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…
Press Releases
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Addendum Proposes Management Options for the 2014 Summer Flounder and Black Sea Bass Recreational Fisheries
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Portland, ME – The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Northern Shrimp Section approved a moratorium for the 2014 northern shrimp fishing season. The results of the 2013 Assessment Report for Gulf of Maine Northern Shrimp indicate the northern shrimp stock is overfished and overfishing is occurring. Northern shrimp abundance in the western Gulf of Maine has declined steadily since 2006. Current biomass (500 mt) is the lowest value in recent history, estimated at 5.2% for the biomass reference period (1985-1994), and well below the biomass threshold of 9,000 mt and the biomass limit of 6,000 mt. Additionally, there has been…
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Arlington, VA – Mr. William Goldsborough of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation was presented the 2013 Melissa Laser Fish Habitat Conservation Award by the Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership for his exemplarly work in furthering the conservation, protection, restoration, and enhancement of habitat for native Atlantic coastal, estuarine-dependent, and diadromous fishes. The award was presented last week at the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s 72nd Annual Meeting in St. Simons Island, Georgia. Mr. Goldsborough was one of the earliest members of the Commission’s Habitat Committee and its longest serving chair, having served in that position for 10 years. Under his leadership…
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St. Simons Island, Georgia – The Commission’s Spiny Dogfish and Coastal Sharks Management Board increased its spiny dogfish quotas for the 2014/15 and 2015/16 fishing seasons (May 1 – April 30) in response to increases in spawning stock biomass. The 2014/2015 quota is now set at 49,370,000 pounds (previously 41,784,000 pounds) and the 2015/1016 quota is set at 50,612,000 pounds (previously 41,578,000 pounds), with a maximum possession limit of 4,000 pounds per day for the northern region states (Maine through Connecticut). Quotas for the northern region and southern states (New York through North Carolina) are provided in the table below.…
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St. Simons Island, Georgia – The Commission’s Spiny Dogfish and Coastal Sharks Management Board increased its spiny dogfish quotas for the 2014/15 and 2015/16 fishing seasons (May 1 – April 30) in response to increases in spawning stock biomass. The 2014/2015 quota is now set at 49,037,000 pounds (previously 41,784,000 pounds) and the 2015/1016 quota is set at 50,612,000 pounds (previously 41,578,000 pounds), with a maximum possession limit of 4,000 pounds per day for the northern region states (Maine through Connecticut). Quotas for the northern region and southern states (New York through North Carolina) are provided in the table below.…
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St. Simons Island, Georgia – The Commission’s Horseshoe Crab Management Board has approved the harvest specifications for horseshoe crabs of Delaware Bay origin. Under the Adaptive Resource management (ARM) Framework, the Board set a harvest limit of 500,000 Delaware Bay male horseshoe crabs and zero female horseshoe crabs for the 2014 season. Based on the allocation mechanism established in Addendum VII, the following quotas were set for the states of New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia, which harvest horseshoe crabs of Delaware Bay origin: Delaware Bay Origin Horseshoe Crab Quota (no. of crabs) Total Quota State Male Only…
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St. Simons Island, GA – The Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Management Board initiated the development of a Draft Addendum XXV to the Summer Flounder Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The Draft Addendum will propose alternate management approaches for the 2014 recreational summer flounder fishery to achieve more equity in recreational harvest opportunities along the coast. It will include options that allow for the averaging of harvest estimates, mandatory regions, and the sharing of unused quota. Draft Addendum XXV is initiated to respond to the unintended consequence of using conservation equivalency (e.g., state-specific recreational management measures) to stay…
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Maine Commits to Develop Plan with Industry to Control Glass Eel Harvest
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