Saving Seafood

ASMFC Northern Shrimp Section and Panel to Meet December 12 Section to Consider Draft Amendment 4 for Public Comment and Set 2025 Specifications

November 20, 2024 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Commission’s Northern Shrimp Section (Section) and Advisory Panel (AP) will meet on Thursday, December 12, at the Westin Portland Harborview, 157 High St, Portland, Maine; 207.775.5411. The AP will meet from 9 – 11 AM to review the 2024 stock assessment update and discuss the Technical Committee’s proposal for a pilot winter sampling program.

 
The Section will meet from 12 – 3 PM on the same day to review the 2024 stock assessment update and the Technical Committee’s pilot winter sampling program proposal, set specifications for the 2025 fishing year, and consider approval of Draft Amendment 4 for public comment. Draft Amendment 4 considers options for setting multi-year moratoria and the implementation of a management trigger. The management trigger would be comprised of a set of biological and/or environmental indicators that could signal when the northern shrimp stock in the Gulf of Maine is at a population level that could support a sustainable fishery.
 
Meeting materials will be available December 2, 2024 at https://asmfc.org/calendar/12/2024/Northern-Shrimp-Section/2423. Public comment may be submitted via email to comments@asmfc.org by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, December 6.
 
For more information, please contact Chelsea Tuohy, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, atctuohy@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740. 
 

States Schedule Public Hearings on Spiny Dogfish Draft Addendum VII

November 19, 2024 — The Atlantic coastal states of New Jersey, Maryland, and Virginia have scheduled hearings to gather public input on the Draft Addendum VII to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Spiny Dogfish, which considers potential measures to maintain consistency with the federal Fishery Management Plan in response to the proposed rule to implement Spiny Dogfish Framework Adjustment 6. In addition to the December 11 hearing, stakeholders are welcome to participate in any of the virtual hearings. The public hearing details follow:

Date and Hearing Format
State/Agency
Contact
Wednesday, December 11
Hybrid Hearing
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
All Participating States (ME – FL)
 
 
703.842.0740
Tuesday, December 17 
Webinar Hearing
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
New Jersey Dept. of Environmental Protection
609.748.2063
Wednesday, December 18
Webinar Hearing
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Maryland Dept. of Natural Resources & Virginia Marine Resources Commission
443.758.6547
 
757.247.2236


The Mid-Atlantic and New England Fishery Management Councils developed Spiny Dogfish Framework Adjustment 6 in response to a 2021 Biological Opinion and 2022 Action Plan that called for reducing bycatch of Atlantic sturgeon in spiny dogfish gillnet fisheries. The coastwide Atlantic sturgeon population is made up of five distinct population segments, all of which are listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act, and Atlantic sturgeon harvest has been under a coastwide moratorium in federal and state waters since 1998. The Commission’s Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Sturgeon maintains the moratorium through at least 2038, and while the 2024 stock assessment update showed signs of improvement, the stock remains depleted coastwide.
 
The Board initiated Draft Addendum VII in August 2024 after the Councils recommended measures to NOAA Fisheries to prohibit overnight soaks for federal spiny dogfish permit holders on gillnets with 5”-10” mesh in November and May for a certain area of state and federal waters off of New Jersey, as well as for gillnets of 5.25”-10” mesh in November through March in specified areas off of Maryland and Virginia. The options in the Draft Addendum aim to establish equivalent overnight soak restrictions for spiny dogfish harvesters in state waters that do not possess a federal spiny dogfish permit.
 
Webinar Instructions
Please note that in order to comment during virtual webinar hearings you will need to use your computer or download the GoToWebinar app for your phone. Those joining by phone only will be limited to listening to the presentation and will not be able to provide input. In those cases, you can send your comments to staff via email or U.S. mail at any time during the public comment period. To attend the webinar in listen only mode, dial +1 (631) 992-3221 and enter access code 780-880-486.
 
To register for a virtual public hearing webinar please click HERE and select the hearing(s) you plan to attend from the dropdown menu. Hearings will be held via GoToWebinar, and you can join the webinar from your computer, tablet or smartphone. If you are new to GoToWebinar, you can download the software by (clicking here) or via the App store under GoToWebinar. We recommend you register for the hearing well in advance of the hearing since GoToWebinar will provide you with a link to test your device’s compatibility with the webinar. If you find your device is not compatible, please contact the Commission at info@asmfc.org (subject line: GoToWebinar help) and we will try to get you connected. We also strongly encourage participants to use the computer voice over internet protocol (VoIP) so you can ask questions and provide input at the hearing. If you are joining the webinar but will not be using VoIP, you can may also call in at +1 (631) 992-3221, access code 780-880-486. An audio PIN will be provided to you after joining the webinar.
 
