Contents:

• Summer Flounder Craziness Continues
• DRAFT ADDENDUM II TO AMENDMENT 4 TO THE INTERSTATE FISHERY MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR WEAKFISH
• PRESS RELEASE:Letter to Governor Jon Corzine on Summer Flounder Quota
• ASMFC Week
• More 'Intersex Fish' Found in Potomac

Below I will be discussing summer flounder and Tom Siciliano will discuss weakfish.  Both of these species are having problems meeting the goals set under their individual fisheries management plans.  Even though the problems are slightly different the actions by NMFS and ASMFC are always the same.  In summer flounder we have a fishery that has grown dramatically in 10 years but has poor recruitment and is not reaching the imaginary goal set for 2010.  We are quite sure environmental issues and natural mortality are significant contributing factors.  But since these issues are not addressed by NMFS, they act as though these issues don’t exist.  The weakfish fishery presents another problem.  Weakfish actually had good recruitment for many years but were not producing mature fish.  Again, scientists agree fishermen are not the cause of the problem, but since we are the only factors that are under their control we will pay the entire price and other possible factors will be ignored.  It doesn’t seem to make any difference what issues are presented by wetlands protection, water quality, and loss of habitat, ASFMC and NMFS cannot impact on these elements, and can only advise.  In general, their suggestions are ignored and fishermen pay the price.     

Please read the article included about the environmental impact on the sex ratio of fish.  The more we study the more it becomes apparent that there are many more environmental factors to consider than there were 30 years ago.  Think about the release of drugs and more sophisticated chemicals into the bays and estuaries and then ask yourself about the importance of considering these factors when looking at the problems of specific species.

That is why JCAA has always been an environmental organization and has sought alliances and partnerships with other environmental organizations.  We realize that we might disagree about specific fisheries management issues but we are in agreement that the environment needs to be our first priority.  Without a healthy environment we won’t have any fish to manage. 

SUMMER FLOUNDER CRAZINESS CONTINUES

Since the last newspaper many interesting things have happened.  I was hoping I would have better news but, as usual in fisheries management, I have only bad news to report.  We will begin with summer flounder.  We were hoping for a quick fix with the reauthorization of the Magnusson Act.  At this time the Magnusson Act is not moving.  Because of the controversy and the push by factions on both sides of the issues, the House of Representatives decided not to move on the bill until at least after the elections.  There is no assurance that there will be any action on the bill after the election or that the bill will address the problems with summer flounder.  All we can do is keep putting pressure on Congress to ask them to address this serious issue. 

In the meantime, JCAA will be focusing our attention on the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.  ASMFC will be taking up this issue and voting on a quota the week of October 23^rd.  The Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Management Board Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, October 25, 2006 7:30 AM - 10:30 AM.  We are asking ASMFC to hold firm at the 19.9 million pounds already approved by the Mid-Atlantic Marine Fisheries Management Council.  Previously many of us have directed our attention solely to the commissioners and those efforts have not proven successful.  We need another approach.  As you can see from the letter and press release below, we are focusing our attention on the governors of the states represented on the Summer Flounder Management Board.  If you live in a state from Massachusetts to North Carolina, whether you are a recreational or commercial fisherman, you need to contact your governor by writing a letter similar to the one included in this newspaper.  If you have any friends, relatives or fellow anglers in these states, ask them to do the same.  There is much more information about summer flounder in the September newspaper.  If you don’t have a copy you can find it on the JCAA webpage ( http://www.jcaa.org ). 

Another option JCAA is looking at is trying to get the environmental groups to come forward and express their opposition to NMFS needless draconian plans.  It is interesting that I hear environmental groups complaining that the commercial and recreational fishing communities are trying to relax standards in the Magnusson Act.  The problem is when NMFS suggests such ridiculous management measures and the environmental community sits quietly by and says nothing, pushing for the relaxed standards is the only option left for us.  If the environmental community used some common sense and supported reasonable, common sense management efforts, we wouldn’t have to support more extreme measures.  In this situation the environmental community has stood idly by and, a by default, let bad science support draconian decisions. 

The environmental community suggests we are partners and we should be working together to rebuild the stocks.  At this time this partnership is very one-sided.  If this continues this lack of leadership and support for a common sense plan for summer flounder could destroy the partnership.  Remember, this is not a fishery that is overfished.  This is a fishery that has doubled the stock and tripled the spawning stock biomass.  The letter and press release are included at the end of this report.

