Alexandria, VA – The Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Management Board approved Addendum XXIII to the Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The Addendum allows for the use of regional measures to manage the 2013 black sea bass recreational fishery. The FMP, adopted in the 1996, only allowed for the use of coastwide measures. However, the application of coastwide measures (minimum size, possession limit, and seasons) given the wide geographic range of this species and its varying size composition and availability by state/region has the potential to effect states in different ways. The Addendum seeks to…
Management Measures and Pending Actions
A list of proposed regulatory changes or management actions currently under consideration by the Commission.
-
-
Alexandria, VA – The Atlantic States Marine Commission approved a resolution to ban the import and use of Asian horseshoe crab as bait in state water fisheries along the Atlantic Coast. The resolution responds to a report by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) regarding the importation of Asian horseshoe crabs in 2011 and 2012 into New York State and their reported use as bait in eel and whelk fisheries. Further, there are reports of emerging interest on the part of bait dealers from the Mid-Atlantic to import Asian horseshoe crabs for the eel and whelk markets,…
-
Alexandria, VA – The Commission’s Atlantic Herring Section has set the annual catch limit (ACL) for the 2013 – 2015 fishing seasons at 107,800 metric tons (mt), an 18% increase from 2010 – 2012 limits. For all three years, the ACL is further subdivided by Atlantic herring management areas as follows: Area 1A = 31,200 mt, Area 1B = 4,600 mt, Area 2 = 30,000 mt, and Area 3 = 42,000 mt. The Area 1A sub-ACL will be distributed seasonally with 72.8% available from June 1 – September 30 and 27.2 % available from October 1 – December 31. The…
-
Alexandria, VA – The Commission’s American Lobster Board approved Addendum XIX to Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for American Lobster. The Addendum modifies the transfer tax for Lobster Conservation Management Area 3 (LCMA 3 – offshore waters) to a single conservation tax of 10% for full business or partial trap sales within the area. This measure will be considered by NOAA Fisheries as part of its upcoming federal rule-making process. The Addendum is the second in a series of addenda that respond to the depleted condition of the Southern New England (SNE) lobster resource by scaling the…
-
Landing Days Set for Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Effective February 11
-
Portland, ME – The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Northern Shrimp Section approved a total allowable catch (TAC) of 625 mt, representing a 72% reduction from last year’s quota. The TAC is further subdivided into a research set aside of 5.44 mt, a trawl fishery TAC of 539.02 mt, and a trap fishery TAC of 80.54 mt. Each fishery will close when 85% of its TAC is projected to be reached and a 4-day advance notice will be issued prior to the closure of each fishery. The trawl fishery will begin on Jan 22, 2013, with two landing days (Monday…
-
Addendum Refines Annual Specification Process
-
Philadelphia, PA – The Commission’s Winter Flounder Management Board has approved Addendum II to Amendment 1 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for the Inshore Stocks of Winter Flounder. The Addendum modifies the commercial and recreational management requirements for the Gulf of Maine (GOM) stock in response to updated stock status information and recent federal action to increase the GOM winter flounder state waters’ estimated harvest level. Specifically, the commercial trip limit has been increased to 500 pounds per trip and the recreational season has been expanded to year round. These measures apply only to GOM state waters’ fisheries until…
-
Philadelphia, PA – The Commission’s Spiny Dogfish and Coastal Sharks Management Board approved spiny dogfish quotas for the 2013/14, 2014/15, and 2015/16 fishing seasons (May 1 – April 30), with a maximum possession limit of 4,000 pounds per day for the northern region states (Maine through Connecticut). The approved quotas represent an approximately five million pound increase in quota over the 2012/13 season. State-specific shares for the northern region and southern states (New York through North Carolina) are provided in the table below. Any overages from the previous fishing seasons will be paid back by the region or state in…
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.