ARLINGTON, VA – As summer drew to an end, states from Maine to North Carolina were holding public hearings on Draft Addendum V to the interstate fishery management plan for Atlantic menhaden.
The addendum, which was developed by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (ASMFC) Atlantic Menhaden Management Board, is divided into three major sections: one related to the fishing mortality (F) threshold reference point for menhaden; one related to the F target; and another regarding potential management tools to regulate the fishery down the road.
To get the discussion going, ASMFC said management tool possibilities might include items such as: trip limits, gear restrictions, season closures, area closures, quotas, effort controls, limited entry, and recreational fishery options.
“The public comment received will be used to narrow the scope of tools that will be addressed in a future addendum,” the Draft Addendum V public hearing document explained.
The document further stated, “This is the public’s opportunity to inform the commission about changes observed in the fishery, things you feel should or should not be done in terms of management, regulation, enforcement, research, development, enhancement, and any other concerns you have about the resource or the fishery, as well as reasons for your concerns.”
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