DRAFT ADDENDUM II TO AMENDMENT 4 TO THE INTERSTATE FISHERY MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR WEAKFISH
Prepared for Public Comment August 2006

DRAFT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT

PUBLIC COMMENT PROCESS AND PROPOSED TIMELINE

The public is encouraged to submit comments regarding Draft Addendum II and it’s Supplement at any time during the addendum process. Comments will be accepted until 5:00 pm on October 10, 2006. Regardless of when they were sent, comments received after that time will not be included in the official record.

Comments may be submitted by mail, email, or fax. If you would like to submit comment in writing, please use the contact information below. Mail: Nichola Meserve Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission 1444 ‘Eye’ Street, Northwest Washington, D.C. 20005 Email: comments@asmfc.org  (subject line: weakfish) Fax: (202) 289-6051 If you have any questions or would like more information, please call Nichola Meserve at (202) 289-6400.

1). The Weakfish Stock Assessment Subcommittee (SAS) conducted an assessment in 2004-2005 that concluded that biomass fell suddenly after 1999 and approached the lowest level of the time-series by 2003 (Figure 2). Total mortality began a steady increase in the mid-1990s; fishing mortality was low throughout the 1990s and only increased slightly after 2000 (Figure 3.) The SAS does not attribute the large decline in biomass to this slight rise in fishing mortality. Natural mortality has risen and has become a much greater portion of total mortality than fishing mortality (Figure 3). The SAS has not determined the exact source of the rise in natural mortality, but has investigated hypotheses about species interactions. Both insufficient forage (Atlantic menhaden, spot, and bay anchovy), and increased predation and competition (from striped bass, Atlantic croaker, and summer flounder) in the Mid-and North Atlantic have been supported in analyses as explanations for the rise in natural mortality. Figure 1. Coastwide landings of weakfish (NMFS 2005)

JERSEY COAST ANGLERS ASSOCIATION

Working For the Saltwater Resource & Marine Anglers

September 5, 2006

PRESS RELEASE

Letter to Governor Jon Corzine on Summer Flounder Quota

JCAA sincerely feels that we cannot rely on the National Marine Fisheries Service to make a correct decision about the summer flounder quota for 2007.  Their record in fisheries management has been dismal.  They continually fail to recognize the economic and social consequences of their actions.  There is considerable attention being focused on the Magnuson Act and its renewal but JCAA is unsure that the Magnuson Act will even pass this year.  Even if it does pass it may not have any positive impact on the current problem for summer flounder in 2007. 

            After careful consideration, JCAA is recommending that we focus our energies on ASMFC.  At this time ASMFC has not voted on a quota for summer flounder for 2007.  We believe it is time for ASMFC to stand up to NMFS rather than simply rubber stamp NMFS’s draconian recommendations.  As a former commissioner I have asked ASMFC to take a stand contrary to NMFS several times.  Recently I have no success in getting ASMFC commissioners from other states to use common sense and represent the best interests of their states, the recreational and commercial communities and the resource.  Our previous efforts have all focused on the individual commissioners.  However, two of the three commissioners from each of the 14 states in the compact are appointed by and report directly to their governor.  They are the Governor’s Appointee and the State Director.  The other commissioner is the Legislative Representative. 

With this in mind, JCAA is asking Governor Corzine to take a leadership role by directing his commissioners to vote for the 19.9 million pound quota recommended by the staff of the Monitoring Committee and passed by the Mid-Atlantic Marine Fisheries Management Council.  Although JCAA does not believe this 3.7 million pound reduction is necessary we understand this quota would meet the 50% probability to prevent overfishing required by the summer flounder fisheries management plan.  In addition, we are asking Governor Corzine to contact the governors whose states are represented on the Summer Flounder Management Board.  These are the states from Massachusetts to North Carolina.  JCAA would like these governors to direct their commissioners to vote with New Jersey and support the 19.9 million pound quota.  We are in contact with groups representing recreational and commercial interests in these states and we are asking them to contact their governors and make their support for this action known. 

Many individuals have been asking what they should do and who they should write to.  Here’s your chance.  Write to your governor supporting this action and send a copy of the letter to all 3 of your commissioners.  You can find the addresses of your commissioners at the ASMFC website http://www.asmfc.org .

JCAA is sending a letter to Governor Corzine making this a formal request.  I have enclosed a copy of that letter.  Given Governor Corzine’s understanding of this problem and the support for this action he will receive from the Division of Fish and Wildlife, we anticipate his prompt positive response to our request.  It will be helpful to him, however, to hear directly from as many individual anglers and fishing organizations as possible.  New Jersey’s commissioners have a history of supporting common sense fisheries management, especially for summer flounder.  This is not true of the commissioners from all the other states represented on the Summer Flounder Management Board.  We can’t stop with our governor, whose support we anticipate, but must reach out to friends, organizations and fellow anglers in other states and ask them to turn up the heat at home.

