Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Archives - Page 27 of 116

States Schedule Public Hearings on Atlantic Striped Bass Draft Amendment 7 Public Information Document

February 24, 2021 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic coastal states of Maine through Virginia have scheduled their virtual hearings to gather public input on the Atlantic Striped Bass Draft Amendment 7 Public Information Document (PID). The details of those hearings follow:

As the first step in the amendment process, the PID seeks input from those interested in striped bass about changes observed in the fishery/resource and potential management measures. It has been 18 years since the last plan amendment to the Atlantic Striped Bass FMP was adopted (Amendment 6). Since then, the status and understanding of the striped bass stock and fishery has changed considerably which raises concern that the management program no longer reflects current fishery needs and priorities. The results of the 2018 Benchmark Stock Assessment in particular led the Board to discuss a number of prominent issues facing striped bass management. Consequently, the Board initiated the development of Amendment 7 in August 2020.

The purpose of the PID is to solicit stakeholder input on prioritizing the importance of each topic for continued development and potential inclusion in the Draft Amendment. The PID considers the following management topics: (1) fishery goals and objectives; (2) biological reference points; (3) management triggers; (4) stock rebuilding targets and schedule; (5) regional management; (6) management program equivalency (conservation equivalency); (7) recreational release mortality; (8) recreational accountability; (9) coastal commercial quota allocation; and (10) other issues raised in public comments.

Webinar Instructions

To register for a public hearing please click here: Public Hearing Registration and select the hearing(s) you plan to attend from the dropdown menu. Hearings will be held via GoToWebinar, which can be accessed using a computer, tablet, or smartphone. When connecting to audio, we strongly encourage participants to use computer voice over internet (VoIP) so you can ask questions and provide input. To attend the webinar in listen only mode, dial 1-213-929-4232 and enter access code 527-210-568. Those joining by phone only will be limited to listening to the presentation and will not be able to provide input at the hearing. For technical assistance setting up and logging into GoToWebinar, contact Toni Kerns at 703.842.0718.

If you are connected only by phone in listen only mode, you will not show up as a webinar attendee. In the event that there are no webinar attendees, the public hearing will be cancelled unless state staff request that the hearing content is presented.

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 by March 1, 2021.

Submitting Comments

Stakeholders are encouraged to provide input on the PID either by attending state public hearings or providing written comment. The PID is available at http://www.asmfc.org/files/PublicInput/StripedBassAm7PID_PublicComment_Feb2021.pdf or via the Commission’s website at http://www.asmfc.org/about-us/public-input. Public comment will be accepted until 5 PM (EST) on April 9, 2021 and should be forwarded to Emilie Franke, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, 1050 N. Highland St, Suite 200A-N, Arlington, VA 22201; 703.842.0741 (FAX) or at comments@asmfc.org (Subject line: Striped Bass PID). If your organization is planning to release an action alert in response to the PID, please contact Emilie Franke at 703.842.0740, so she can work with you to develop a unique subject line to enable us to better organize and summarize incoming comments for Board review.

The Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board will meet at the Commission’s 2021 Spring Meeting in May to consider public comment and provide direction to staff for items to be included in Draft Amendment 7. For more information, please contact Emilie Franke, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at efranke@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.

MAFMC and ASMFC to Hold Public Hearings for Bluefish Allocation and Rebuilding Amendment

February 22, 2021 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission) are seeking public comment on management options under consideration in the Bluefish Allocation and Rebuilding Amendment. This amendment contains alternatives to:

Revise the fishery management plan (FMP) goals and objectives;
Modify the bluefish allocations between the commercial and recreational sectors;
Modify the commercial allocations to the states;
Initiate a rebuilding plan;
Revise the quota transfer processes;
Revise how the FMP accounts for management uncertainty; and
Revise the de minimis provisions in the Commission’s FMP.

Comments may be provided at any of 5 virtual public hearings to be held between March 24 and April 8, 2021 or via written comment until April 23, 2021

We encourage you to visit the Council’s Bluefish Allocation and Rebuilding Amendment web page or the Commission’s Public Input web page, where you can read the Public Hearing Document, the Draft Amendment, and watch the public hearing presentation (to be posted by March 12, 2021).

