Washington, DC – The Atlantic coastal states of Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Jersey have scheduled the dates and times of their public meetings in order to gather public comment and input on the recently released Draft Amendment 4 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for American Lobster. Following are the details of the scheduled meetings.
September 5, 2001; 7:00 PM
Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management
Narragansett Town Hall
25 Fifth Avenue
Narragansett, Rhode Island
Contact: Brian Murphy at (401)782-4713
September 6, 2001; 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Maine Department of Marine Resources
Casco Bay Lines
Commercial Street
Portland, Maine
Contact: George Lapointe at (207)624-6553
September 10, 2001; 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Maine Department of Marine Resources
Ellsworth City Hall
1 City Hall Plaza
Ellsworth, Maine
Contact: George Lapointe at (207)624-6553
September 10, 2001; 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
New Jersey Division of Fish, Game and Wildlife
Bellmar Town Hall
601 Main Street
Bellmar, New Jersey
Contact: Bruce Freeman at (609)292-2083
September 10, 2001; 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries
Forestdale School
Route 130
Sandwich, Massachusetts
Contact: Jim Fair at (617)626-1534
The Draft Amendment, which was approved by the American Lobster Management Board on July 17, 2001, addresses options for the use of conservation equivalency for the non-trap gear limits and v-notch possession restrictions of Amendment 3. The concept of conservation equivalency is not a new one to the Commission and has been used in many of its fishery management plans. It provides states with the flexibility to adopt alternative management approaches, given that these approaches have been found to be conservationally similar to the required management measures.
Copies of the Draft Amendment can be obtained by contacting either Vanessa Jones, Administrative Assistant, at (202) 289-6400, or via the Commission’s web site under “Public Input” at www.asmfc.org. Public comment will be accepted until September 15, 2001 and should be forwarded to Heather Stirratt, American Lobster Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at 1444 Eye Street, N.W., Sixth Floor, Washington, DC 20005; (202) 289-6051 (fax). For more information, please contact Heather Stirratt at (202) 289-6400, ext. 301, or hstirratt@asmfc.org.