Thomas Fote
Legislative Chairman
JERSEY COAST ANGLERS ASSOCIATION
Working For the Saltwater Resource & Marine Anglers
 

Letter to Jon Corzine:

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

The Honorable Jon Corzine
Governor State of New Jersey
PO Box 001
The State House, CN-001
Trenton NJ 08625-0001

Dear Governor Jon Corzine:

            As you know from our prior conversations, there is a serious crisis brewing for New Jersey and our Mid-Atlantic neighbors with summer flounder.  The National Marine Fisheries Service has proposed a quota that would have a huge negative economic and quality of life impact on New Jersey residents.  The 5.2 million pound quota proposed by NMFS for 2007 would virtually shut down the fishery costing the commercial and recreational fishing industry hundreds of millions of dollars and millions in NJ tax revenues.  This would also have a negative impact on the hundreds of thousands of recreational anglers who fish for summer flounder in the spring, summer and fall.  The ripple effect of this loss would have a dramatic negative impact on the entire tourism industry.  This would not only affect New Jersey but every coastal state from Massachusetts to North Carolina.  Our biggest concern is that this action by NMFS would have virtually no impact on the long-term health of the summer flounder stock or help the rebuilding goals set by NMFS.  Included with this letter are materials produced and collected by JCAA.  The New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife, including their scientists, agree with JCAA’s position. 

            The Mid-Atlantic Marine Fisheries Management Council has voted for a quota of 19.9 million pounds.  This represents a decrease of 3.8 million pounds from the current quota for 2006 of 23.6 million pounds.  JCAA did not support this reduction but we understand that this meets the 50% probability required by the current fisheries management plan.  We are in contact with both commercial and recreational groups along the coast and in New Jersey and there is unanimous support for the 19.9 million pound quota.  At this time NMFS is reviewing the targets and the quota.  It is impossible to predict what they will recommend.  The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission has not voted on a quota.  ASMFC is the compact of the 14 coastal states and has a better track record for rebuilding stocks than NMFS.  ASMFC should take a leadership role rather than rubber stamp the recommendations from NMFS.  New Jersey has three commissioners to ASMFC as do all the other states who are members.  JCAA is asking you to direct the Governor’s Appointee and the representative from the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife to support the quota of 19.9 million pounds at the ASMFC meeting in October.  This 19.9 million pound quota will meet the guidelines for the current management plan.  This quota will continue to rebuild the stocks without completely devastating New Jersey’s fishing industry.  In addition, JCAA is also asking for you to take the lead in contacting governors from other states represented at ASMFC and asking them to direct their representatives to take the same action.  New Jersey has always been at the forefront for conservation and reasonable fisheries management.  It is time for New Jersey to take a leadership role in resolving this matter.  Your leadership is vital. 

            JCAA would never ask you to take action that would harm the long-term viability of any marine species.  But as you know from our discussions and the materials enclosed, the proposed action by NMFS is not in the spirit of conservation or appropriate fisheries management.  The timing of this action is crucial.  That is why we are asking you for your immediate action.  NMFS has indicated that their review will be complete by October 23.  We cannot wait for that date since we have no way of knowing what they will recommend and the economic consequences are too severe.  Thank you for your support.  Please contact me if you need additional information. 

JCAA representatives would like to meet with you and Commissioner Lisa Jackson to discuss this crucial issue. 

Sincerely,

Thomas Fote
Legislative Chairman

ASMFC WEEK

I will be attending the annual Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission meeting in North Carolina the week of October 22^nd.  I know Atlantic Beach, North Carolina is not easily accessible but hopefully some of you will attend.  Weakfish and summer flounder are scheduled for Wednesday. If you cannot attend make sure your commissioners know how you feel about summer flounder and weakfish before they leave for the meeting.  Commissioners are listed on the ASMFC webpage (http://www.asmfc.org ).  If you have any questions, please email me (tfote@jcaa.org ).  I am including an agenda for the meeting. 

ASMFC 65th Annual Meeting

October 23 - 26, 2006

Sheraton Atlantic Beach Hotel

2717 Fort Macon Road

Atlantic Beach, North Carolina

(800)214-0258

PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE

The preliminary agenda is subject to change. The agenda reflects the current estimate of time required for scheduled meetings. The Commission may adjust this agenda in accordance with the actual duration of meetings. Interested parties should anticipate meetings starting earlier or later than indicated herein.