The Council’s Public Hearing Document is an abbreviated version of the amendment which summarizes proposed management options and impacts. The Commission’s Draft Amendment is a more comprehensive management document that will resemble the Commission’s final amendment once approved. Both documents contain identical options for public input, but each have been developed according to each management body’s differing requirements. Commenters need only to submit comment on one of the documents. We have also developed a Quick Reference Guide which provides an overview of the alternatives under consideration in the amendment.

Virtual Hearing Schedule

Interested members of the public are encouraged to provide oral comments at any of the following public hearings. While we encourage you to attend the hearing that is targeted toward your state or regional grouping, anyone is welcome to participate in any hearing. See the hearing announcement for a list of hearing contacts.

Wednesday, March 24, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.: North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida
Thursday, March 25, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.: Delaware, Maryland, Potomac River Fisheries Commission, and Virginia
Tuesday, March 30, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.: Connecticut and New York
Thursday, April 1, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.: Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island
Thursday, April 8, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.: New Jersey

Webinar Connection Instructions

To register for a public hearing please click here: Public Hearing Registration and select the hearing(s) you plan to attend from the dropdown menu. Hearings will be held via GoToWebinar, which can be accessed using a computer, tablet, or smartphone. When connecting to audio, we strongly encourage participants to use computer voice over internet (VoIP) so you can ask questions and provide input. To attend the webinar in listen only mode, dial 1-866-901-6455 and enter access code 140-544-592. Those joining by phone only will be limited to listening to the presentation and will not be able to provide input. For technical assistance setting up and logging into GoToWebinar, contact Dustin Colson Leaning at 703-842-0714.

Please note that if you are connected only by phone in listen only mode, you will not show up as a webinar attendee. In the event that there are no webinar attendees, the public hearing will be cancelled unless state staff request that the hearing content is presented.

Read the full release here

Reminder: Public Hearing Webinars for Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Commercial/Recreational Allocation Amendment to Begin This Week

February 16, 2021 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The first two public hearing webinars for the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Commercial/Recreational Allocation Amendment will be held this week, on Wednesday, February 17 and Thursday, February 18. Additional hearings will be held on February 24, March 1, and March 2. All hearings will begin at 6:00 p.m. Written comments may also be submitted through March 16, 2021.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission) are developing this joint amendment to consider adjusting the allocations of catch or landings between the commercial and recreational fisheries for summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass. The amendment also considers options that would allow a portion of the allowable landings to be transferred between the commercial and recreational sectors each year.

Learn More

Complete details about the management alternatives being considered in this amendment are available in the Public Hearing Document. We have also developed a new Alternatives Quick Reference Guide which provides an overview of the alternatives under consideration in the amendment. This guide should be used in conjunction with the Public Hearing Document and is intended to help members of the public provide comments on specific alternatives.

Finally, we have posted a recording of the Public Hearing Presentation. If you are not planning to attend a public hearing, we encourage you to watch this video before submitting written comments.

Additional background information and related documents are available on the action page for this amendment.

Public Hearing Schedule

You are encouraged to attend any of the following five virtual public hearings and to provide oral or written comments at these hearings. While we encourage you to attend the hearing that is targeted toward your state, anyone is welcome to participate in any hearing.

Wednesday, February 17, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.: Massachusetts and Rhode Island
Thursday, February 18, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.: New Jersey
Wednesday, February 24, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.: Delaware and Maryland
Monday, March 1, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.: Virginia and North Carolina
Tuesday, March 2, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.: Connecticut and New York

To register for a public hearing please click here: Public Hearing Registration and select the hearing(s) you plan to attend from the dropdown menu. Hearings will be held via GoToWebinar, which can be accessed using a computer, tablet, or smartphone. When connecting to audio, we strongly encourage participants to use computer voice over internet (VoIP) so you can ask questions and provide input. To attend the webinar in listen only mode, dial 1-877-309-2074 and enter access code 128-060-916. Those joining by phone only will be limited to listening to the presentation and will not be able to provide input. For technical assistance setting up and logging into GoToWebinar, contact Savannah Lewis at 703-842-0715.

Written Comments

Written comments may be submitted through March 16, 2021 by any of the following methods:

1. ONLINE at http://www.mafmc.org/comments/sfsbsb-allocation-amendment

2. EMAIL to kdancy@mafmc.org

3. MAIL or FAX to Dr. Christopher Moore, Executive Director

Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council

800 North State Street, Suite 201

Dover, DE 19901

FAX: 302.674.5399

Please include “Fluke/Scup/Sea Bass Allocation Amendment” in the subject line if using email or fax, or on the outside of the envelope if submitting written comments.

