News
ASMFC Seeks Input on Draft Strategic Plan for 2009 - 2013
Thursday, May 15, 2008, 20:55
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is in the process of updating its next five-year Strategic Plan (2009 – 2013) and seeks the public's comment on the first draft of the Plan. The Draft Plan affirms the Commission's long-term Vision of "healthy, self-sustaining populations for all Atlantic coast fish species or successful restoration well in progress by the year 2015," and proposes eight major goals and related strategies to pursue this Vision. The Strategic Plan will guide the Commission's activities over the next five years and will be implemented through Annual Action Plans.
Below are the eight goals proposed by the Plan:
1. Rebuild and restore depleted Atlantic coastal fisheries, and maintain and fairly allocate recovered fisheries through cooperative regulatory planning
2. Strengthen cooperative research, data collection capabilities, and the scientific basis for stock assessments and fisheries management actions
3. Improve stakeholder compliance with Commission fishery management plans
4. Work through partnerships to protect, restore, and enhance fish habitat and ecosystem health
5. Strengthen congressional, stakeholder, and public support for the Commission’s Mission, Vision, and actions
6. Represent member states collective interests at regional and national levels
7. Strengthen human resource management and enhance learning and growth within the Commission
8. Provide efficient administration of the Commission’s business affairs and ensure the Commission’s financial stability
Copies of the Draft Plan can be obtained by contacting the Commission office at (202)289-6400 or via the Commission's website at www.asmfc.org (under Breaking News). Public comment must be received by June 15, 2008, 5:00 PM EST and should be forwarded to Tina Berger, Public Affairs Specialist, at 1444 Eye Street, NW, Sixth Floor, Washington, DC 20005; (202)289-6051 (fax) or comments@asmfc.org (Subject line: Strategic Plan). The Commission is scheduled to take action on the final Plan in October at its Annual Meeting in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
source: ASMFC
posted by: Craig Banks
New Conservation Measures to Prevent Overfishing of Sandbar and Other Sharks
Tuesday, April 29, 2008, 15:03
NOAA Fisheries has outlined new measures to prevent overfishing and rebuild the number of sandbar and other shark species. The number of sandbar sharks are between 20 and 38 percent of the population in the early 20th century before fishing began on sharks. Recent stock assessments indicate that sandbar, porbeagle, and dusky sharks are severely overfished and therefore drastic measures need to be taken to begin rebuilding. It has been illegal to catch dusky sharks since 2000, but these sharks are taken incidentally when fishermen seek other species.
Sandbar sharks are one of the most valuable shark species caught commercially in the Atlantic Ocean. They make up the majority of the current commercial shark landings and are prized for their fins, which are the main ingredient in dishes such as shark fin soup. The final environmental impact statement (FEIS) issued this week isolates the management of the sandbar shark from other species managed in the large coastal shark complex. The FEIS will cut the sandbar shark quota from 1,017 metric tons to 87.9 metric tons, an 85 percent reduction, per year from 2008 to 2012 and cuts the quota for porbeagle sharks. The commercial quota for porbeagle sharks, another depleted species, will be reduced from 92 metric tons a year to 1.7 metric tons per year. Recreational anglers would also be allowed to land porbeagle sharks, and porbeagle sharks could be landed in tournaments.
The final environmental impact statement contains other regulations designed to prevent overfishing of several shark species and can be found at the Highly Migratory Species Management Division’s Web site. A final rule is expected to be published in June. The public may comment on the final environmental impact statement (FEIS) until May 19.The measures in the FEIS include revised quotas and a ban on cutting fins off before landing a shark. A final rule is expected to be published in June and implemented 30 days later.
Comments can sent via email to shark.finalEIS@noaa.gov (please include in subject line the following identifier: Amendment 2 FEIS), or faxed to 301-713-1917. Comments can also be mailed to Michael Clark, Highly Migratory Species Management Division, NOAA’s Fisheries Service - F/SF1, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
For additional information, please contact Monica Allen, telephone, (301) 713-2370.
source: NOAA Fish News
posted by: Craig Banks
2008 Virginia Flounder Regulations
Tuesday, March 04, 2008, 10:59
Virginia flounder regulations for 2008 are as follows:
A 19 inch minimum size limit with a 5 fish catch limit.