For those who cannot attend any of the virtual hearings, the Commission will also post a recording of the hearing presentation on the Commission’s YouTube page so that stakeholders may watch the presentation and submit comment at any time during the comment process. This recording will be available mid-December at http://www.asmfc.org/about-us/public-input.
 
Submitting Comments
The Draft Addendum is available at https://asmfc.org/files/PublicInput/SpinyDogfishDraftAddendumVII_PublicComment_Oct2024.pdf or via the Commission’s website at http://www.asmfc.org/about-us/public-input. All those interested in the management of spiny dogfish are encouraged to provide input either by participating in a virtual public hearing or providing written comment. Public comment will be accepted until 11:59 PM (EST) on January 3, 2025 and should be sent to James Boyle, FMP Coordinator, at 1050 N. Highland St., Suite 200 A-N, Arlington, Virginia 22201 or at comments@asmfc.org (Subject line: Spiny Dogfish Draft Addendum VII).

Directed Atlantic Herring Fishery Closure for Management Area 1A Effective 9 PM on November 12

November 12, 2024 — The following was released by Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

NOAA Fisheries and the States of Maine and New Hampshire, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts project the Atlantic herring fishery will catch 92% of the Area 1A sub-ACL by November 12, 2024. The Area 1A directed fishery will close effective 9 PM on November 12, 2024 and remain closed until further notice. Vessels that have entered port before 9:00 p.m. on November 12, 2024 may land and sell, from that trip, greater than 2,000 pounds of herring from Area 1A.

During a closure, vessels participating in other fisheries may retain and land an incidental catch of herring that does not exceed 2,000 pounds per trip or calendar day. In addition, directed herring vessels traveling through Area 1A must have all fishing gear stowed.
 
In accordance with the Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Herring, the fixed gear set-aside of 30 metric tons will continue to be available to fixed gear fishermen operating in Area 1A west of Cutler, Maine through December 31, 2024.
 
For more information, please contact Emilie Franke, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at 703.842.0716 or efranke@asmfc.org.
 

Atlantic Striped Bass Board Meeting Scheduled for December 16th to Consider Changes to 2025 Management Measures Informational Webinar to be Held December 5th, with Public Comment Deadline Set for December 10th

November 7, 2024 — The Commission’s Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board will meet in-person and via webinar on Monday, December 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to consider changing 2025 management measures to increase the probability of rebuilding the stock by the 2029 deadline. The meeting will be held at the Westin Crystal City, 1800 Richmond Hwy, Arlington, VA 22202. The draft agenda, webinar information, and the Technical Committee Report with management options for consideration will be posted here by December 3; the availability of this information will be announced by press release. The Advisory Panel Report and all written comments received by December 10 will be posted no later than December 13.

 
The meeting responds to the results of the 2024 Stock Assessment Update, which indicates the resource remains overfished but is not experiencing overfishing. Short-term projections estimate an increase in fishing mortality in 2025 due to the above average 2018 year-class entering the current recreational ocean slot limit combined with the lack of strong year-classes behind it. In this scenario, the probability of rebuilding by 2029 is less than 50%. Under Addendum II to Amendment 7, the Board can change management measures through Board action, instead of developing an addendum, if the stock assessment indicates a less than 50% probability of the stock rebuilding by 2029. As a result, the Board will meet December 16 to consider changing 2025 management measures to reduce fishing mortality and increase the probability of rebuilding to at least 50%.
Public Comment Guidelines
The Commission anticipates a large volume of written public comments will be submitted for this meeting. In order to compile and provide the comments to the Board in a timely manner before the meeting, written comments may be submitted via email to comments@asmfc.org by 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, December 10. Comments received after this date will not be included in the Board’s materials.
 
If your organization is planning to release an action alert, please contact Emilie Franke, FMP Coordinator, atefranke@asmfc.org or 703.842.0716, so she can work with you to develop a unique subject line to enable us to better organize incoming comments.
 