Tips for Providing Public Comment

We value your input. To be most effective, we request that your comment include specific details as to why you support or oppose a particular alternative. Specifically, please address the following:

Which proposed alternative(s) do you support, and which do you oppose?
Why do you support or oppose the alternative(s)?
Is there any additional information you think should be considered?

Contacts

For additional information and updates, please visit: https://www.mafmc.org/actions/sfsbsb-allocation-amendment. If you have any questions, please contact:

Kiley Dancy, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, kdancy@mafmc.org, 302-526-5257
Dustin Colson Leaning, Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, dleaning@asmfc.org, 703-842-0714

Electronic Reporting and Online Permitting Information for Federally Permitted Lobstermen

February 12, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Below is information to answer some commonly asked questions as we shift to electronic reporting and online permitting in the future.

Do I Need to Submit Trip Reports?

We are implementing electronic reporting requirements for much of the commercial fishing industry in our region.
If you hold any GARFO fishing permit in addition to your lobster permit, you must report all of your fishing activity, including lobster fishing, in both state and federal waters.
We strongly recommend that you start reporting electronically as soon as possible. See our eVTR webpage for more information.
If you hold only a GARFO issued American lobster permit, you do not have to report your fishing trips to us; however, state agencies may have their own reporting requirements.
Following a recommendation by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, we may establish a vessel trip reporting requirement for lobster-only permit holders in future years.

How Do I Renew My Permit?

You may go online to renew your GARFO vessel permit for 2021.
Go to our Vessel Permitting webpage for instructions.
To renew your permit online, you will need a Fish Online account.
Instructions for creating an account are found on our How to Create an Account in Fish Online and Link to a Vessel webpage.
If you don’t apply online, we will mail a 2021 paper renewal application to you.

Read the full release here

New Jersey gets biggest cut of commercial sea bass harvest in new quota arrangement

February 12, 2021 — Regional fishery management bodies approved new commercial allocations in the black sea bass fishery based on the distribution of sea bass biomass found in the 2019 stock assessment.

As a result of the new allocations and a northern shift of the fish, New Jersey will see a slight increase to its percentage of the coastwide quota, from 20% to 20.10%. That’s enough to give the Garden State the largest share of the coastwide quota.

Virginia took the biggest hit as its commercial quota was trimmed down from 20% of the coastwide harvest to 16%.

Read the full story at the Asbury Park Press

PUBLIC COMMENT TO SHAPE FUTURE OF ROCKFISH HARVEST

February 11, 2021 — Managing rockfish (striped bass) is like managing the Orioles or Nationals: everybody has an opinion on how to do it. Even as we acknowledge the significant challenges that Major League Baseball managers face, the rockfish issue is a lot more complicated. After all, it concerns tens of millions of fish swimming the Atlantic coast past 13 jurisdictions from North Carolina to Canada. The most recent data indicate that our beloved rock are overfished, and that we are overfishing them. Worse yet, the current version of the management plan in effect along the coast dates from 2003.

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), which has legal authority to coordinate and enforce each jurisdiction’s local management plans, seeks to develop a new coastwide plan, to be known as Amendment 7. At its winter meeting last week, ASMFC’s commissioners (made up of three representatives from each Atlantic state, plus the Potomac River Fisheries Commission, the US Fish & Wildlife Service, and NOAA) approved a Public Information Document (PID), asking for written comment from “stakeholders” (that’s any of us concerned with the health of these iconic fish) through April 9. The commission will also conduct public hearings, probably by webinar with dates and information announced on its web site.

It reads, “The purpose of this document [the PID] is to inform the public of the commission’s intent to gather information concerning Atlantic striped bass and to provide an opportunity for the public to identify major issues and alternatives relative to the management of this species. Input received at the start of the amendment process can have a major influence in the final outcome of the amendment.”

Read the full story at the Chesapeake Bay Magazine

Presentations and Audio Files from ASMFC’s 2021 Winter Meeting Now Available

February 9, 2021 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Presentations and audio files from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s 2021 Winter Meeting Webinar are now available at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2021-winter-meeting-webinar; go to the relevant board/committee header and click on either Presentations or Audio. Audio files can also be found on the Commission’s YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/ASMFCvideos.

