Arlington, VA – The states of Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and North Carolina have scheduled their hearings to gather public comment on Draft Addendum IV to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Coastal Sharks. The details of those hearings are attached.
The purpose of the Draft Addendum is to maintain consistency between federal and state FMPs, where possible, and to better incorporate the intent of the smooth dogfish limited exception in the Shark Conservation Act of 2010 (SCA) into state regulations.
Under current regulations, commercial fishermen with only a state commercial fishing license can land smooth dogfish with corresponding fins removed from the carcass. The Draft Addendum proposes to amend the FMP to allow smooth dogfish carcasses to be landed with corresponding fins removed from the carcass as long as the total retained catch, by weight, is composed of at least 25 percent smooth dogfish. This option is consistent with the federal catch composition requirement, which was included in NOAA Fisheries’ final rule for Amendment 9.
Fishermen and other interested groups are encouraged to provide input on the Draft Addendum either by attending state public hearings or providing written comment. The Draft Addendum can be obtained here or via the Commission’s website, www.asmfc.org, under Public Input. Public comment will be accepted until 5:00 PM (EST) on July 11, 2016 and should be forwarded to Ashton Harp, FMP Coordinator, 1050 N. Highland St, Suite A‐N, Arlington, VA 22201; 703.842.0741 (FAX) or at aharp@asmfc.org (Subject line: Draft Addendum IV).