ASMFC Releases Draft Amendment 1 to the Atlantic Croaker Plan for Public Comment: The details of the scheduled hearings follow. Maryland Department of Natural Resources Potomac River Fisheries Commission Virginia Marine Resources Commission North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries Draft Amendment 1 incorporates information from the 2004 peer-reviewed stock assessment as well as the required provisions of the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act. It proposes the establishment of biological reference points (i.e., biomass and fishing mortality targets and thresholds) to manage the croaker resource and includes options to control fishing mortality regionally or on a coastwide basis. The Draft Amendment also identifies research priorities to bolster future stock assessments and encourages the states and the federal government to continue ongoing juvenile and adult surveys for data collection purposes. The Board will meet in early November to review public comment on the Draft Amendment and consider its final approval. Fishermen and other interested groups are encouraged to provide input on Draft Amendment 1 either by attending public hearings or providing written comments. Copies of the Draft Amendment May 23can be obtained via the Commission’s website at
States Schedule Public Hearings for September/October
Washington, DC – The Commission’s South Atlantic State/Federal Fisheries Management Board has approved Amendment 1 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Croaker for public review and comment. Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina, and the Potomac River Fisheries Commission have scheduled the dates and times of their public hearings. New Jersey will also be conducting a public hearing although the specifics of that hearing have not been determined. For more information, please check the Commission’s website at http://www.asmfc.org/meetings.htm or contact Bruce Freeman at (609) 633-2408.
September 26, 2005; 6:30 PM
Tawes State Office Building
C-1 Conference Room
580 Taylor Avenue
Annapolis, MD 21401
Contact: Howard King at (410) 260-8281
October 5, 2005; 6:30 PM
222 Taylor Street
John T. Parran Hearing Room
Colonial Beach, VA 22443
Contact: AC Carpenter at (804) 224-7148
September 28, 2005; 6:00 PM
2600 Washington Avenue
Third Floor
Newport News, VA 23607
Contact: Jack Travelstead at (757) 247-2247
September 29, 2005; 6:00 PM
North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island
374 Airport Road
Manteo, NC 27954
Contact Louis Daniel at (252) 726-7021
ASMFC Releases Draft Amendment 1 to the Atlantic Croaker Plan for Public Comment:
States Schedule Public Hearings for September/October
Washington, DC – The Commission’s South Atlantic State/Federal Fisheries Management Board has approved Amendment 1 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Croaker for public review and comment. Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina, and the Potomac River Fisheries Commission have scheduled the dates and times of their public hearings. New Jersey will also be conducting a public hearing although the specifics of that hearing have not been determined. For more information, please check the Commission’s website at http://www.asmfc.org/meetings.htm or contact Bruce Freeman at (609) 633-2408.
The details of the scheduled hearings follow.
Maryland Department of Natural Resources
September 26, 2005; 6:30 PM
Tawes State Office Building
C-1 Conference Room
580 Taylor Avenue
Annapolis, MD 21401
Contact: Howard King at (410) 260-8281
Potomac River Fisheries Commission
October 5, 2005; 6:30 PM
222 Taylor Street
John T. Parran Hearing Room
Colonial Beach, VA 22443
Contact: AC Carpenter at (804) 224-7148
Virginia Marine Resources Commission
September 28, 2005; 6:00 PM
2600 Washington Avenue
Third Floor
Newport News, VA 23607
Contact: Jack Travelstead at (757) 247-2247
North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries
September 29, 2005; 6:00 PM
North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island
374 Airport Road
Manteo, NC 27954
Contact Louis Daniel at (252) 726-7021
Draft Amendment 1 incorporates information from the 2004 peer-reviewed stock assessment as well as the required provisions of the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act. It proposes the establishment of biological reference points (i.e., biomass and fishing mortality targets and thresholds) to manage the croaker resource and includes options to control fishing mortality regionally or on a coastwide basis. The Draft Amendment also identifies research priorities to bolster future stock assessments and encourages the states and the federal government to continue ongoing juvenile and adult surveys for data collection purposes.
The Board will meet in early November to review public comment on the Draft Amendment and consider its final approval. Fishermen and other interested groups are encouraged to provide input on Draft Amendment 1 either by attending public hearings or providing written comments. Copies of the Draft Amendment May 23can 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 PM on Friday October 21, 2005 and should be forwarded to Nancy Wallace, Atlantic Croaker Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at 1444 ‘Eye’ Street, NW, Sixth Floor, Washington, DC 20005; (202) 289-6051 (fax) or co******@as***.org (Subject line: Atlantic croaker). For more information, please contact Nancy Wallace at (202) 289-6400 or nw******@as***.org.