Press Releases

Press Releases

American Lobster Benchmark Stock Assessment Finds GOM/GBK Stock Not Depleted but Experiencing Overfishing & SNE Stock Significantly Depleted but Not Experiencing Overfishing

The Commission’s American Lobster Management Board received the results of the 2025 American Lobster Benchmark Stock Assessment and Peer Review Report, which presents contrasting results for the two American lobster stocks in US waters. The Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank (GOM/GBK) stock is not depleted but has declined 34% since peak levels in 2018, and overfishing is occurring. The Southern New England (SNE) stock remains significantly depleted with record low abundances for all life stages in recent years.

October 2025
Press Releases

Horseshoe Crab Board Sets Male-Only Bait Harvest Specifications for Horseshoe Crabs of Delaware Bay-Origin for 2026 and 2027

The Commission’s Horseshoe Crab Management Board approved bait harvest specifications for horseshoe crabs of Delaware Bay-origin. Taking into consideration the output of the Adaptative Resource Management (ARM) Framework, the Board set an annual harvest limit of 500,000 male horseshoe crabs and zero female Delaware Bay-origin horseshoe crabs for 2026 and 2027. Addendum IX was approved in May 2025 and allows the Board to set multi-year specifications for male-only harvest.

October 2025
Press Releases

Daniel McKiernan Elected ASMFC Chair

Member states of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission thanked Joseph Cimino of New Jersey for a successful two-year term as Chair and elected Daniel McKiernan of Massachusetts to succeed him.

October 2025
Press Releases

ASMFC Initiates Stakeholder Engagement Process to Inform Revisions to the Utility, Reward, and Harvest Policy Functions of the ARM Framework

The Commission’s Horseshoe Crab Management Board is initiating a collaborative stakeholder process to inform revisions to the Delaware Bay Horseshoe Crab Adaptive Resource Management (ARM) Framework. Stakeholders that would like to participate in this important conversation on the management of the Delaware Bay horseshoe crab resource are invited to apply. Applications should be submitted here by October 3, 2025.

September 2025
Press Releases

REVISED: States Schedule Public Hearings on Atlantic Striped Bass Draft Addendum III

The Atlantic coastal states of Maine through Virginia have scheduled hearings to gather public input on Draft Addendum III to Amendment 7 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Striped Bass, which considers management measures to support rebuilding the stock by 2029. The Draft Addendum also addresses commercial tagging programs, a coastwide definition of total length for size limit regulations, and changes to the Maryland recreational season baseline.

September 2025
Management Measures and Pending Actions, Press Releases

Atlantic Herring Area 1A Fishery Season 2 Days Out Measures and Spawning Closures — September 2025

This memorandum announces closure dates for the Western Maine and Massachusetts/New Hampshire spawning areas; and days out measures for the 2025 Area 1A (inshore Gulf of Maine) Atlantic herring fishery for Season 2 (October 1 – December 31).

September 2025
Press Releases

American Lobster Benchmark Stock Assessment Review Workshop Scheduled for September 2 – 5, 2025, in Woods Hole, MA

The American Lobster Benchmark Stock Assessment Review Workshop is scheduled for September 2 – 5, 2025 at the Marine Biological Laboratory in the Swope Building on North Street, Woods Hole, MA

August 2025
Press Releases

States Schedule Public Hearings on Red Drum Draft Addendum II: NC Hearing Date Changed to September 25

The Atlantic coastal states of Maryland through Florida have scheduled hearings to gather public input on Draft Addendum II to Amendment 2 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Red Drum. The Draft Addendum considers several changes to the management programs in the southern (South Carolina to Florida) and northern (New Jersey to North Carolina) regions in response to the findings of the 2024 Red Drum Benchmark Stock Assessment and Peer Review Report.

August 2025
Press Releases

Atlantic Striped Bass Benchmark Stock Assessment Scheduled for October 6-9, 2025 in Arlington, VA

The Atlantic Striped Bass Stock Assessment Data Workshop will be conducted October 6-9, 2025 at the Hyatt Centric Arlington, 1325 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA.

August 2025

Get Hooked on ASMFC News

Dive into the latest updates and catch all the important news by joining our newsletter mailing list. Stay in the loop with meeting agendas, fisheries management news, and more.