The season will open this Saturday March 1st, 2008.
There is a season closure from July 21st thru July 30th, 2008.
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission 2007 Annual Report
Tuesday, March 04, 2008, 10:54
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission 2007 annual report is available for download at http://www.asmfc.org/.
A paper version of the report is also available by mail by sending your request to info@asmfc.org.
2008 Recreational Bluefin Tuna Retention Limits
Wednesday, February 13, 2008, 14:29
In response to recently available Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) recreational landings estimates from the 2007 fishing year, NMFS has determined that it is necessary to reduce the retention limit of large school/small medium BFT measuring 47 to <73 inches curved fork length) from 2 fish to 1 fish.
Based on data from the Large Pelagics Survey (LPS), North Carolina BFT Census Tagging Program, and NMFS Automated Landings Reporting System, and using averaged fish weights from 2004 through 2006 as proxies for 2007 weights, NMFS has determined that the landings of large school/small medium BFT during the 2007 fishing year were more than twice the allocated subquota, i.e., 362 mt of landings and a 144-mt subquota.
In the 2008 final BFT specifications and effort controls, which took effect on January 30,2008, NMFS set the recreational daily vessel trip retention limits to one school BFT (measuring 27 to <47 inches curved fork length) and two large school/small medium BFT. NMFS indicated in that action that an Angling category adjustment may be necessary once complete LPS estimates for the 2007 fishing year were available.
In an effort to limit large school/small medium BFT landings to the available subquota (183.4 mt) for 2008, NMFS is reducing the daily retention limit of large school/small medium BFT.
Effective February 11, 2008, through December 31,2008, the Angling category daily vessel trip retention limit will be one school BFT (27 to <47 inches) and one large school/small medium BFT (47 to <73 inches). This limit applies to vessels permitted in the HMS Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Angling category and the HMS Charter/Headboat category (when fishing recreationally).
This action does not change the annual Angling category retention limit of one large medium/giant BFT (73 inches or greater) per vessel.
NMFS will continue to monitor the BFT fishery closely through dealer landing reports, the Automated Landings Reporting System, state harvest tagging programs in North Carolina and Maryland, and the LPS. Depending on the level of fishing effort, NMFS may determine that additional retention limit adjustments are necessary prior to December 31, 2008.
Closures or subsequent adjustments to the daily retention limits, if any, will be published in the Federal Register. In addition, fishermen may call the Atlantic Tunas Information Line at (888) 872-8862 or (978) 281-9260, or access the internet at www.hmspermits.gov, for updates on quota monitoring and retention limit adjustments.
This notice is a courtesy to Atlantic bluefin tuna interests to keep you informed about the fishery. Official notice of Federal fishery actions is made through filing such notice with the Office of the Federal Register. For further information, contact Sarah McLaughlin at (978) 281-9260.
source: NOAA HMS News
posted by: Craig Banks
RFA Press Release
Tuesday, February 12, 2008, 11:01
RELIEF ON THE WAY
Congressman Pallone to Introduce Legislation to Provide Limited Flexibility in Healthy Fisheries
Seaside Heights, NJ --- Common sense legislation that will give relief to recreational anglers and the associated marine industry will be introduced by Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) on February 12, 2008. Mr. Pallone, a senior member of the House Natural Resources Committee, will sponsor a bill which allows for limited flexibility in healthy fisheries on a positive rebuilding trend or where stocks have increased substantially.
The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act contains arbitrary and rigid rebuilding requirements. While these provisions have spurred growth in many fisheries, at times they have unnecessarily restricted recreational anglers and have not been adaptive to the dynamic marine environment. Top fisheries scientists and the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) made this point during testimony at a congressional hearing in December 2007. Mr. Pallone's language would give the Secretary of Commerce the discretion to adjust rebuilding timeframes only if specific criteria are present to ensure that the conservation of such stocks continues to advance. Limited flexibility would allow fishermen to retain access to important fisheries such as summer flounder, red snapper, gag grouper, vermillion snapper and Pacific rockfish.
