August 17, 2015 — The following was released by the North Carolina Fisheries Association:
JERRY’S UPDATE
Last week I attended the joint meeting of the Mid Atlantic Fishery Management Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission in New York City. The primary issue was the quota setting for the next three years for summer flounder. There were about 40 council and commission members with staff sitting around the table and about twice that many in the audience, mostly commercial and recreational fishermen plus some reps of environmental groups. There was quite a bit of public comment on Tuesday and one of those rare times when commercial and recreational fishermen were on the same page. The original proposal was for a 43 percent quota reduction in 2016. Although what they agreed on was a 29 percent reduction for next year’s summer flounder quota, it will have tremendous impacts on both commercial and recreational fishermen. In addition, a motion passed by the council will take a look at the landings regulations which could have other very serious consequences for North Carolina.
At the state level, we have a very important Marine Fisheries Commission meeting coming up this week in Raleigh, with the commission addressing the southern flounder regulations. (For those not familiar with these terms, it can be confusing. Summer flounder is regulated jointly by the feds and states with southern flounder regulated by the state.)
See the schedule elsewhere in this update. We are strongly encouraging fishermen and their families to attend at least part of this very important meeting!
NCFA’s position from the start has been that the MFC should consider further management of southern flounder through the amendment process rather than the supplement course they’re on. We will continue to make that point this week in Raleigh. Based on previous actions by the MFC, it seems like it’s impossible to change their course. But should we roll over and give up? A couple of points here:
1.) At the time I write this, we have 2 new commissioners: Janet Rose of Currituck in a commercial seat and Keith Rhodes of Wilmington in an at-large seat. There is one more recreational fisherman yet to be named, but the point here is that we need to show up to talk to these new commissioners and make public comment as they can make all the difference in the decisions coming out of the MFC.
2.) Even if we know that the deck is stacked on this issue with the current commission, what kind of message are we sending if we don’t show up the way we usually do? That it’s over? That we’ve given up? I sincerely hope that isn’t the message we want to convey to the MFC, to the public and the media!
THE WORLD IS RUN BY THOSE WHO SHOW UP! SO LET’S SHOW UP!
Jerry
ANNUAL SPECS FOR SUMMER FLOUNDER, SCUP, BLACK SEA BASS AND BLUEFISH APPROVED BY MAFMC AND ASMFC
NMFS ANNOUNCES PROPOSED RULE TO SET QUOTAS AND OPENING DATES FOR 2016 ATLANTIC SHARK COMMERCIAL FISHING SEASON
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announces a proposed rule that would establish quota levels and opening dates for the 2016 Atlantic commercial shark fisheries.
The proposed 2016 quotas, adjusted as appropriate to account for over- and underharvests, are summarized in Table 1 by management group. Adjustments based on over- and underharvests depend on stock status. The proposed rule uses landings data received as of June 19, 2015. The final rule will be based on updated data received in dealer reports as of October or November 2015 based on the timing of the final rule. Thus, the quotas in the proposed rule are subject to change in the final rule. All dealer reports that are received after the date of the final rule will be used to adjust the 2017 quotas, as appropriate.
Specifically, NMFS proposes to:
* Open all shark management groups on the effective date for this action (i.e., on or about January 1, 2016).
* Start the 2016 commercial shark fishing season with a retention limit of 45 large coastal sharks (LCS) other than sandbar sharks per vessel per trip.
* Adjust the commercial shark retention limit inseason to allow more equitable fishing opportunities across the fishery.
* Increase the Gulf of Mexico blacktip shark management group sub-regional quotas based on underharvests in 2014 and 2015.
* Decrease the Gulf of Mexico non-blacknose small coastal shark management group quota based on an overharvest in 2014.
* Decrease the Atlantic blacknose shark management group quota over a five-year timeframe based on an overharvest in 2012 and further decrease the quota over a three-year timeframe based on an additional overharvest in 2015.
Public hearings are currently not scheduled. If you are interested in public hearings for the proposed rule, please contact Karyl Brewster-Geisz or Guý DuBeck by phone 301-427-8503 Written comments will be accepted until Sept. 17. For more information and how to submit comments see the news release.
RECREATIONAL SECTOR EXCEEDS 2015 ACL FOR HOGFISH IN SOUTH ATLANTIC, FISHERY TO CLOSE AUG. 24
Recreational harvest of hogfish in South Atlantic federal waters will close, at 12:01 a.m. (local time) on Aug. 24, 2015. Federal waters will reopen to recreational harvest at 12:01 a.m. (local time) on Jan. 1, 2016. The recreational annual catch limit for hogfish is 85,355 pounds whole weight. Reports indicate that landings have exceeded the 2015 recreational annual catch limit for hogfish.
REGULATION AND RULE CHANGES:
–Coral Amendment 8 in the South Atlantic Effective Aug. 17
–Amendment 6 to the 2006 Consolidated Atlantic HMS Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Sharks Effective Aug. 18
–Snowy Grouper Season Re-opens Aug. 20
-South Atlantic Gag and Wreckfish Catch Limits Change Effective Sept. 11
-Atlantic Mackerel Slippage Consequences Measures Effective Sept. 11
-USCG Mandatory Dockside Inspections Required Effective Oct. 15
DEADLINES:
Aug. 21 at 5 p.m. – Snapper-Grouper Regulatory Amendment 16 Comments
Aug. 26 – Green Sea Turtles ESA Uplisting Comments
Aug. 31 at 5 p.m. – Snapper-Grouper Regulatory Amendment 36 Comments
Sept. 1 – SAFMC Snapper-Grouper Draft Vision Blueprint Comments
Sept. 4 – Cape Fear River Restoration Scoping Document Comments
Sept. 10 – NMFS Updated Draft Acoustic Guidelines Comments
Sept. 14 – NMFS Generic Amendment to Snapper-Grouper, Golden Crab and Dolphin-Wahoo FMPs Comments
Sept. 17 – 2016 Commercial Atlantic Shark Season Comments
Sept 21 at 5 p.m. – 2016-2018 Atlantic Herring Research Set Aside Applications
Oct. 2 – MFC Proposed Rules Comments
MEETINGS:
If you are aware of ANY meetings that should be of interest to commercial fishing that is not on this list, please contact us so we can include it here.
Aug. 18 at 6 p.m.– Cape Fear River Restoration Public Meeting, Navassa Community Center, 338 Main St., Navassa
Aug. 19 at 1:30 p.m. – MAFMC Spiny Dogfish Advisory Panel Meeting via webinar
Aug. 19-21 – Marine Fisheries Commission Meeting, Brownstone Hotel, Raleigh
Aug. 31-Sept.1 – ASMFC Menhaden Ecosystem Management Workshop
Sept. 9 at 6 p.m. – MFC Rules Public Hearing, DMF Central District Office, 5285 Hwy 70 W, Morehead City
PROCLAMATIONS:
CRAB TRAWLING AND TAKING SHRIMP WITH NETS (OPENING: Outer Shallowbag Bay)
CRAB TRAWLING AND TAKING SHRIMP WITH NETS
SNAPPER-GROUPER COMPLEX – COMMERCIAL PURPOSES (SNOWY GROUPER)
SNAPPER-GROUPER COMPLEX – RECREATIONAL PURPOSES (SNOWY GROUPER)