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Press Contact Tina Berger (202) 289-6400
(from Jersey Coast Anglers Association July 2003 Newsletter)
Board Postpones Action on Summer Flounder Addendum VIII
Technical Committee Charged to Conduct Further Analyses
The Commission's Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Management Board delayed approving Addendum VIII to the Summer Flounder, Scup and Black SeaBass Fishery Management Plan (FMP), and charged its Technical Committee with evaluating alternative measures to constrain the recreational fishery to its annual quota. This action was taken following a review of extensive public comment provided at today's meeting and gathered through state public hearings and written correspondence over the last couple of months.
Once completed, the Board intends to review the supplemental analysis and take final action on the Addendum later this year.
"The Board's decision to postpone action of Addendum VIII reflects its desire to adopt a management program that is acceptable to recreational anglers and commercial fishermen alike," stated Board Chair Bruce Freeman of New Jersey. "The Board is committed to developing a management program that continues the rebuilding of the summer flounder resource and ensures that all sectors have the opportunity to land their annual allocation, while not exceeding it."
Addendum VIII was developed to address the issue of summer flounder recreational fishery overages, which, with the exception of 2002, have been a persistent and significant problem since 1996. The Draft Addendum was available for public comment throughout April and May. It provided a suite of management options for the recreational summer flounder fishery, including repayment of harvest overages in the subsequent year(s), carry-over of unused recreational harvest from one year to the next, and allocation of commercial quota based on a total allowable landings (TAL) limits calculated without recreational overages. It also included the option to maintain the existing management system.
The Board also approved 2003 scup recreational management measures for the States of Rhode Island, Connecticut and New York, concluding they were consistent with the requirements of Addendum VII to the FMP. For more information, please contact Robert Beal, Director, Interstate Fisheries Management Program, at (202)289-6400 or <rbeal@asmfc.org>.