Fishery Management Plans

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

  • At the request of Virginia, the Board initiated Addendum IV to accommodate the Commonwealth’s legislative process as well as ensure that the current management program is extended while menhaden research efforts continue. Virginia’s legislature, which meets January through March each year, is responsible for regulating the menhaden reduction fishery in state waters. With Addendum IV in place, Virginia state administrators can work with the legislature in early 2010 to amend Virginia law to extend the harvest cap without the current cap expiring.

  • This Addendum modifies the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Coastal Sharks (FMP) to allow commercial fishermen limited processing of smooth dogfish at sea and removes recreational possession limits for smooth dogfish, as well as the 2 hour net check requirement for commercial fishermen using large mesh gillnets.

  • This Addendum includes measures to achieve Fmsy for the Gulf of Maine (GOM) stock, rebuild the overfished Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic (SNE/MA) stocks, and prevent excessive fishing effort from shifting to state waters in response to federal management measures. This Addendum does not rescind any prior regulations from Amendment 1.

  • In August 2008, the Board approved a motion to initiate the development of a draft addendum to Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) to alter the LCMA 3 transfer program including changes to conservation tax and trap cap. The Board approved the changes to the transfer program at the Spring 2009 Board meeting.

  • In October 2008, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) Atlantic Herring Section (Section) approved a motion to initiate the development of Addendum I to Amendment 2 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (Amendment 2) for Atlantic Herring. The Section directed the Plan Development Team to include monthly or bimonthly quotas with payback and carry over; determination of landing and fishing days; no fishing prior to June 1; and timely reporting of state registered landings. Restrictions on the harvest of juvenile fish were considered for inclusion but removed from Addendum I to ensure timely completion of this Addendum. The Section…