"When deciding how best to rebuild fish stocks in complex environments, we must use sound biology and science, not arbitrary deadlines set by Congress," Pallone said. "The legislation I'm introducing in Congress is about rational rebuilding, and it is the best way to rebuild our fisheries without bankrupting tackle shops, party boats and commercial fishermen."
Anglers and recreational fishing businesses in the Mid-Atlantic involved with the summer flounder fishery have experienced firsthand the illogical nature of the current rebuilding requirements. The 2008 summer flounder quota is the lowest since management began for this species yet the stock is at the highest level of abundance in history. Under the current law, fishermen and the businesses they support are denied access to fisheries through lower quotas and eventual closures. In cases such as summer flounder, the current management regime has produced results which are arbitrary, unfair and punitive.
"Based on the consistent cut in quotas in some fisheries and unattainable rebuilding goals in others, I am introducing legislation that will provide limited flexibility and will improve stock assessments by requiring more robust and thorough research," Pallone continued.
"Congressman Pallone's leadership is to be applauded for showing that it is possible to maintain conservation, continue to rebuild fish stocks and, at the same time, allow fishermen to access healthy fisheries," states Jim Donofrio, Executive Director of the RFA. "We are committed to working with Congressman Pallone to convey this important message to his colleagues in Congress."
source: RFA press release
posted by: Craig Banks
ASMFC Summer Flounder Board Approves State Recreational Management Measures
Thursday, February 07, 2008, 21:11
The Commission's Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board approved state management proposals for the 2008 recreational fishery for summer flounder. In developing measures to stay within the coastwide recreational harvest target of 2.05 million fish, states used state-specific performance factors developed by the Summer Flounder Technical Committee. The performance factors account for states' past performance in achieving their quota target, as well as increased effort, increased stock size, and percent standard error considerations in state-specific estimates generated by the Marine Recreational Fishery Statistics Survey. States that fail to implement the approved management measures (or measures developed through the approved methodology) will be required to implement a precautionary default measure of a two fish possession limit at a 20-inch minimum size with an open season from July 4 to September 1, 2008.
The state-approved management measures fall under the Commission's summer flounder management program, which allows for the use of conservation equivalency. Conservation equivalency provides states the option of crafting state-specific management measures that best meet the needs of their fishermen while also meeting the conservation requirements of the resource program. All conservationally-equivalent management measures must be reviewed and approved by the Summer Flounder Technical Committee and the Management Board before they can be implemented. Since conservation equivalency was initiated in the summer flounder management program in 2001, the states have had mixed success in limiting coastwide recreational harvest to within the specified harvest target. The inclusion of the performance factor in developing state-specific measures this year is intended to help the states constrain their recreational harvest to meet both the overall recreational harvest target as well as state-specific harvest targets.
States will now have to go through their own individual regulatory processes to finalize their summer flounder recreational measures. For more information on those measures, contact your state marine fishery agency.
The Board also approved scup recreational management measures for the northern region (Massachusetts through New York). The private and shore-based fishery will have a 10.5-inch minimum size, 10 fish bag limit, and an open season of May 24 through September 25. The for-hire fishery (party and charterboat) will have an 11-inch minimum size and a 10 fish bag limit for 81 consecutive days (each state will determine their own season, to fall anytime between May 15 and October 15). The for-hire fishery will also have a bonus season for 45 consecutive days (also selected by the states) with a 45 fish bag limit. For more information, please contact Toni Kerns, Senior Fisheries Management Plan Coordinator for Management, at (202) 289-6400 or tkerns@asmfc.org.
