Atlantic Beach, NC – The Commission’s Spiny Dogfish and Coastal Shark Management Board approved changes to 2006/2007 quota and trip limits, and set specifications for the 2007/2008 fishing year. The Board modified the 2006/2007 fishing year (May 1, 2006 – April 30, 2007) specifications by increasing the quota to six million pounds, with 58% of the quota allocated to states from Maine through Connecticut and 42% allocated to New York through North Carolina. States were given the prerogative to set their own trip limits. For the 2007/2008 fishing year (May 1, 2007 – April 30, 2008), the Board approved a six-million pound quota with trip limits to be determined at the winter 2007 Board meeting.
This action was taken based on the findings of the 2006 benchmark stock assessment and peer review, which indicated that spiny dogfish are not overfished and overfishing is not occurring. Further, the Spiny Dogfish Technical Committee reported that a modest increase in the annual quota would not have a significant impact on total mortality or stock rebuilding.
The federal specifications for the spiny dogfish fishery remain at four million pounds per fishing year, with trip limits of 600 pounds for quota periods one (May 1 to October 31) and two (November 1 to April 30). Federal specifications were first set in 2005 for the 2006/2007, 2007/2008, and 2008/2009 fishing years. For more information, please contact Christopher Vonderweidt, Spiny Dogfish Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at (202)289-6400 or cvonderweidt@asmfc.org.