American Eel Draft Addendum I Available for Public Comment
States Schedule Hearings for January
The Commission’s American Eel Management Board has approved the Draft Addendum I to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for American Eel for public review and comment. The Draft Addendum proposes the establishment of a mandatory trip-level catch and effort monitoring program for American eel in order to collect much needed data on this species. Specific options include an eel harvester license/permit by state, which may include those who harvest eels for use as bait, and an eel dealer license/permit, including bait dealers.
The Draft Addendum responds to concerns regarding the lack of accurate catch and effort data and the critical need for these data for stock assessment purposes. Current stock status for American eel is poorly understood due in part to limited and inconsistent harvest data. The Commission has prepared an American eel stock assessment for independent peer review in December 2005. The results of the stock assessment and peer review will be presented to the Commission’s American Eel Management Board in February 2006.
Atlantic coastal states from Maine through Florida will be holding hearings on the Draft Addendum throughout January. The specific details follow:
Maine Department of Marine Resources
January 4, 2006; 7:00 PM
194 McKown Point Road
West Boothbay Harbor, Maine
Contact: Gail Wippelhauser at 207/624-6548
Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries
January 5, 2006; 6:00 PM
Annisquam River Marine Fisheries Station
30 Emerson Avenue
Gloucester, Massachusetts
Contact: Brad Chase at 978/282-0308 ext. 111
Rhode Island Division of Fish and Wildlife
January 18, 2006; 6:00 PM
URI Narragansett Bay Campus
Corless Auditorium, South Ferry Road
Narragansett, Rhode Island
Contact: Michelle Burnett at 401/423-1946
New York Dept. of Environmental Conservation
January 23, 2006; 7:00 PM
Bureau of Marine Resources Headquarters
205 North Belle Meade Road, Suite #1
East Setauket, New York
Contact: Vic Vecchio at 631/444-0476
New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife
January 25, 2006; 7:00 PM
Richard Stockton College
Townsend Residential Life Center
Multi-purpose Room
Pomona, New Jersey
Contact: Tom McCloy at 609/292-7794
Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife
January 17, 2006; 7:00 PM
Dept. of Natural Resources & Environmental Control
Richardson and Robbins Building Auditorium
89 Kings Highway
Dover, Delaware
Contact: Roy Miller at 302/739-3441
Maryland Department of Natural Resources
January 24, 2006; 6:00 PM
Tawes State Office Building C-1, Conference Room,
580 Taylor Avenue
Annapolis, Maryland
Contact: Keith Whiteford 410/643-4601
Potomac River Fisheries Commission
January 11, 2006; 6:00 PM
John T. Parran Hearing Room
222 Taylor Street
Colonial Beach, Virginia
Contact: A.C. Carpenter at 804/224-7148
Virginia Marine Resources Commission
January 10, 2006; 6:00 PM
Fourth Floor Conference Room
2600 Washington Avenue
Newport News, Virginia
Contact: Jack Travelstead at 757/247-2247
North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries
January 12, 2006; 6:00 PM
943 Washington Square Mall
Washington, North Carolina
Contact: Mike Potthoff at 252/946-6481
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
January 9, 2006; 6:00 PM
FWCC District Office
Governing Board Room
4049 Reid Street
Palatka, Florida
Contact: Kim Bonvechio at 352/742-6438
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 the Addendum are available 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 no later than 5 PM on February 7, 2006, and should be forwarded to Lydia Munger, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, 1444 Eye Street, NW, Sixth Floor, Washington, DC 20005; 202/289-6051 (fax) or co******@***fc.org (subject line: American Eel). For more information, please contact Lydia Munger at 202/289-6400 or <lm*****@***fc.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: tb*****@***fc.org
ASMFC Vision: Healthy, self-sustaining populations of all Atlantic coast fish species or successful restoration well in progress by the year 2015.
American Eel Draft Addendum I Available for Public Comment
States Schedule Hearings for January
The Commission’s American Eel Management Board has approved the Draft Addendum I to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for American Eel for public review and comment. The Draft Addendum proposes the establishment of a mandatory trip-level catch and effort monitoring program for American eel in order to collect much needed data on this species. Specific options include an eel harvester license/permit by state, which may include those who harvest eels for use as bait, and an eel dealer license/permit, including bait dealers.
The Draft Addendum responds to concerns regarding the lack of accurate catch and effort data and the critical need for these data for stock assessment purposes. Current stock status for American eel is poorly understood due in part to limited and inconsistent harvest data. The Commission has prepared an American eel stock assessment for independent peer review in December 2005. The results of the stock assessment and peer review will be presented to the Commission’s American Eel Management Board in February 2006.
Atlantic coastal states from Maine through Florida will be holding hearings on the Draft Addendum throughout January. The specific details follow:
Maine Department of Marine Resources
January 4, 2006; 7:00 PM
194 McKown Point Road
West Boothbay Harbor, Maine
Contact: Gail Wippelhauser at 207/624-6548
Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries
January 5, 2006; 6:00 PM
Annisquam River Marine Fisheries Station
30 Emerson Avenue
Gloucester, Massachusetts
Contact: Brad Chase at 978/282-0308 ext. 111
Rhode Island Division of Fish and Wildlife
January 18, 2006; 6:00 PM
URI Narragansett Bay Campus
Corless Auditorium, South Ferry Road
Narragansett, Rhode Island
Contact: Michelle Burnett at 401/423-1946
New York Dept. of Environmental Conservation
January 23, 2006; 7:00 PM
Bureau of Marine Resources Headquarters
205 North Belle Meade Road, Suite #1
East Setauket, New York
Contact: Vic Vecchio at 631/444-0476
New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife
January 25, 2006; 7:00 PM
Richard Stockton College
Townsend Residential Life Center
Multi-purpose Room
Pomona, New Jersey
Contact: Tom McCloy at 609/292-7794
Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife
January 17, 2006; 7:00 PM
Dept. of Natural Resources & Environmental Control
Richardson and Robbins Building Auditorium
89 Kings Highway
Dover, Delaware
Contact: Roy Miller at 302/739-3441
Maryland Department of Natural Resources
January 24, 2006; 6:00 PM
Tawes State Office Building C-1, Conference Room,
580 Taylor Avenue
Annapolis, Maryland
Contact: Keith Whiteford 410/643-4601
Potomac River Fisheries Commission
January 11, 2006; 6:00 PM
John T. Parran Hearing Room
222 Taylor Street
Colonial Beach, Virginia
Contact: A.C. Carpenter at 804/224-7148
Virginia Marine Resources Commission
January 10, 2006; 6:00 PM
Fourth Floor Conference Room
2600 Washington Avenue
Newport News, Virginia
Contact: Jack Travelstead at 757/247-2247
North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries
January 12, 2006; 6:00 PM
943 Washington Square Mall
Washington, North Carolina
Contact: Mike Potthoff at 252/946-6481
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
January 9, 2006; 6:00 PM
FWCC District Office
Governing Board Room
4049 Reid Street
Palatka, Florida
Contact: Kim Bonvechio at 352/742-6438
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 the Addendum are available 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 no later than 5 PM on February 7, 2006, and should be forwarded to Lydia Munger, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, 1444 Eye Street, NW, Sixth Floor, Washington, DC 20005; 202/289-6051 (fax) or co******@***fc.org (subject line: American Eel). For more information, please contact Lydia Munger at 202/289-6400 or <lm*****@***fc.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: tb*****@***fc.org
ASMFC Vision: Healthy, self-sustaining populations of all Atlantic coast fish species or successful restoration well in progress by the year 2015.