

The meeting summary, motions, presentations and audio file link to yesterday’s Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Management Board can be found on the ASMFC website at http://www.asmfc.org/home/meeting-archive (under 2017 Meetings). The meeting summary and motions document is also attached.

View the summary and motions document here

New Jersey appeals decision to cut summer flounder catch

March 30, 2017 — New Jersey is continuing its fight against reductions to this year’s summer flounder catch.

The state’s representatives to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission have filed a formal appeal of the commission’s decision to cut the flounder harvest by about 30 percent.

“We are appealing the ASFMC decision because of the numerous process, data, policy and regulatory issues that will significantly impact New Jersey’s fishing industry,” state Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin said in a statement announcing the appeal.

An ASMFC decision in February would reduce recreational bag and size limits in New Jersey from five fish at 18 inches in the Atlantic Ocean in 2016 to three fish at 19 inches this year. In the Delaware Bay, limits would decrease from four fish at 17 inches to three at 18 inches.

The decision is based on federal fishery studies that indicate the flounder population is declining and has been experiencing overfishing since 2008.

Read the full story at Press of Atlantic City

New Jersey Files Formal Appeal of Summer Flounder Quota Reductions

March 29, 2017 — New Jersey representatives to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission have filed an appeal requesting the commission reconsider its vote significantly reducing the state’s recreational-fishing quota for summer flounder this year, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin announced today.

The 34-percent quota reduction ASMFC approved in February will have a devastating impact on the state’s fishing industry and tourism economy while paradoxically harming the long-term health of the state’s summer flounder stocks, Commissioner Martin said.

“We are appealing the ASFMC decision because of the numerous process, data, policy and regulatory issues that will significantly impact New Jersey’s fishing industry,” Commissioner Martin said. “The ASFMC decision will actually result in anglers in New Jersey having to throw more dead fish back into the water than they can keep to eat, and the fish they can keep overwhelmingly will be reproductive females. This is not sound fishery management.”

Recreational and commercial fishing employs 65,000 people and generates some $2.5 billion in annual economic benefits to the state. Summer flounder, also known as fluke, is one of the state’s most sought-after recreational fish species, prized for its delicate flavor and easily found close to beaches and in bays and creeks.

Read the full story at On The Water

NJ appeals summer flounder quota reductions

March 28, 2017 — New Jersey has filed an appeal to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission requesting the commission reconsider its vote to reduce significantly the state’s recreational-fishing quota for summer flounder by over 30 percent.

Summer flounder, popularly called fluke, is one of the state’s most sought-after recreational fish species, prized for its delicate flavor and easily found close to beaches and in bays and creeks.

“We are appealing the ASFMC decision because of the numerous process, data, policy and regulatory issues that will significantly impact New Jersey’s fishing industry,” said Bob Martin, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner.

Read the full story at the Asbury Park Press

NEW JERSEY: Fluke situation looking better

March 6, 2017 — The new Secretary of Commerce, Wilbur Ross, has been confirmed — and the path to a fluke season during which the public will have a reasonable chance at catching a legal fish seems a little clearer.

The following release from the governor’s office emphasizes the Christie administration’s commitment to maintaining status quo regulations rather then the 19-inch minimum which the ASMFC has imposed:

“The Christie Administration has formally requested the new U.S. Secretary of Commerce, Wilbur Ross, to put a hold on severe restrictions on recreational summer flounder fishing adopted recently by a regional fisheries commission, a move that would effectively cripple the state’s fishing industry and have far-reaching impacts on the shore tourism economy, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin announced today.

Read the full story at NJ.com

New Jersey lawmakers: Drop limits on how many fish you can catch off Atlantic Coast

February 27, 2017 — Two New Jersey lawmakers are trying to block the federal government from setting lower quotas for summer flounder off the Atlantic Coast.

Reps. Frank LoBiondo (R-2nd Dist.) and Frank Pallone Jr. (D-9th Dist.) said their bill would prevent the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration from reducing the fishing quota.

Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission said it would limit those who fish to just three summer flounders at least 19 inches long, compared with the 2016 limits of five fish at least 18 inches in length.

“These cuts are a body blow to the recreational fishing industry in New Jersey and that is why Congress needs to take action,” Pallone said. “The cuts for New Jersey are greater than what NOAA had required for the region, and too many anglers and their families are going to suffer because of them.”

Read the full story at NJ.com