Alexandria, VA – The Commission’s American Eel Management Board approved Draft Addendum IV to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for American Eel for public comment. Draft Addendum IV proposes a suite of options to address the commercial glass, yellow, and silver eel fisheries along the Atlantic coast. Management options under consideration include glass and yellow eel quotas, a catch cap for the yellow eel fishery, a moratorium on the glass eel fishery, and a seasonal closure and license cap for the silver eel fishery in the Delaware River (NY). The Draft Addendum also includes glass eel harvest allowances for aquaculture…
Press Releases
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Arlington, VA – The Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Management Board approved a combination of state and regional proposals for the 2014 summer flounder recreational fishery (see Table 1) and state proposals for the 2014 black sea bass recreational fishery in accordance with Addendum XXV to the Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan. Table 1. Proposed 2014 Summer Flounder State Recreational Measures* STATE MINIMUM SIZE (INCHES) POSSESSION LIMIT (NO. OF FISH) SEASON LENGTH (DAYS) SEASON MASSACHUSETTS 16 5 132 May 22 – September 30 RHODE ISLAND 18 8 245 May 1 – December…
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Alexandria, VA –The Commission’s South Atlantic State/Federal Fisheries Management Board has initiated the development of a Draft Addendum to the Fishery Management Plans for Spot and Atlantic Croaker. The Draft Addendum will propose replacing the current trigger analysis with the use of a traffic light approach in determining management measures for both species along the coast. The Draft Addendum will also include options that will allow for conservation equivalency measures to achieve reductions in catch and harvest when needed. The Board initiated the Draft Addendum in response to concerns over trends in the spot and Atlantic croaker fisheries. The current…
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Alexandria, VA – The Commission’s American Eel Management Board approved a conservation equivalency proposal from the State of Maine to allow quota management of its glass eel fishery. A quota of 11,749 pounds will be in place for Maine’s 2014 glass eel fishing season, which begins on March 22nd. This quota, developed with input from Maine’s fishing industry and Tribal Nations, represents a 35% reduction from the 2013 Maine’s glass eel harvest. In addition to quota management, Maine will also be implementing a harvester swipe card system with daily dealer reporting in order to increase accuracy and timeliness of landings…
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Alexandria, VA –The Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Management Board approved Addendum XXV to the Summer Flounder and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan, establishing regional recreational management for both species for the 2014 fishing year. For summer flounder, the Addendum creates management measures by region with the intent of providing more equity in recreational harvest opportunities along the coast, especially between New York and New Jersey. The approved summer flounder regions are Massachusetts and Rhode Island; Connecticut through New Jersey; Delaware through Virginia; and North Carolina. For black sea bass, the Board also approved the continuation…
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Alexandria, VA – The Commission’s Winter Flounder Management Board set specifications for the 2014 recreational fishing season for the Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic (SNE/MA) stock. The season will extend from March 1 to December 31 with a two fish creel limit. This change is an expansion of the 60- day recreational open season. The action is intended to increase fishing opportunities in the southern range where other species’ availability may be limited later in the year. All other commercial and recreational management measures for the Gulf of Maine (GOM) and SNE/MA stocks will be maintained (see Table 1). Table 1. Minimum…
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Alexandria, VA – The Commission’s Atlantic Herring Section initiated a new amendment with the primary purpose of more fully protecting spawning herring in Area 1A (inshore Gulf of Maine). The draft amendment will review and consider changes to the Area 1A spawning area regulations as well as consider (1) removing the fixed-gear set-aside rollover provision, (2) requiring the declaration of intended fishing gear types prior to the quota periods, and (3) requiring vessel fish holds to be emptied of fish before leaving the dock on a fishing trip. The draft amendment is initiated to correct inconsistencies in the application of…
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