Alexandria, VA – The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission has approved the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Atlantic Coastal Sharks. The FMP addresses the management of 40 species, including smooth dogfish, and establishes a suite of management measures for recreational and commercial shark fisheries in state waters (0 – 3 miles from shore). Coordinated state and federal management is essential to establishing healthy self-sustaining populations of Atlantic coastal sharks. Many species are depleted and vulnerable to collapse if fishing pressure continues as it has in recent years. Most of these sharks utilize state water coastal estuaries and bays as…
Management Measures and Pending Actions
A list of proposed regulatory changes or management actions currently under consideration by the Commission.
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Addendum Proposes to Extend Restrictions in Delaware Bay Region
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Washington, D.C. – The Commission’s Spiny Dogfish and Coastal Shark Management Board has approved the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Atlantic Coastal Sharks for public review and comment. Public hearings will be held between February 7 and March 14, 2008. The details of those hearings will be announced once they have been scheduled. The Draft FMP addresses the management of 39 shark species. It proposes management measures for state recreational and commercial shark fisheries, including permitted species, regions, seasons, quotas, possession limits, size limits, protection of nursing and pupping grounds, authorized gear, dealer reporting, research, display, finning, and bycatch…
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Section Expresses Concern about Shrimp Availability during the 2009 Fishing Season
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Amendment to Address Major Findings of Benchmark Stock Assessment
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Addendum Establishes Bycatch Data Collection Program
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Annapolis, MD – The Commission’s Spiny Dogfish and Coastal Shark Management Board approved a eight million pound quota for the 2008/2009 fishing year (May 1, 2008 – April 30, 2009), with 58% of the quota allocated to states from Maine through Connecticut and 42% allocated to New York through North Carolina. A trip limit of up to 3,000 pounds was also established. The 2007 assessment update indicates that the spiny dogfish biomass has continued to increase. Though the stock has not rebuilt to its target spawning stock biomass, it is not overfished and overfishing is not occurring. The Technical Committee…
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Annapolis, MD – The Commission’s Atlantic Herring Section voted to reduce the amount of herring available to the 2008-2009 fishery in Area 1A, an inshore region off the coasts of Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. The total allowable catch (TAC) for Area 1A is now set at 45,000 metric tons. An additional 5,000 metric tons was added to the Area 3 quota, bringing the total allowable catch for that area to 60,000 metric tons. The Section committed to review stock status annually to determine if quota adjustments are necessary. The specifications are consistent with those set by NOAA’s Northeast Regional…
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Alexandria, VA – The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission announces its intent to notify the Secretaries of Commerce and the Interior of its finding that the State of Maine is out of compliance with the required zero tolerance spawning provision contained in Technical Addendum 1 to Amendment 2 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Atlantic Herring. The notification will occur on September 24, 2007 if the State has failed to fully and effectively implement regulations that would bring it back into compliance. The spawning restrictions are necessary to protect the spawning aggregations that are highly susceptible to fishing…
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