Atlantic Striped Bass Board Approves Draft Amendment 7 PID for Public Comment

February 5, 2021 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board approved for public comment the Public Information Document (PID) for Draft Amendment 7 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Atlantic Striped Bass. As the first step in the amendment process, the PID seeks input from stakeholders and those interested in striped bass about changes observed in the fishery/resource and potential management measures.

The last time a new plan amendment to the Atlantic Striped Bass FMP was adopted was in 2003 (Amendment 6). Since then, the status and understanding of the striped bass stock and fishery has changed considerably which raises concern that the current management program no longer reflects current fishery needs and priorities. The results of the 2018 Benchmark Stock Assessment in particular led the Board to discuss a number of prominent issues facing striped bass management. Consequently, the Board initiated the development of Amendment 7 in August 2020.

Stakeholders are encouraged to provide input on the PID either by attending state public hearings or providing written comment. It is anticipated that states from Maine through North Carolina will be conducting public hearings, likely in a virtual format, in March and April 2021. A subsequent press release will provide the details of those hearings. The Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board will meet at the Commission’s 2021 Spring Meeting in May to consider public comment and provide direction to staff for items to be included in Draft Amendment 7.

The PID is available at http://www.asmfc.org/files/PublicInput/StripedBassAm7PID_PublicComment_Feb2021.pdf or via the Commission’s website, www.asmfc.org, under Public Input. Public comment will be accepted until 5 PM (EST) on April 9, 2021 and should be forwarded to Emilie Franke, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, 1050 N. Highland St, Suite 200A-N, Arlington, VA 22201; 703.842.0741 (FAX) or at comments@asmfc.org (Subject line: Striped Bass PID). For more information, please contact Emilie Franke, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, atefranke@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.

ASMFC 2021 Winter Meeting Webinar Press Releases, Meeting Summaries, and Motions Now Available

February 5, 2021 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Press releases, meeting summaries and motions from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s 2021 Winter Meeting Webinar are now available athttp://www.asmfc.org/files/Meetings/2021WinterMeetingWebinar/2021WinterMeetingSummary.pdf. The document can also be obtained on the Commission website on the Meeting Archives page at http://www.asmfc.org/home/meeting-archive.

Presentations and audio files from this week’s meetings will be posted at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2021-winter-meeting-webinar early next week.

ASMFC and MAFMC Approve Changes to State Allocations of Commercial Black Sea Bass Quota

February 4, 2021 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

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) jointly approved several changes to the management program for black sea bass commercial fisheries. These changes include modifying the state allocations of the commercial black sea bass quota, adding the state allocations to the Council’s Fishery Management Plan (FMP), and modifying the regulations for federal in-season closures. The Board adopted the new allocations through Addendum XXXIII to the Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass FMP, while the Council recommended these changes through an amendment to its FMP. These actions address significant changes in the distribution of black sea bass that have occurred since the original allocations were implemented under Amendment 13 in 2003 and also account for the historical dependence of the states on the black sea bass fishery.

Under the approved changes, Connecticut’s baseline allocation will increase from 1% to 3% of the coastwide quota to address its disproportionally low allocation compared to the increased availability of black sea bass in state waters. The state allocations will then be calculated by allocating 75% of the coastwide quota according to the new baseline allocations (historical allocations modified to account for Connecticut’s increase to 3%) and 25% to three regions based on the most recent regional biomass distribution information from the stock assessment (see Table 1). The three regions are: 1) Maine-New York, 2) New Jersey, and 3) Delaware-North Carolina. The regional allocations will be distributed among states within a region in proportion to their baseline allocations, except Maine and New Hampshire will each receive 1% of the northern region quota. Because the allocations are based in part on the regional biomass distribution from the stock assessment, they will be adjusted if a new assessment indicates a change to the biomass distribution. The Board and Council committed to reevaluating the approved state allocation system within 5 years.

The Council and Board agreed to add the state allocations to the Council’s FMP. As a result, future modifications to the allocations will require a joint action of the Board and Council. Additionally, they approved a change to the federal regulations such that the entire black sea bass commercial fishery will close in-season for all federally permitted vessels and dealers once landings are projected to exceed the coastwide quota plus an additional buffer of up to 5%. The buffer aims to minimize negative economic impacts of a coastwide closures on states that have not fully harvested their quotas. The Council and Board considered, but did not adopt, changes to the regulations for paybacks of state quota overages; states will only be required to pay back overages of their state quota if the coastwide quota is exceeded.

Read the full release here