If you intend to bring any meeting materials for use by a board or committee not included in the Commission's 65th Annual Meeting Briefing Materials CD-ROM, please bring 50 copies to the meeting. Click here for ASMFC public comment guidelines.

Directions    Travel Authorization ASMFC Travel Reimbursement Guidelines

Monday, October 23, 2006   

 8:30 AM - 11:30 AM   American Lobster Management Board

 12:30 PM - 1:15 PM   Shad & River Herring Management Board

1:30 PM - 2:30 PM   Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board

2:00 PM - 6:00 PM   Management & Science Committee (MSC)

2:00 PM - 6:00 PM   Law Enforcement Committee 

2:45 PM - 5:45 PM   Meeting of the Special Ad-Hoc Committee of ASMFC and

North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission

6:30 PM - 8:30 PM   Welcome Reception at Pine Knoll Shores Aquarium

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

7:30 AM - 9:30 AM   South Atlantic State/Federal Fisheries Management Board 

8:00 AM - 12:30 PM   MSC/Habitat Committee Workshop

8:30 AM - Noon   Law Enforcement Committee (continued)

9:45 AM - 11:45 AM

   Action Plan Workshop

Noon - 1:00 PM   LGA Luncheon Meeting

1:15 PM - 4:00 PM   Spiny Dogfish and Coastal Sharks Management Board

1:30 PM - 5:00 PM   Management and Science Committee

1:30 PM - 5:00 PM   Habitat Committee

4:15 PM - 6:00 PM   American Eel Management Board

6:30 PM - 8:30 PM   Dinner at The Dunes Club

Wednesday, October 25, 2006    

7:30 AM - 10:30 AM   Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Management Board 

10:45 AM - 12:15 PM   Tautog Management Board

12:30 PM - 1:30 PM   Captain David H. Hart Award Luncheon

1:45 PM - 4:15 PM   Atlantic Menhaden Management Board

4:30 PM - 6:30 PM   Weakfish Management Board

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM   Oyster Roast at North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries 

Thursday, October 26, 2006    

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM    Executive Committee

9:15 AM - 12:15 PM   ISFMP Policy Board

12:30 PM - 1:00 PM   Business Session

1:00 PM - 1:30 PM    Buffet Lunch for Commissioners

1:30 PM - 4:30 PM    Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program Coordinating Council

More 'Intersex Fish' Found in Potomac

Sep 6, 6:58 PM (ET)

By MATTHEW BARAKAT

McLEAN, Va. (AP) - Some species of male fish in the Potomac River and its tributaries are developing female sexual traits at a frequency higher than scientists have seen before, raising concerns about pollutants in a waterway that provides drinking water for millions of people.

The so-called "intersex fish," which produce immature eggs in their testes, were discovered in the Potomac rivershed in 2003 and have also been found in other parts of the country.

But the frequency that the U.S. Geological Surveys found last year is much higher than what has been found elsewhere, said fish pathologist Vicki Blazer.

In some Potomac tributaries, nearly all of the male smallmouth bass caught in last year's survey were the abnormal fish. In the Potomac itself, seven of 13 largemouth bass exhibited female characteristics, including three that were producing eggs.

Although the frequency discovered was surprisingly high, Blazer cautioned that the sample size was relatively small, with about 10 male and 10 female fish taken from each of eight locations in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia.

Researchers were reluctant to remove large numbers of bass from the rivers because of conservation concerns, she said.

Female fish caught in the survey did not develop any unusual sex traits, though fish of both sexes exhibited lesions and other pollution-related problems, said Blazer, who coordinated the survey.

Smallmouth bass appear to be more susceptible to intersex development than largemouth bass, Blazer said.

Blazer said researchers are still waiting on data that would help them determine the water quality at the time the fish were caught, but preliminary data taken from the Potomac found a variety of chemical pollutants.

It is not exactly clear what is causing the changes, though it is likely a combination of pollutants, scientists say.  Certain chemicals and pesticides are believed to stimulate estrogen production. Also, estrogen from birth control pills and human waste can make its way from sewage treatment plants to the waterways.

The Environmental Protection Agency has been studying the issue of so-called "endocrine disruptors" since 1996, but currently does not issue guidelines to water treatment plants for allowable levels of estrogenic compounds.

Jeanne Bailey, a spokeswoman for Fairfax Water, said the findings are a concern.  The water authority, which draws from the Potomac and Occoquan rivers to provide service to roughly 1.5 million people, is working with USGS and other agencies to research and develop ways to improve water treatment to eliminate potentially harmful compounds.