Fishery Management Plans

Comprehensive plans detailing the strategies and regulations for managing specific fishery resources, aimed at ensuring their sustainability and productivity.

  • In August 2012, the Winter Flounder Management Board initiated the development of an addendum to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for winter flounder to consider changing commercial trip limits and recreational measures through a an annual specification process for the Gulf of Maine and Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic winter flounder fisheries.

  • Amendment 2 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Menhaden was approved in December 2012. Amendment 2 enables the Atlantic Menhaden Management Board to set aside 1% of the overall total allowable catch (TAC) for episodic events (Section 4.2.1.8). Episodic events are times and areas where Atlantic menhaden are available in more abundance than they normally occur. The set aside is designed to enable increased harvest of Atlantic menhaden during episodic events.

  • The Lobster Board initiated Draft Addendum XX at the November 2012 meeting with the following motion: Move to initiate the development of an addendum that would include measures outlined in the agreement between the offshore lobster fishery and sector trawl fishermen for bottom-sharing in Closed Area 2 in order to protect large concentrations of egg-bearing females and prevent gear conflicts. Limited changes to the agreement by the industry could be made through board action. This addendum establishes a bottom-sharing in Closed Area 2.

  • Addendum I to Amendment 2, approved in November 2012, provides flexibility to set a hard total allowable catch (TAC), allocate the TAC by gear type (including a transferability provision), and close the fishery when a percentage of the TAC is reached to prevent overages from late and incomplete reporting. Additionally, the document establishes a set aside harvest for research and details optional gear modifications to minimize the retention of small shrimp. Addendum I also contains an appendix of limited entry programs that were in the developmental stages when this document went out for public comment. Considering these limited entry programs…

  • In response to updated stock status information and federal action to substantially increase the GOM winter flounder state waters annual catch limit subcomponent, the Board initiated Addendum II to Amendment 1 of the Winter Flounder Interstate FMP. This Addendum changes commercial and recreational management measures for the state waters component of the GOM stock only. Specifically, it increases the maximum possession limit for non-federally permitted commercial vessels to 500 pounds. It also removes the 11% reduction in F for the recreational fishery and allows states the option to open their recreational fishing season year-round.

  • In February 2012, the Atlantic Herring Section (Section) initiated an addendum to implement the Technical Committee’s (TC) recommendations regarding spawning regulations. These recommendations include 1) refining the sampling protocol; 2) investigating shifting the boundary between the Western Maine and Massachusetts/New Hampshire (MA/NH) spawning areas south and 3) incorporating all spawning regulations in one document for clarity. The Board approved changes to the sampling protocol but did not include changes to the Western Maine and Massachusetts/New Hampshire (MA/NH) spawning areas south. The comprehensive spawning requirements for the FMP can be found in Appendix A.