ASMFC Update

by Tom Fote

• (from Jersey Coast Anglers Association November 2000 Newsletter)

  There will be meetings of Lobster Management Board, Striped Bass Management Board and Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board on November 29-30.  The meetings will be held at the Sheraton Providence Airport Hotel in Warwick, Rhode Island.  I can email a copy of the Addendum V Public Hearing Document in PDF format. The Draft Schedule states the times of the meetings, but they could run over on Wednesday.  Contact the ASMFC for any schedule changes

  November 29

  Noon-3:00pm Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board will meet to establish the 2001 summer flounder commercial quota and recreational harvest limit.

  3:00pm-6:00pm Striped Bass Management Board Approval of Addendum 5

  November 30 Lobster Board 8:30am-3:00pm

   

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - October 12, 2000

  PRESS CONTACT:  Tina Berger,(202)289-6400

  Striped Bass Addendum V Public Hearing Document Available for Public Review and Comment

  The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission announced today the availability of the Public Hearing Document for Addendum V to Amendment 5 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Striped Bass for public review and comment.  Specifically, Addendum V provides options for states to either maintain their current striped bass fishery regulations or implement regulations similar to those in 1998/1999 for 2001, and possibly 2002. Some states may schedule public meetings in late October/early November to gather public comment on the Addendum.  Details on the public meetings will be released once the meetings have been finalized.

  Currently, striped bass is managed through Addendum IV to the FMP, which required states to implement at least a 14 percent reduction in fishing mortality on age 8 and older fish for 2000.  Additionally, Addendum IV stipulated that states would have to implement additional restrictions in 2001 if the target fishing mortality rate on older fish had not been met in 2000.   The Addendum did not account for the possibility that the estimates of 1998 fishing mortality would be substantially reduced.  The latest assessment indicates that the fishing mortality on older fish, as well as the entire population, is at the target established in Amendment 5.

  The Public Hearing Draft of Addendum V contains options for striped bass management during 2001 and 2002.  The options include allowing the states to maintain their current management measures or requiring the states to implement measures that are equivalent to the measures that were in place during 1998/1999.  The Public Hearing Draft also includes options to implement Addendum V for a one or two year period.

  The Management Board will meet on November 29, 2000 to review public comment and make a final decision on Addendum V.  Copies of the Public Hearing Document for Addendum V can be obtained by either contacting Vanessa Jones, Administrative Assistant, at (202) 289-6400, or via the Commission?s Webpage under “Public Input” at www.asmfc.org. Public comment will be accepted until November 18, 2000 and should be forwarded to Robert Beal, Striped Bass Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at 1444 Eye Street, N.W., Sixth Floor, Washington, DC 20005; (202)289-6051 (fax).  For more information, please contact Robert Beal at (202) 289-6400, ext. 318.

  ASMFC October 15-19 Meeting Summaries.

  Here is a list of ASMFC meeting Summaries, Press Releases and Motions made at the annual meeting in Clearwater Florida.  The document is 17 pages and is too long to put it in the JCAA Newspaper.  I can email you the entire summary in a plain email, MS Word or PDF file.  Send an email to tfote@jcaa.org and let me know what format you want it in. I did include the Weakfish Board Meeting and Management and Science Committee Summary.  There were charts handed out at the Weakfish Board Meeting that would greatly reduce the bag limit on weakfish.  We will discuss this report at the JCAA Meeting on October 31.  The Management and Science Committee covered  some interesting topics that I think you will find very interesting.  These had to do with the damage power plants do to fish populations; studies on Prey/Predator relationships; and a workshop on discards.

  Advisory Committee
  Legislative Committee
  Spiny Dogfish And Coastal Shark Management Board
  Law Enforcement Committee
  Management And Science Committee
  Habitat Committee
  Atlantic Sturgeon Management Board
  Legislator’s And Governor’s Appointees
  Horseshoe Crab Management Board
  Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program Coordinating Council
  Multi-Species Subcommittee
  Captain David H. Hart Award
  Susan Shipman Receives Prestigious David H. Hart
  Shad And River Herring Management Board
  Bluefish Management Board
  Weakfish Management Board
  Isfmp Policy Board
  Executive Committee
  Business Session

   

  Management And Science Committee (October 16-17, 2000)

   

