Atlantic States
Marine Fisheries

Commission

Press Releases

  • States Schedule Public Hearings on Atlantic Menhaden Draft Addendum II

    States Schedule Public Hearings on Atlantic Menhaden Draft Addendum II

    The Atlantic coastal states of Maine through Virginia have scheduled hearings to gather public input on Draft Addendum II to Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Menhaden. The Draft Addendum considers options to reduce the Chesapeake Bay Reduction Fishery Cap (Bay Cap) by up to 50% and distribute the cap more evenly throughout the fishing season. The options aim to alleviate a concentration of effort that may be affecting other fisheries within the Bay and other potential ecological impacts.

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    Atlantic Herring Eastern Maine Spawning Closure in Effect Starting August 28, 2026 through October 8, 2026

    The Atlantic herring Area 1A (inshore Gulf of Maine) fishery regulations include seasonal spawning closures for portions of state and federal waters in Eastern Maine, Western Maine and Massachusetts/New Hampshire. The Commission’s Atlantic Herring Management Board approved a forecasting method that relies upon at least three samples, each containing at least 25 female herring in gonadal stages III-V, to trigger a spawning closure. However, if sufficient samples are not available then closures will begin on predetermined dates. There are currently no samples from the Eastern Maine spawning area to determine spawning condition. Therefore, per the Addendum II default closure dates,…

  • ASMFC Stock Assessment Happenings
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    ASMFC Stock Assessment Happenings

    Upcoming Meetings for Atlantic Striped Bass Assessment Workshop, Cobia Methods Workshop, and Spot Stock Assessment Committee Planning Webinars Arlington, VA – The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s stock assessment staff, working in conjunction with state and federal stock assessment scientists, continue to make progress on a number benchmark stock assessments. Additionally, in the coming month, the Commission will post a species-specific Benchmark Stock Assessment Tracker webpage, much like our Action Trackers, to increase transparency in our stock assessment process by enabling stakeholders to track benchmark assessment development and where we are in the assessment process. A press release will announce…

  • ASMFC Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Board Initiates Addendum to Consider Commercial Scup Quota Overages and Payback Provision

    ASMFC Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Board Initiates Addendum to Consider Commercial Scup Quota Overages and Payback Provision

    Philadelphia, PA – The Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board initiated an addendum to consider an option that allows for quota period overages (without paybacks) in years where the annual commercial scup quota is not exceeded. This change is intended to preserve the long-term sustainability of the scup stock while still allowing the full quota to be harvested each year. This action seeks to provide complementary action to the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s Commercial Scup Winter I Framework Adjustment which was approved for final action at the Council’s August meeting. The Board will consider approval of…

  • ASMFC Atlantic Menhaden Board Approves Draft Addendum II for Public Comment

    ASMFC Atlantic Menhaden Board Approves Draft Addendum II for Public Comment

    Draft Addendum Considers Changes to Chesapeake Bay Reduction Fishery Cap Arlington, VA – The Commission’s Atlantic Menhaden Management Board approved Draft Addendum II to Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for public comment. The Draft Addendum considers options to reduce the Chesapeake Bay Reduction Fishery Cap (Bay Cap) by up to 50% and distribute the cap more evenly throughout the fishing season. The options aim to alleviate a concentration of effort that may be affecting other fisheries within the Bay and other potential ecological impacts. The Draft Addendum was initiated in response to concerns regarding declining pound net…

  • ASMFC Coastal Pelagics Board Sets Atlantic Cobia Total Harvest Quota and Recreational Measures for 2027 Fishing Season

    ASMFC Coastal Pelagics Board Sets Atlantic Cobia Total Harvest Quota and Recreational Measures for 2027 Fishing Season

    Arlington, VA – The Commission’s Coastal Pelagics Management Board approved a total harvest quota of 80,112 fish and status quo recreational management measures for the Atlantic migratory group of cobia for the 2027 fishing season. This total quota results in a coastwide recreational quota of 76,908 fish and commercial quota of 73,116 pounds for 2027.   The total quota level of 80,112 fish per year has been the same since 2020 and is based on the results of the 2020 benchmark stock assessment. The Board has maintained this quota given the absence of updated stock projections and considering the recent underutilization…

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    Atlantic Herring Area 1A Start Date Remains July 19, 2026 at 6:00 p.m.

    The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Atlantic Herring Management Board members from Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts met via webinar on July 17 to discuss the start date for the 2026 Area 1A (inshore Gulf of Maine) fishery. The Board members previously set the start date for July 19 at 6:00 p.m. as part of days out measures discussed in April 2026 (press release here). The additional meeting was scheduled after some industry members reported a significant increase in bait from the menhaden fishery and imported bait from the Canadian weir fishery on the market. As a result, there are…

  • Atlantic Croaker Benchmark Stock Assessment Peer Review Scheduled for July 27-31, 2026 in Arlington, VA
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    Atlantic Croaker Benchmark Stock Assessment Peer Review Scheduled for July 27-31, 2026 in Arlington, VA

    Arlington, VA – The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission will hold the Atlantic Croaker Benchmark Stock Assessment Peer Review on July 27-31, 2026 at the Commission’s office, 1050 N. Highland Street, Suite 200 A-N, Arlington, VA. At the workshop, an independent panel of experts in fisheries science will assess the value and appropriateness of the stock assessment for use in management and provide recommendations for future research and assessment improvements. In its evaluation, the Peer Review Panel will address a terms of reference, which is a list of questions about the quality of the data, the appropriateness of the modeling…

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