February 5, 2016 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Spiny Dogfish Management Board approved a spiny dogfish commercial quota of 40,360,761 pounds for the 2016/2017 fishing season (May 1 – April 30). Although this represents a 20% reduction in quota from 2015/2016, landings have been below 24 million pounds for the past two fishing years. The Board set commercial trip limits at 5,000 pounds in state waters (0-3 miles from shore) in the northern region (Maine through Connecticut). Both measures are consistent with the quota and trip limit recommended to NOAA Fisheries by the Mid-Atlantic and New England Fishery Management Councils. The Board also approved an increase in the northern area trip limit to 6,000 pounds contingent on complementary action in federal waters. The Board will send a letter to NOAA Fisheries to request it consider and implement these measures.
The Board reviewed the revised 2015 Northeast Fisheries Science Center Stock Assessment Update, which concludes spiny dogfish are not overfished nor experiencing overfishing. Spawning stock biomass was estimated to be 106% of the target. In order to overcome the data gap resulting from the incomplete 2014 survey, the Mid-Atlantic Council’s Science and Statistical Committee used a Kalman Filter for the update. This was the best approach because it provided the most stable estimates of survey abundance and hence catch advice.
For more information, please contact Ashton Harp, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at aharp@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.