Alexandria, VA – The Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Management Board has modified the 2010 season length for the black sea bass recreational fishery. The season will now run from May 22 to October 11, 2010 and from November 1 to December 31, 2010. The season represents an extension from what was originally planned. When the original season was developed, the Board only had 2009 harvest estimates for January through June. Harvest estimates for July through December 2009 were projected using previous years’ data to calculate a total harvest estimate. Based on these preliminary projections, the original…
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 Establishes New Reference Points for 3 Stock Units
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Washington, DC – Effective 2359 hours (EST) on May 5, 2010, the Commission’s Northern Shrimp Section and its member states will close the 2009/2010 fishery. The decision to close the fishery prior to the season end of May 29th was based on preliminary landings data that indicate that harvest is already at 4957 metric tons, 57 metric tons in excess of the Technical Committee recommended landings level. In addition, the Section voiced concern about more harvest of smaller shrimp, a significant component of the May fishery. The Technical Committee projected landings could range between 5700 and 6500 metric tons if…
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Alexandria, VA – The Commission’s Spiny Dogfish and Coastal Sharks Management Board (Board) approved a 15 million pound quota with a maximum possession limit of 3,000 pounds for the 2010/2011 fishing year (May 1 – April 30). Under Addendum II, the quota will be allocated with 58% to states from Maine through Connecticut, 26% to New York through Virginia, and 16% to North Carolina. The 2009 Northeast Fisheries Science Center assessment update indicates that the spiny dogfish are not overfished and overfishing is not occurring. The 2009 spawning stock biomass is estimated to be 360 million pounds, which is 2.7%…
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States Water Fisheries to be Closed by January 1, 2013 unless Sustainability is Demonstrated; Promotes Catch and Release Recreational Fisheries
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Alexandria, VA – The Commission’s Atlantic Herring Section has set optimal yield (OY) for the 2010 – 2012 fishing seasons at 91,200 metric tons (mt). For all three years, the OY will be distributed to the three Atlantic herring management areas and two sub-areas as follows: Area 1A = 26,546 mt, Area 1B = 4,362 mt, Area 2 = 22,146 mt, and Area 3 = 38,146 mt. In addition, the three year specifications allow for the allocation of 3,000 mt to Area 1A in November and December if landings in the New Brunswick fishery are below 9,000 mt by October…
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Board Initiates Addendum to Address Future Management Measures
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Newport, Rhode Island – The Commission’s Weakfish Management Board approved measures to reduce exploitation by over 50 percent in both the recreational and commercial sectors. Addendum IV requires states to implement a one fish recreational creel limit, 100 pound commercial trip limit, 100 pound commercial bycatch limit during closed seasons, and 100 undersized fish per trip allowance for the finfish trawl fishery. All other management measures previously adopted to conserve the stock and reduce bycatch remain in effect. The Board’s action comes in response to the stock status of weakfish. A recent peer-reviewed assessment found the weakfish stock to be…
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Newport, Rhode Island – The Commission’s American Lobster Management Board approved Addendum XV to Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for American Lobster. Addendum XV modifies the Lobster Conservation Management Area 1 (LCMA 1 – Gulf of Maine) permit process in federal waters in response to increasing lobster fishing effort in that area since 2000 (highest on record since 1981). While lobster abundance in the Gulf of Maine is relatively high there is concern that high levels of fishing effort in the area are not likely to be sustainable if abundance returns to long-term median levels. Further, limited…
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