Saving Seafood

American Lobster Board Initiates Addendum to Postpone Implementation of Addendum XXVII Measures and Approves Addendum XXX

August 8, 2024 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Commission’s American Lobster Management Board initiated Draft Addendum XXXI to Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for American Lobster. The Draft Addendum will consider postponing the implementation of the measures from Addendum XXVII. The Board also approved Addendum XXX, which addresses how the measures of Addendum XXVII will apply to foreign imports of American lobster once implemented.

Draft Addendum XXXI considers postponing the implementation of management measures under Sections 3.1 and 3.2 of Addendum XXVII until July 1, 2025. Addendum XXVII was adopted in May 2023 and established a trigger mechanism to automatically implement management measures to provide additional protection of the Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank (GOM/GBK) spawning stock biomass. Changes to the current gauge and escape vent sizes in Lobster Conservation Management Areas (LCMAs) 1, 3, and Outer Cape Cod (OCC) were triggered based on observed changes in recruit abundance indices in October 2023 with the inclusion of 2022 survey data in the trigger index. The Board then extended the implementation date of the series of changes to gauge and vent size to begin January 1, 2025 to allow the Gulf of Maine states the opportunity to coordinate with Canada regarding possible trade implications, and give the industry and gauge makers additional time to prepare for these changes.
A meeting was held between US and Canadian lobster fishery managers and industry members in June 2024 to discuss the management structures and stock assessments of the two countries. Based on this meeting, the Board determined that postponing implementation of Addendum XXVII’s biological measures to July 1, 2025 would reduce negative impacts to the US and Canadian lobster industries in 2025 and allow Canada more time to consider implementing complementary management measures. Specifically, Draft Addendum XXXI will consider postponing the changes in minimum gauge size for LCMA 1 (inshore Gulf of Maine), and the measures under Section 3.1 of Addendum XXVII to create a common size limit for state-only and federal permit holders fishing in OCC to July 2025. The Draft Addendum will not consider postponing regulations prohibiting the issuance of 10% additional trap tags in Areas 1 and 3 above the trap limit or allocation. Draft Addendum XXXI will be released for public comment later this year. 
 
The Board also approved Addendum XXX, which clarifies the Commission’s intent for how the measures of Addendum XXVII will apply to foreign imports of American lobster once implemented. The Addendum recommends to NOAA Fisheries that the Mitchell Provision of the Magnuson-Stevens Act apply to foreign imports of whole live lobster, meaning the smallest minimum size for foreign imports would match the smallest minimum size in effect for the US industry. The current smallest LCMA minimum gauge size in effect is 3¼ inches, and when the LCMA 1 gauge size increases, this will change to 3 5/16 inches. Foreign imports smaller than the new minimum gauge size would be prohibited. These size restrictions do not apply to lobsters travelling in-bond through the US.
 
Addendum XXX will be available on the Commission website, www.asmfc.org, on American lobster webpage by next week. For more information, please contact Caitlin Starks, Senior Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at cstarks@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.

ASMFC vote to create workgroup to study Virginia’s menhaden fishery

August 8, 2024 — The saga of the future of Virginia’s menhaden reduction fishery on Chesapeake Bay continues to unfold as the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) Menhaden Management Board approved a motion on Tuesday Aug 6 that could lead to further regulations of the fishery.

The management board approved a motion to establish a “workgroup” to consider and evaluate “precautionary options” in the regulation of the state’s menhaden fishery.

This includes considering time and area closures of Virginia’s menhaden reduction fishery “to be protective of piscivorous birds and fish during critical points of their life cycle.”

The approval to create a workgroup came on the heels of a motion made by Maryland commissioner Lynn Fegley, who serves as director of Fishing and Boat Services at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

She introduced a motion to “initiate an Addendum (document) to the Atlantic Menhaden Interstate Management plan that would regulate menhaden purse net fishing of boats over 300 tons.” This was specifically directed at the Virginia owned Ocean Harvesters fleet out of Reedville, Va., the only menhaden reduction fishery fleet on the East Coast.

Fegley’s motion stated that the “document should include seasonal (fishing) closures of Chesapeake Bay waters (inside the COLREGs line)” but should not consider changes in the bay menhaden cap of 51,000 metric tons currently allowed from Virginia waters.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

Lobster gauge increase delayed a second time

August 7, 2024 — The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) just voted to delay the planned gauge change to increase the minimum allowable catch size in Lobster Management Area 1 until July 1, 2025. The Commission also approved Addendum 30, which clarifies that lobsters imported from Canada under the U.S. minimum size would be banned.

