Arlington, VA – Atlantic coastal states and jurisdictions from New Jersey through Georgia have scheduled their hearings to gather public input on the Public Information Document (PID) for Draft Amendment 1 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Atlantic Migratory Group Cobia (Atlantic cobia). The details of those hearings are attached.
Draft Amendment 1 was initiated in anticipation of removal of Atlantic cobia from the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Councils’ Fishery Management Plan for Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources (CMP FMP). Both Councils approved removal of Atlantic cobia from the CMP FMP earlier this year, and this action is now pending review by the Secretary of Commerce. If approved by the Secretary of Commerce, there would no longer be a federal management plan for Atlantic cobia, and the Commission would become the sole management body for this stock. This would necessitate amending several portions of the current interstate FMP that are dependent on the CMP FMP and also provide the opportunity for the Board to construct a long- term strategy for managing in the absence of a federal FMP.
The PID is the first step of the Commission’s amendment process, and the intent of the PID is to elicit input from stakeholders and those interested in Atlantic cobia about changes observed in the fishery/resource and potential management measures that should be considered for inclusion in Draft Amendment 1. Additionally, the PID seeks input on three main issues: recommended management for federal waters, a harvest specification process, and biological monitoring requirements.
The PID is available here or via the Commission’s website, www.asmfc.org, under Public Input. Fishermen and other interested groups are encouraged to provide input on the PID either by attending state public hearings or providing written comment.
Public comment will be accepted until 5 PM (EST) on October 4, 2018 and should be forwarded to Dr. Michael Schmidtke, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, 1050 N. Highland St, Suite A-N, Arlington, VA 22201; 703.842.0741 (FAX) or at comments@asmfc.org (Subject line: Cobia PID).
If your organization is planning to release an action alert related to the PID, please contact Michael Schmidtke at mschmidtke@asmfc.org prior to its release. The Management Board will meet at the Commission’s 2018 Annual Meeting in October to review and consider public comment and provide direction to staff for items to be included in Draft Amendment 1.