Per the Commission’s public comment guidelines, the Board Chair will provide the opportunity for comment at the meeting, taking into account the time allotted on the agenda. The Chair has the discretion in deciding how to allocate comment opportunities. This could include hearing one comment in favor and one in opposition of a motion until the Chair is satisfied further comments will not provide additional insight to the Board.
 
Informational Webinar to Review Technical Report
The Commission will host an Informational Webinar on Thursday, December 5 at 6 p.m. to review the management options developed by the Technical Committee and provide the public with sufficient background information to inform the development and submission of public comment by December 10. No public comments will be taken at this webinar; staff can address clarifying questions as time allows but public comments will not be taken. To register for the December 5 Informational Webinar, please go to https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3243414609517348697 (Webinar ID 263-766-419).
 
If you are joining the webinar but will not be using voice over internet protocol, you can may also call in at +1 (562) 247-8422, access code 195-793-780. A PIN will be provided to you after joining the webinar. For those who will not be joining the webinar but would like to listen in to the audio portion only, press the # key when asked for a PIN.
 
For more information, please contact Emilie Franke at efranke@asmfc.org.

MAINE: Commercial alewife fishing may return to this Maine town

November 4, 2024 — Bailey Bowden, chair of Penobscot’s alewife committee, just received news he’s been hoping to hear for a decade.

On Oct. 23, the quasi-governmental Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) approved the management plan for shad and river herring, including alewives, submitted by the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR). That state plan includes a proposal to reopen Penobscot’s commercial fishery at Wight’s Pond.

“It’s been over 10 years,” Bowden said of the permitting process. It’s been decades more — since 1974, to be exact — since Penobscot’s last commercial harvest of alewives, Bowden said.

In recent years, volunteers on the town’s alewife committee painstakingly counted alewives each spring as they entered the fresh waters of the pond via Winslow Stream from the salt water of Northern Bay.

Read the full article at Bangor Daily News

ASMFC 82nd Annual Meeting Presentations and Recordings Now Available

October 30, 2024 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Presentations and recordings from last week’s 82nd Annual Meeting are now available athttps://www.asmfc.org/home/2024-annual-meeting; just click on the relevant link at the Board or Committee header in the agenda. Recordings can also be found on the Commission’s YouTube Channel athttps://www.youtube.com/ASMFCvideos.

 
Additionally, the final 2025 Action Plan can be found at https://asmfc.org/files/pub/2025ActionPlan.pdf. 

More Striped Bass Restrictions Possible for Chesapeake Bay Fisheries

October 25, 2024 — The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) held a meeting this week to review recent studies that suggest the Chesapeake Bay’s striped bass (or rockfish) populations continue to struggle.

According to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation,a 2024 stock assessment update showed the number of rockfish remains below sustainable numbers despite multiple recent efforts to reduce their mortality. Studies conducted in Maryland and Virginia suggest similar issues with lower levels of juvenile fish in consecutive years.

“If an upcoming stock assessment prior to the rebuilding deadline of 2029 indicates that the stock is not projected to rebuild by 2029, with a probability greater than or equal to 50 percent, the Board can respond via Board action, essentially by changing management measures via a vote to pass a motion, as opposed to an addendum or an amendment,” Dr. Katie Drew said at the ASMFC meeting.

Read the full article at WBOC

Press Releases, Meeting Summaries and Motions from the ASMFC 82nd Annual Meeting Now Available

October 25, 2024 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Press releases, meeting summaries and motions from this week’s meetings are now available athttps://asmfc.org/files/2024AnnualMeeting/2024AnnualMeetingSummary.pdf. This document can also be found at https://asmfc.org/calendar/meeting-archive. Presentations and recordings from the meetings will be posted to https://www.asmfc.org/home/2024-annual-meeting early next week. Wishing you all a good weekend.

 

ASMFC and MAFMC Approve Changes to Summer Flounder Commercial Mesh Size Exemptions

October 25, 2024 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board (Board) and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) have jointly approved modifications to two exemptions from the summer flounder commercial minimum mesh size requirements. The Board adopted these changes through Addendum XXXV to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan, and the Council recommended identical measures through a framework action which will be submitted to the National Marine Fisheries Service for review and implementation.