source: ASMFC
posted by: Craig Banks
ROCKFISH IN GOOD SHAPE SAYS ASMFC
Wednesday, February 06, 2008, 08:51
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, FEBRUARY 5, 2008
PRESS CONTACT, TINA BERGER 202/289-6400
Striped Bass Stock Assessment Indicates Healthy Stock
Female Spawning Stock Biomass Remains High
Scientific advice presented to the Commission's Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board indicates that striped bass management under Amendment 6 to the Interstate Plan continues to be a success. The benchmark stock assessment, recently endorsed by an independent panel of fishery scientists, concluded that striped bass are not overfished and overfishing in not occurring. The assessment estimates that the resource remains at a high level with spawning stock biomass (SSB) at 55 million pounds, well above the SSB target and threshold levels of 38.6 and 30.9 million pounds, respectively. Estimates of juvenile abundance showed several years of strong recruitment, with the 2003 cohort being the strongest in the time series. The statistical catch at age (SCA) model used by the Striped Bass Technical Committee estimated the 2006 fishing mortality rate on age 8-11 fish to be F=0.31, which is below the Amendment 6 fishing mortality threshold of 0.41. Retrospective analysis of the SCA model, as well as tag-based estimates of fishing mortality presented in the assessment, indicate that the 2006 fishing mortality is also below the Amendment 6 target of 0.30.

Total striped bass harvest (commercial and recreational) in 2006 was estimated at 3.82 million fish, a 46 percent increase from 2002 (prior to the implementation of Amendment 6). Commercial harvest (1.05 million fish) was dominated by Maryland's commercial fisheries, which made up 62 percent of the total commercial landings by number in 2006. Commercial discards in 2006 were estimated at 216,753 fish. Recreational harvest (2.77 million fish) and discard losses (2.07 million fish) accounted for 79 percent of total fishery removals in 2006. Maryland recreational fisheries harvested 24 percent of total recreational landings in number, followed by Virginia (22 percent), New Jersey (18 percent), Massachusetts (12 percent), and New York (11 percent).
The Peer Review Panel endorsed the use of the SCA model for producing SSB and fishing mortality estimates that can be judged against the current biological reference points. The new model is a significant departure from the virtual population analysis that has been used to assess striped bass stock status since 1997. It is an aged-based model that projects the population numbers-at-age forward through time, rather than backwards, given model estimates of recruitment and age-specific total mortality. Additional tag-based results from the catch-equation method support the SCA model’s results that striped bass are not overfished.
Based on advice of the Technical Committee, the Board maintained the states' management programs at status quo. The Technical Committee will continue to monitor the status of the stock and refine stock assessment methodology as necessary. The next stock assessment update will be conducted in 2009.
Copies of the stock assessment will be available on the Commission website (Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission under Breaking News) by mid-February. For more information, please contact Nichola Meserve, Fisheries Management Plan Coordinator, at (202)289-6400 or .
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PR08-03
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Tina Berger
Public Affairs Specialist
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
1444 I Street. NW, Sixth Floor
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: (202)289-6400
FAX: (202)289-6051
Email: tberger@asmfc.org
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
ASMFC Vision: Healthy, self-sustaining populations of all Atlantic coast fish species or successful restoration well in progress by the year 2015.
Important Lynnhaven Boat Ramp Situation
Tuesday, February 05, 2008, 10:56
A proposed permanent dredge spoils transfer station operation could have a big impact on the Lynnhaven Boat Ramp in Virginia Beach.
If the operation gets approved, pleasure boats will share the channel with the loaded & unloaded 48 ft barge. Large numbers of dump trucks will also be using the facility and parking lot.
For more on this issue, visit: http://www.boatrampclosing.com/
Posted by: Craig Banks
NMFS OPENS BUMP TO 3 LONGLINERS
Wednesday, January 23, 2008, 18:08
Southeast - Pelagic Longline Exempted Fishing Permit Issued in Southeast Atlantic Closed Areas
NOAA Fisheries has announced it will allow research to proceed in portions of the East Florida Coast and Charleston Bump closed areas by pelagic longline vessels. The successful rebuilding of Atlantic swordfish populations and new bycatch reduction measures in longline fisheries have provided support for the decision to issue the permit to a limited number of pelagic longline vessels. Permitted research will be required to be carried out with 100 percent observer coverage on vessels and the use of 18/0 non-offset circle hooks to maintain scientific and conservation standards.
For additional information, please contact Russell.Dunn@noaa.gov, phone (727) 824-5399 or Chris.Rilling@noaa.gov, phone (301) 713-2347.