The proposed gauge increase, known as Addendum 27, was a response to a 35 percent decline in juvenile lobsters. This proactive measure, initiated in 2017, was aimed at enhancing the resilience of lobster stock and was initially set to be implemented on June 1, 2024. However, following feedback from the Maine Department of Marine Resources Commissioners and others, a compromise was reached, resulting in a seven-month delay and a new implementation date of Jan. 1, 2025.

Read the full article at National Fisherman

U.S. Geological Survey Presentation Raises Questions About Osprey-Menhaden Link Allegations

August 6, 2024 — The following was released by the Menhaden Fisheries Coalition:

Today at the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) summer meeting, the Menhaden Management Board heard a presentation on osprey populations from U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists; considered but did not agree to a motion to start an addendum on additional commercial menhaden fishing restrictions in the Chesapeake Bay; and ultimately agreed, as a compromise, to create a working group to “consider and evaluate options for further precautionary management of Chesapeake Bay menhaden fisheries.”

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) has issued a stunningly deceptive press release, mischaracterizing the tone of today’s ASMFC meeting and the action taken there. The CBF release suggests that the material presented by USGS overwhelmingly indicated a problem with osprey in the Chesapeake Bay, and that there was overwhelming support by ASMFC commissioners for additional regulation of menhaden in the Chesapeake Bay. Neither is true. The Menhaden Fisheries Coalition is issuing this release, together with the full audio of the meeting, to clarify the record. The full audio is available here.

Dr. Barnett Rattner and David Ziolkowski of the U.S. Geological Survey gave a presentation on the health of osprey populations from coast to coast. Mr. Ziolkowski noted that “in North America in the 1950s and 60s, osprey population started declining rapidly due to the effects of volcanic chlorine, pesticides like DDT, and it’s estimated that the Chesapeake Bay probably lost about half or more of its population.”

However, Mr. Ziolkowski explained that after measures were taken, including banning DDT, between 1966 and 2022, the eastern population of osprey increased by about 300%, and the Atlantic Coast population increased by about 587%. In the Chesapeake Bay it’s increased by about 1800% since 1960. He continued, “…what these numbers bear out is that osprey have made an astounding recovery by all accounts. The numbers are now in excess of historical numbers and in part that’s because they’ve returned to a world that’s very different than the world was before they started declining. There’s more suitable nesting structures. Water may be cleaner, et cetera.”

Mr. Ziolkowski did note that during the period from 2012 to 2022, “something’s going on,” as there has been a leveling off in the growth of the osprey populations in the mid-Atlantic. But he explained, “Care must be used when you’re interpreting these kinds of results and to understand what I mean, it’s helpful to look at osprey trends across the country. So here I’ll point out three things that I hope you take notice of in these graphs. On the left-hand side here, for example, California and Washington, opposite coast, you can see that there’s something going on in the same time period as there is here in Maryland, Virginia.”

Dr. Barnett Rattner and David Ziolkowski of the U.S. Geological Survey present a slide to the Menhaden Management Board showing that the recent leveling-off in Maryland and Virginia osprey populations, after years of explosive growth, is a phenomenon also being seen in states across the nation, on both the East and West Coast.

During the Q&A following the presentation, Commissioner Patrick Geer of Virginia, Chief of Fisheries Management at the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, noted that “Dr. [Bryan] Watts has done a survey in Virginia, for a number of years, going back to I believe 1993, which has shown the double crested cormorant population has increased 1416% in 25 years and brown pelicans have been about 882%. Now those species that are primarily piscivores…they’re competing for the same food source…Maybe the [osprey] nests aren’t surviving, maybe they’re moving out and these two species are moving in? Is that possible?” To which Dr. Rattner replied “Yes, it’s possible, certainly.”

After the presentation by the USGS scientists, Commissioner Lynn Waller Fegley of Maryland, Director of Fishing and Boating Services at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, made a motion to initiate an addendum to the Atlantic Menhaden Interstate Fishery Management Plan to consider Chesapeake Bay-specific management options for menhaden purse seine vessels larger than 300 gross tons in order to support the need of piscivorous birds and fish during critical points of their life cycle, and include options for seasonal closures of Chesapeake Bay waters, but not consider changes to the current Bay cap of 51,000 metric tons.

It became immediately apparent that the board was divided on this proposal.