Current regulations for the summer flounder trawl fishery require a minimum mesh size of 5.5-inch diamond mesh or 6.0-inch square mesh to retain more than 200 pounds of summer flounder from November through April, or 100 pounds of summer flounder from May through October. The Small Mesh Exemption Program provides an exemption from these requirements for authorized vessels fishing in a designated area from November 1 through April 30. This exemption is designed to allow vessels to retain some bycatch of summer flounder while operating in other small-mesh fisheries. Through this action, the Board and Council agreed to expand the exemption area by moving the boundary of the northern portion of the area approximately five miles west, then connecting the western boundary to the southern scup Gear Restricted Area. While this has the appearance of notably increasing the size of the exemption area, a large portion of the area overlaps with the Frank R. Lautenberg deep sea coral zone, where bottom tending gear is already prohibited. The intent of this change is to increase economic opportunities for industry while continuing to protect the summer flounder stock and prevent regulatory discards.

The Board and Council also voted to implement a tiered monitoring approach for the Small Mesh Exemption Program. Current regulations allow the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office Regional Administrator to terminate the program for the remainder of the season if vessels fishing under the exemption are discarding on average more than 10%, by weight, of their entire catch of summer flounder per trip. Under the new tiered monitoring approach, the discard trigger will be increased to 25%, and once the trigger is reached, a more detailed review of discards will be conducted to determine whether the exemption should be rescinded. The intent of this review is to allow for a more comprehensive consideration of the drivers of, and appropriate response to, discards.

Finally, the Board and Council approved a revised definition of the term “flynet” as it relates to the flynet exemption from the summer flounder commercial minimum mesh size requirements. The revised definition encompasses similar high-rise net types which have very large mesh in the wings, with mesh size decreasing through the body of the net. These nets are not designed to catch flatfish and generally catch small amounts of summer flounder.

Addendum XXXV, including the map showing the approved boundaries, will be posted athttps://asmfc.org/species/summer-flounder under Management Plans and FMP Reviews once the map is finalized. Updates on the Council’s framework will be posted athttps://www.mafmc.org/actions/summer-flounder-commercial-mesh-exemptions.

For more information, please contact either Chelsea Tuohy, ASMFC Fishery Management Plan Coordinator at ctuohy@asmfc.org or Kiley Dancy, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, at kdancy@mafmc.org.

 

Spiny Dogfish Board Approves Draft Addendum VII for Public Comment to Consider Action to Reduce Atlantic Sturgeon Bycatch

October 25, 2024 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Commission’s Spiny Dogfish Management Board approved Draft Addendum VII to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Spiny Dogfish for public comment. The Draft Addendum considers potential measures to maintain consistency with the federal Fishery Management Plan in response to the proposed rule to implement Spiny Dogfish Framework Adjustment 6.

The Mid-Atlantic and New England Fishery Management Councils developed Spiny Dogfish Framework Adjustment 6 in response to a 2021 Biological Opinion and 2022 Action Plan that called for reducing bycatch of Atlantic sturgeon in spiny dogfish gillnet fisheries. The coastwide Atlantic sturgeon population is made up of five distinct population segments, all of which are listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act, and Atlantic sturgeon harvest has been under a coastwide moratorium in federal and state waters since 1998. The Commission’s Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic sturgeon maintains the moratorium through at least 2038, and while the 2024 stock assessment update showed signs of improvement, the stock remains depleted coastwide.
The Board initiated Draft Addendum VII in August 2024 after the Councils recommended measures to NOAA Fisheries to prohibit overnight soaks for federal spiny dogfish permit holders on gillnets with 5”-10” mesh in November and May for a certain area of state and federal waters off of New Jersey, as well as for gillnets of 5.25”-10” mesh in November through March in specified areas off of Maryland and Virginia. The options in the Draft Addendum aim to establish equivalent overnight soak restrictions for spiny dogfish harvesters in state waters that do not possess a federal spiny dogfish permit.
The Draft Addendum will be posted to the website next week at http://www.asmfc.org/about-us/public-input. A subsequent press release will provide details on the public hearing schedule and how to submit written comments. The Board will meet to review submitted comments and consider final action on the addendum in February at the Commission’s Winter Meeting.
The Board also revised the commercial quota for the 2024/2025 fishing from 11,331,747 to 10,249,260 pounds to be consistent with the federal quota. For more information, please contact James Boyle, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at jboyle@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.