States
Schedule Hearings on Draft Addendum XIX to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black
Sea Bass FMP
States from
Massachusetts through North Carolina have scheduled their hearings to gather
public comment on Draft Addendum XIX to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black
Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The dates, times and locations of the
scheduled meetings follow:
New York Dept. of
Environmental Conservation
June 26, 2007; 7:00
PM
205 North Belle Mead
Road, Suite 1
East Setauket, New York
Contact: Steve Heins at
631/444-0436
New Jersey
Division of Fish and Wildlife
July 2, 2007; 6:30 PM
Ocean County
Administrative Building
101 Hooper Avenue
Public Hearing Room #119
Toms River, New Jersey
Contact: Peter
Himchak at 609/633-2408
The Draft Addendum
addresses three issues under the current management programs for summer
flounder, scup and black sea bass. These are the black sea bass commercial
management strategy for 2008, the summer flounder recreational allocation
strategy, and the stock status determination criteria for summer flounder,
scup, and black sea bass.
Black Sea Bass
Commercial Management Strategy
Since 2003, the black
sea bass commercial fishery has been managed through a state-by-state
allocation system, with each state allocated a percentage of the coastwide
quota. Under this system, states are provided the flexibility to manage their
quota for the greatest benefits of their commercial fishing industries, with
the goal of ensuring a continuous and steady supply of black sea bass over the
fishing season and equitable distribution of black sea bass to fishermen who
have traditionally landed black sea bass in the state. This management
strategy is set to expire by December 31, 2007. If the strategy is not revised
or extended by a new addendum, the system will revert back to the quarterly
quota system established by the FMP. Draft Addendum XIX presents options
to extend the current management strategy by two years, five years, 10 years,
or indefinitely.
Summer Flounder Recreational Allocation Strategy
Currently, summer
flounder state recreational allocations are based on the proportion of state
landings to coastwide landings reported in 1998. Managers have raised concern
that a single year allocation may not be the most effective method to manage
the summer flounder recreational fishery. This system also provides states the
flexibility to develop state-specific conservation equivalent management
measures to achieve the coastwide recreational harvest limit. Draft
Addendum XIX considers modifying the present system of conservation equivalency
to allow for the formation of alternative state-by-state shares in the
recreational fishery.
Stock Status
Determination Criteria
Currently, the Board
must undertake a new addendum or plan amendment in order to incorporate new
stock status determination criteria (i.e., changes to biological reference
points) that may result from updated, peer-reviewed science. Since the
development and implementation of a new addendum or amendment can take some
time (six months in the case of an addendum and 12 to 16 months in the case of
an amendment), there can be a considerable lag in the incorporation of the
biological reference points in the annual specification setting process for all
three species. Draft Addendum XIX proposes allowing the Board and Council
to adjust biological reference points during the species' annual specification
setting process in lieu of the more protracted addendum/amendment process
currently required. Reference points are used to determine whether or
not any of the FMP's stocks are overfished or experiencing overfishing.
Fishermen and other interested groups are encouraged to provide input on the
Draft Addendum either by attending public hearings or providing written comments.
Copies of Draft Addendum XIX can be obtained via the Commission's website at www.asmfc.org under Breaking
News or by contacting the Commission at (202) 289-6400. Public comment will be
accepted until 5:00 PM on July 11, 2007 and should be forwarded to Toni
Kerns, Senior Fisheries Management Plan Coordinator for Management, at 1444
'Eye' Street, NW, Sixth Floor, Washington, DC 20005; (202)289-6051 (fax) or
tkerns@asmfc.org (Subject line: Addendum XIX). For more information, please
contact Toni Kerns at (202) 289-6400 or tkerns@asmfc.org.
*************************
Tina Berger
Public Affairs Specialist
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
1444 I Street. NW, Sixth Floor
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: (202)289-6400
FAX: (202)289-6051
Email: tberger@asmfc.org
www.asmfc.org
ASMFC Vision: Healthy, self-sustaining populations of all Atlantic coast fish species
or successful restoration well in progress by the year 2015.