The provision targeting purse seine vessels over 300 tons was obviously included to target the commercial menhaden reduction fishery, which in Virginia is operated by Ocean Harvesters and supplies menhaden to Reedville-based processer Omega Protein. This was questioned by Commissioner Proxy Eric Reid of Rhode Island, who asked if the motion wasn’t inherently flawed, since although there are carrier vessels over 300 tons, those vessels get their fish from pairs of small purse seine boats, meaning that the motion accomplished nothing. Mr. Reid’s conjecture was confirmed by a member of the delegation from Virginia.

Commissioner Proxy Nichola Meserve of Massachusetts, Fishery Policy Analyst at the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, raised concerns about “diving immediately into an addendum process,” noting that other addenda in the past began “with a work group, a board work group that discussed the issues and the concerns that developed potential strategies.

After much procedural wrangling, there were two votes to postpone action on the motion, one until the October meeting and another indefinitely. Both of those votes tied 9-9. When it became apparent that the motion to initiate an addendum had reached a stalemate, Commissioner Proxy Dr. Allison Colden, Chesapeake Bay Foundation Maryland Executive Director, offered a substitute motion “to establish a board work group to consider and evaluate options for further precautionary management of Chesapeake Bay menhaden fisheries, including time and area closures, to be protective of piscivorous birds and fish during critical points of their life cycle.

The board members accepted this compromise unanimously by acclamation, without a roll call, and the working group is expected to report the results of their discussion to the Menhaden Management Board at its October 2024 meeting.

“Those attending the ASMFC’s Menhaden Management Board meeting in person or listening online could only come away with one clear message from the respected researchers at USGS, and that is the osprey’s numbers have dramatically increased and any challenges that the seabirds face are complex and multi-faceted, occurring in numerous locations on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, and cannot be blamed on the menhaden harvest in the Chesapeake Bay,” stated Ben Landry, Vice President of Public Affairs for Ocean Fleet Services and spokesperson for Ocean Harvesters. “To state otherwise is wholly dishonest, but that is commonplace for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and its decades-long history of false and hyperbolic statements on menhaden fisheries.”

The menhaden fishery has long been attacked by those who refuse to accept the science-based conclusions of respected government agencies and independent assessment bodies. However, it is important to remember that since 2020, after a three-year, peer-reviewed effort, with input from both industry and environmental conservation groups, menhaden has been managed using ecological reference points that account for menhaden’s role as a forage fish throughout its range.

When the ecological reference points were adopted, Chesapeake Bay Foundation President William C. Baker stated in a release: “This is a historic day for fisheries management. Menhaden have been called the most important fish in the sea for good reason. Menhaden are an essential part of the diet of numerous fish species including striped bass, along with dolphins, whales, osprey and other seabirds.”

In 2020, Chris Moore, Senior Regional Ecosystem Scientist for CBF, wrote in the Bay Journal, “Striped bass, of all the predators studied, were shown to be the most sensitive to changes in the menhaden population. Therefore, adopting ecological reference points that protect striped bass will also protect other predator species that rely less on menhaden.”

Additionally:

  • In 2022, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission concluded there was no evidence that menhaden were being overfished along the Atlantic coast.
  • The Marine Stewardship Council in 2019 certified the Atlantic menhaden fishery as sustainable.

About the Menhaden Fisheries Coalition
The Menhaden Fisheries Coalition (MFC) is a collective of menhaden fishermen, related businesses, and supporting industries. Comprised of businesses along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, the Menhaden Fisheries Coalition conducts media and public outreach on behalf of the menhaden industry to ensure that members of the public, media, and government are informed of important issues, events, and facts about the fishery.

ASMFC 2024 Summer Meeting Final Supplemental Materials Now Available

August 3, 2024 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Final supplemental materials for ASMFC’s 2024 Summer Meeting are now available athttps://www.asmfc.org/home/2024-summer-meeting as Supplemental 2 under the relevant committee/board meeting. They include:

Atlantic Menhaden Management Board – Public Comment

American Lobster Management Board – Public Comment

ISFMP Policy Board – WHOI LOC-NESS Project

As a reminder, the Commission’s Public Comment Guidelines are:

For issues that are not on the agenda, management boards will continue to provide an opportunity to the public to bring matters of concern to the board’s attention at the start of each board meeting. Board chairs will ask members of the public to raise their hands to let the chair know they would like to speak. Depending upon the number of commenters, the board chair will decide how to allocate the available time on the agenda (typically 10 minutes) to the number of people who want to speak.

