Alexandria, VA – The Commission’s Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board approved proposals from Rhode Island and Maryland for alternative management. The Rhode Island proposal alters the minimum size limit and quota for the state’s commercial floating fish trap sector. The Maryland proposal opens a two-week recreational fishery in the Susquehanna Flats, a small area in the upper Chesapeake Bay. Unable to attain their allocation of the state’s coastal commercial quota, Rhode Island’s commercial floating fish trap fishermen asked the Rhode Island Division of Environmental Management to propose a reduction in the minimum size limit from 28 inches to 26 inches…
Press Releases
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State Reduction Plans Approved
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Alexandria, VA – The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s American Lobster Management Board approved the implementation of a conservation-equivalent plan for Long Island Sound in Connecticut and New York (lobster conservation management area 6), instituting a v-notch-based lobster stock restoration program in place of the 1/16” minimum length increase approved in May 2007 through Addendum XI. Under the Commission’s fishery management planning process, alternative measures can be adopted if they can be shown through technical review to be “conservation-equivalent” (having equivalent conservation value) to the initial plan. “I appreciate the Board’s support for this important plan. It provides a win-win…
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Alexandria, VA – The Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board approved Addendum XIX to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The Addendum extends the current state-by-state black sea bass commercial management strategy indefinitely and maintains the current summer flounder recreational allocation strategy. It also redefines the stock status determination criteria for summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass. Black Sea Bass Commercial Management Strategy Since 2003, the black sea bass commercial fishery has been managed through a state-by-state allocation system, with each state allocated a percentage of the coastwide quota.…
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Port Jefferson, NY – The Commission and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) met this week to finalize the total allowable landings (TAL) limits for summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, and bluefish, and to establish 2008 commercial management measures for the respective fisheries. The Commission’s actions with regards to summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, and bluefish are final and apply to state waters. The Council will be forwarding its actions as recommendations to NOAA’s Northeast Regional Administrator for final approval. The TALs are provided below in millions of pounds. Species 2007 ASMFC TAL 2008 TAL Black Sea Bass…
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Alexandria, VA – The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission has approved Amendment 14 to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The Amendment maintains the current management program for scup, which applies a constant fishing mortality rate of F=0.26 to determine landings and assesses stock status based on available survey indices. This management strategy will be in place until it is demonstrated that the substitution of the research vessel Bigelow for the Albatross would not invalidate use of the long-term scup time series and rebuilding goals established via the Albatross’ survey indices. If, at a…
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Addendum Establishes Measures to Rebuild SNE Stock of American Lobster
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Alexandria, VA – The Spiny Dogfish & Coastal Sharks Management Board approved the initiation of two addenda to address the distribution of the spiny dogfish annual quota among the states. This action responds to the concern of some states that the current seasonal allocation program is not providing their commercial fishermen the opportunity to harvest the available quota as was intended by the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Spiny Dogfish. Currently, the interstate spiny dogfish management program allocates the annual commercial quota both seasonally and regionally. The seasonal allocation system divides the quota into two periods, with 57.9% of…
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Addendum Revises BRD Requirements
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