  The Management and Science Committee (MSC) met October 16-17, 2000 and discussed several issues relevant to the Commission’s Research and Statistics Program.  The MSC discussed a report of the Peer Review Process Subcommittee that addressed modification of the Commission’s stock assessment peer review process.   The committee discussed the differences in expectations of various ISFMP committees concerning what a peer review can and cannot address, as well as some technical modifications relevant to coordination and organization issues.  This report will be forwarded to the ISFMP Policy Board with a recommendation to distribute the report to all ISFMP committees in order to facilitate broader discussion of these issues.  The MSC will address all comments in spring 2001 and finalize modification of the process by October 2001.  The MSC also reviewed priorities for external peer reviews during 2001.  The Gulf of Maine winter flounder stock assessment will be reviewed during the spring SARC.  No other assessments will required peer review in 2001.  The MSC noted that nine assessments will require review in 2003 and recommended that the Policy Board request review of priorities by all management boards for 2002 in order to more evenly distribute external peer reviews over these two years.

  A report of the September 14, 2000 power plant issues meeting was reviewed by MSC.  The MSC and Habitat Committee have been charged with securing funding to convene a panel of experts to determine the appropriate method(s) to assess cumulative impacts of power plant impingement and entrainment and to conduct a coastwide assessment on American shad and winter flounder.   Participants of the September meeting developed terms of reference to guide the work of this panel of experts and drafted an action plan to address these two tasks.  The MSC is currently soliciting names of potential panel members, with selection to occur in late 2000.   The panel will be convened via conference call in early 2001 to determine the format for reviewing power plant assessment methods (i.e., either workshop format or model runs using test data).  Each of these options will have funding implications.  The MSC is also recommending that a summary of state regulations concerning power plants be compiled.

  The MSC reviewed the report of the October 2-3, 2000 meeting of the Aquaculture Steering Committee.  The Steering Committee is guiding the development of aquaculture best management practices to assist states in developing more specific aquaculture guidelines and/or regulations.  The committee is currently soliciting names of potential workshop participants and has developed a list of 60 issues relevant to aquaculture activities.  These issues involve permitting and siting activities, environmental and biological issues, law enforcement topics, and administrative issues.  A workshop will be held in early 2001 to review the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and modify this document to address issues specific to the Atlantic coast.  Work will continue through 2001 with a second workshop scheduled in late 2001 to finalize the document.

  The MSC Multispecies Subcommittee met to review proposals submitted in response to the Request for Proposals issued by the Commission.  The objectives of this work are to: 1) evaluate the nature and magnitude of linkages among menhaden and its key predators, 2) evaluate current utilization of menhaden, 3) evaluate whether there is an optimal size composition of menhaden, and 4) evaluate any adjustments required of the biological reference points from single species management when predation is included in the assessment.  The MSC has recommended funding a proposal that will directly address these objectives, but will also have the capability of expansion to address broader issues in the future.

  The MSC finalized planning for the workshop on alternative methods of regulatory discards to be held in February 2001.  This workshop will focus on evaluating various perspectives and management strategies through case study presentations.  The focus will be on evaluating successes, failures, and new ideas for reducing the amount of regulatory discards taken or increase the utilization of those discards.

  Other issues discussed by the MSC include evaluation of scientific/display permit issues, update on the Interstate Tagging Program, discussion of protected species issues, and updates on stock assessment training workshops scheduled for late 2000 and 2001.

  Weakfish Management Board (10/18, 2000)

  The Weakfish Management Board met in Clearwater, FL on October 18, 2000 to discuss draft documents supporting Addendum I to Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Weakfish.   In August of 2000, the Management Board directed to staff to develop an addendum to extend the year 2000 fishery management measures until such time as Amendment 4 is approved.   Staff, along with assistance from the Plan Review Team, the Technical Committee, and the Stock Assessment Committee has completed development of a draft addendum.  After review of this draft document, the Management Board approved the draft addendum for public comment.  Public hearings will be held upon state request.  In addition, the Management Board directed staff to initiate the development of Amendment 4 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Weakfish.  For additional information please contact Heather Stirratt, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at (202) 289-6400 extension 301.

  Move to accept the PRT report.

  Motion passes with one in opposition.

  Motion to approve the 2000 FMP Review.

  Motion passes.

  Move approval of the Draft Public Hearing Document dated September 18, 2000.

  Motion passes.

  Move to approve the revised “Issues and Options for Consideration in Amendment 4 to the Interstate FMP for Weakfish” as prepared by the Weakfish PRT.

  Motion passes with one objection.

  Move to recommend to the ISFMP Policy Board to approve initiation of development of Amendment 4 to the Weakfish FMP.

  Motion passes.

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