For topics that are on the agenda, but have not gone out for public comment, board chairs will provide limited opportunity for comment, taking into account the time allotted on the agenda for the topic. Chairs will have flexibility in deciding how to allocate comment opportunities; this could include hearing one comment in favor and one in opposition until the chair is satisfied further comment will not provide additional insight to the board.

For agenda action items that have already gone out for public comment, it is the Policy Board’s intent to end the occasional practice of allowing extensive and lengthy public comments. Currently, board chairs have the discretion to decide what public comment to allow in these circumstances.

 

ASMFC 2024 Summer Meeting Final Agenda and Materials Now Available

July 24, 2024 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Summer Meeting will be August 6 – 8, 2024 at The Westin Crystal City. This will be a hybrid meeting (both in-person and remote) to allow for participation by Commissioners and interested stakeholders. The room block is now closed; if you need assistance reserving a room, please contact Lisa Carty at lcarty@asmfc.org . The Summer Meeting final agenda and meeting materials are available at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2024-summer-meeting. For ease of access, all main board materials have been combined into 2 documents: August 6 Meeting Materials & August 7 & 8 Materials. Please note that due to its file size, only the Assessment Peer Review and the Terms of Reference section of the River Herring Benchmark Stock Assessment have been included in the Shad and River Herring Management Board materials. However, full versions of the assessment and its appendices can be found here.

The agenda is subject to change. The agenda reflects the current estimate of time required for scheduled Board meetings. The Commission may adjust this agenda in accordance with the actual duration of Board meetings. Interested parties should anticipate Boards starting earlier or later than indicated herein.
 
Webinar Information 
Meeting proceedings will be broadcast daily via webinar beginning Tuesday, August 6 at 9 AM and continuing daily until the conclusion of the meeting (expected to be 10:30 AM on Thursday, August 8). To register for the webinar, please go to: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7224724220521378647 (Webinar ID 325-845-475)
 
If you are joining the webinar but will not be using voice over internet protocol (VoIP), you can may also call in at +1.415.655.0052, access code 565-335-899. 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.
 
Each day, the webinar will begin 15 minutes prior to the start of the first meeting so that people can troubleshoot any connectivity or audio issues they may encounter. If you are having issues with the webinar (connecting to or audio related issues), please contact Chris Jacobs at 703.842.0790.
 
Meeting Process 
Board chairs will ask both in-person and virtual board members if they wish to speak. In-person members can simply raise their hands at the meeting without logging on to the webinar, while virtual members will raise their hands on the webinar. The chair will work with staff to compile the list of speakers, balancing the flow of questions/comments between in-person and virtual attendees. The same process will be used for public comment. Depending upon the number of commenters, the board chair will decide how to allocate the available time on the agenda (typically 10 minutes) to the number of people who want to speak.
 
Public Comment Guidelines
To provide a fair opportunity for public input, the ISFMP Policy Board has approved the following guidelines for use at management board meetings:
 
For issues that are not on the agenda, management boards will continue to provide opportunities to the public to bring matters of concern to the board’s attention at the start of each board meeting. Board chairs will ask members of the public to raise their hands to let the chair know they would like to speak. Depending upon the number of commenters, the board chair will decide how to allocate the available time on the agenda (typically 10 minutes) to the number of people who want to speak.
 
For topics that are on the agenda, but have not gone out for public comment, board chairs will provide limited opportunity for comment, taking into account the time allotted on the agenda for the topic. 
Chairs will have flexibility in deciding how to allocate comment opportunities; this could include hearing one comment in favor and one in opposition until the chair is satisfied further comments will not provide additional insight to the board.
 
For agenda action items that have already gone out for public comment, it is the Policy Board’s intent to end the occasional practice of allowing extensive and lengthy public comments. Currently, board chairs have the discretion to decide what public comment to allow in these circumstances.
 
In addition, the following timeline has been established for the submission of written comments for issues for which the Commission has NOT established a specific public comment period (i.e., in response to proposed management action).
 
1.   Comments received three weeks prior to the start of a meeting week (July 15) will be included in the briefing materials.
2.   Comments received by 5 PM on Tuesday, July 30 will be included in supplemental materials.
3.   Comments received by 10 AM on Friday, August 2 will be distributed electronically to Commissioners/Board members prior to the meeting.
 
The submitted comments must clearly indicate the commenter’s expectation from the ASMFC staff regarding distribution. Additionally, if submitting public comment in a video format, the video needs to be a URL link. As with other public comment, it will be accepted via mail and email.
 
