The industry was facing a possible closure of the directed Loligo squid fishery during the Trimester I season due to the inclusion of a restrictive butterfish bycatch cap in Amendment 10 which was implemented on January 1, 2011.
To reduce the possibility of an early closure GSSA staff worked cooperatively with fishermen from New Jersey, New York, North Carolina and Rhode Island to increase the 2011 ABC for butterfish. The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s Science and Statistical Committee, in an effort to determine if an increase was justified, quickly convened a meeting on February 7th to consider this issue. The SSC, along with MAFMC and NMFS’ Northeast Regional Science Center staff, worked diligently to closely examine historical landings of butterfish in the directed Loligo fishery. This analysis resulted in a recommendation for a 17% increase in the butterfish ABC which the Council promptly approved and NOAA/NMFS implemented as an emergency measure on March 17th.
The increase in the butterfish ABC, coupled with an informal notification system between the boats in the Loligo fishery to avoid butterfish concentrations, will help prevent a premature and unnecessary closure of the directed squid fishery.
The success of this effort is a direct result of the effective working relationship between industry, Council members and staff, and the NMFS staff in the Northeast Region. It is a also a demonstration of how we believe the federal fisheries management system should operate. While industry members feel that an increase in the butterfish ABC should be greater than 17% which remains a long term goal of the GSSA, we take this opportunity to thank everyone involved for expediting the process for the current Loligo fishing season.
contact:
Gregory P. DiDomenico, Executive Director
Garden State Seafood Association
212 West State Street
Trenton, NJ 08608
609 675 0202 / gregdi@voicenet.com