We look forward to seeing you at the Summer Meeting!

States Schedule Public Hearings on Northern Shrimp Draft Amendment 4 Public Information Document

July 8, 2024 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic coastal states of Maine though Massachusetts have scheduled hearings to gather public input on the Public Information Document (PID) to Draft Amendment 4 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Northern Shrimp. Some hearings will be conducted in-person, and some hearings will be conducted via webinar. If you are unable to participate in your state’s scheduled hearing, you are welcome to participate in any of the virtual hearings. The public hearing details follow:

 
Date and Hearing Format
State/Agency
Contact
Monday, July 29
Webinar Hearing
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
New Hampshire Fish and Game Dept. & Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries
 
The webinar registration link is available here, and additional webinar instructions are below.  
603.868.1095
 
508.264.4157
Tuesday, July 30
Webinar Hearing
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Maine Dept. of Marine Resources
 
The webinar registration link is available here, and additional webinar instructions are below. 
207.446.0932
Wednesday, July 31
In-person Hearing
5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Maine Dept. of Marine Resources
 
Hearing Location:
Lincoln County Regional Planning Commission
297 Bath Road
Wiscasset, ME 04578
 
207.446.0932
Thursday, August 1
Webinar Hearing
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Maine Dept. of Marine Resources, New Hampshire Fish and Game Dept., & Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries
 
The webinar registration link is available here, and additional webinar instructions are below. 
703.842.0714
 
 
Given the stock’s continued depleted status, the draft amendment was initiated to consider extending the specifications setting timeline to allow for ongoing or multiyear harvest moratoria and adding management triggers to the management program. A management trigger, defined by a set of biological indicators, would inform when a harvest moratorium could be reevaluated to allow for a potential fishery in future years.
 
As the first step in the Commission’s amendment process, the PID is intended to gather information concerning northern shrimp and provide an opportunity for the public to identify and comment on major issues relative to the management of the species. Following the initial phase of information gathering and public comment, the Section will evaluate potential management alternatives and develop Draft Amendment 4 for public review. After the next round of public comment, the Section will identify the management measures to be included in Amendment 4. A tentative schedule for the completion of Amendment 4 is included in the PID.
 
Webinar Instructions
Please note that in order to comment during virtual webinar hearings you will need to use your computer or download the GoTo 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 US mail at any time during the public comment period. To attend the webinar in listen only mode, dial 213.929.4212 and enter access code 846-921-953. If you are unable to participate in your state’s scheduled hearing, you are welcome to participate in any of the virtual hearings.
 
For all virtual hearings, please click HERE and select the hearing(s) you plan to attend from the dropdown menu to register for a public hearing webinar. 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 GoTo. 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.
 
Hearing Presentation Recording
For those who cannot attend any in-person or 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 by July 22, with the recording link provided at https://asmfc.org/about-us/public-input.
Submitting Comments
The PID is available athttps://asmfc.org/files/PublicInput/NShrimpAm4PID_PublicComment_June2024.pdf or on the Commission’s Public Input webpage at https://asmfc.org/about-us/public-input. All those interested in the management of northern shrimp are encouraged to provide input either by participating in public hearings, which may be conducted in-person or via webinar, or providing written comment.Public comment will be accepted until 11:59 PM (EST) on August 15, 2024 and should be sent to Chelsea Tuohy, FMP Coordinator, at 1050 N. Highland St., Suite 200 A-N, Arlington, Virginia 22201; or at comments@asmfc.org (Subject line: Northern Shrimp PID). For more information, please contact Chelsea Tuohy at ctuohy@asmfc.org.

Northern Shrimp Section Releases for Public Comment the PID to Draft Amendment 4 to the Interstate FMP for Northern Shrimp

June 28, 2024 — The following was released by Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Commission’s Northern Shrimp Section has released for public comment the Public Information Document (PID) to Amendment 4 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Northern Shrimp. The states of Maine through Massachusetts will be conducting hearings on the PID; the details of those hearings will be released in a subsequent press release.

Given the stock’s continued depleted status, the Section initiated the draft amendment to consider extending the specifications setting timeline to allow for ongoing or multiyear harvest moratoria and adding management triggers to the management program. A management trigger could inform whenan ongoing or multiyear moratoria should be re-evaluated if improved stock conditions are evident, indicated through recruitment trends or other specified biological indicators.
 
As the first step in the Commission’s amendment process, the PID is intended to gather information concerning northern shrimp and provide an opportunity for the public to identify and comment on major issues relative to the management of the species. Following the initial phase of information gathering and public comment, the Section will evaluate potential management alternatives and develop Draft Amendment 4 for public review. After the next round of public comment, the Section will identify the management measures to be included in Amendment 4. A tentative schedule for the completion of Amendment 4 is included in the PID.
Submitting Comments
The PID is available athttps://www.asmfc.org/uploads/file/667dd835NShrimpAm4PID_PublicComment_June2024.pdf or on the Commission’s Public Input webpage at https://asmfc.org/about-us/public-input. All those interested in the management of northern shrimp are encouraged to provide input either by participating in public hearings, which may be conducted in-person or via webinar, or providing written comment. Public comment will be accepted until 11:59 PM (EST) on August 16, 2024 and should be sent to Chelsea Tuohy, FMP Coordinator, at 1050 N. Highland St., Suite 200 A-N, Arlington, Virginia 22201; or at comments@asmfc.org (Subject line: Northern Shrimp PID). For more information, please contact Chelsea Tuohy at ctuohy@asmfc.org.

American Lobster Benchmark Stock Assessment Workshop #1 Scheduled for July 22-24 in New Bedford, MA

June 24, 2024 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission will hold the American Lobster Benchmark Stock Assessment Workshop at the UMass Dartmouth’s School for Marine Science & Technology West building, 706 South Rodney French Boulevard, MA. The stock assessment will evaluate the health of American lobster stocks and inform management of this species. The Commission’s stock assessment process and meetings are open to the public, with the exception of discussions of confidential data*, when the public will be asked to leave the room.

 
The July Stock Assessment Workshop will be the first of two workshops that focus on evaluation of models developed to estimate stock status. The second Assessment Workshop, tentatively scheduled for October 2024, will focus on addressing the below stock assessment terms of reference. The final workshop will be the Peer Review Workshop in April 2025, where an independent panel of fishery scientists, will review the assessment for its appropriateness to advise future management of American lobster.
 
Relevant American Lobster Stock Assessment Terms of Reference:
 
·       Evaluate new information on life history such as growth rates, size at maturation, natural mortality rate, and migrations


·       Identify, describe, and, if possible, quantify the effect of environmental/climatic drivers on stock abundance considering annual to decadal scales
·       Use length-based model(s) to estimate population parameters (e.g., effective exploitation rate, abundance) for each stock unit and analyze model performance
 
For more information about the assessment or attending the July workshop (space will be limited), please contact Caitlin Starks, Senior Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at cstarks@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.
 


* Each state and federal agency is responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of its data and deciding who has access to its confidential data.  In the case of our stock assessments and peer reviews, all analysts and, if necessary, reviewers, have been granted permission by the appropriate agency to use and view confidential data. When the assessment team needs to show and discuss these data, observers to our stock assessment process are asked to leave the room to preserve confidentiality.

ASMFC Northern Shrimp Section Meeting Summary and Motions Now Available

June 22, 2024 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Northern Shrimp Section approved the Public Information Document (PID) for Draft Amendment 4 for Northern Shrimp for public comment. Given the stock’s continued depleted status, the draft amendment was initiated to consider extending the specifications setting timeline to allow for ongoing or multiyear harvest moratoria and adding management triggers to the management program. A management trigger, defined by a set of biological indicators, would inform when a harvest moratorium could be reevaluated to allow for a potential fishery in future years.

As the first step in the Commission’s amendment process, the PID is intended to gather information concerning northern shrimp and provide an opportunity for the public to identify and comment on major issues relative to the management of the species. Following the initial phase of information gathering and public comment, the Section will evaluate potential management alternatives and develop Draft Amendment 4 for public review. After the next round of public comment, the Section will identify the management measures to be included in Amendment 4. A tentative schedule for the completion of Amendment 4 is included in the PID.

The PID will be available on the Commission’s website under Public Input at https://asmfc.org/about-us/public-input in late June. A press release announcing the availability of the PID and state public hearing schedule will be released upon the PID’s posting and finalization of the hearing schedule.

For more information, please contact Chelsea Tuohy, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at ctuohy@asmfc.org.

Motions

Move to approve the Public Information Document for Draft Amendment 4 to the Northern Shrimp Fishery Management Plan for public comment as amended today.

Motion made by Cheri Patterson seconded by Dr. Mike Armstrong. Motion approved by unanimous consent