ASMFC Approves Addendum XVII to the Summer Flounder FMP
Addendum Allows for Establishment of Multi-state Regions and the Pooling of Multi-year Data
The Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board approved Addendum XVII to the Summer Flounder Fishery Management Plan. The Addendum provides the states the option to voluntarily form multi-state regions for the management of their recreational summer flounder fisheries. This action was taken to address concerns raised by fishermen and managers on the adequacy of using recreational data to set state-specific regulations, as well as problems that have arisen when neighboring states apply differing regulations on shared water bodies.
The Addendum will enable a group of adjacent states to pool their recreational data to determine a single possession limit, size limit, and season. The management measures within the region would be the same for each state in the region and conservation equivalency would not be permitted. The Addendum also allows for states to average multiple years of data to determine the impacts of proposed recreational management programs, including minimum fish size, possession limit, and season. For example, averaging of data will help states to more accurately estimate expected catch when liberalizing their regulations in response to a harvest underage. Averaging of data to determine the recreational harvest targets would not be allowed.
The Board found the requirements of Addendum XV no longer necessary due to the decrease in the total allowable landings in 2006. The purpose of the Addendum was to modify the commercial allocation scheme to transfer an anticipated additional 1.6 million pounds of the 2006 summer flounder quota for use as a bycatch allocation. Since there is no additional quota available, the proposed action under Addendum XV is unnecessary.
To ensure consistent size measurements of black sea bass among states and federal agencies, the Board will now require that fish measurements exclude the tendril, or tail filament, of the fish.
Copies the Addendum can be obtained via the Commission’s website at
tk****@as***.org
.
ASMFC Approves Addendum XVII to the Summer Flounder FMP
Addendum Allows for Establishment of Multi-state Regions and the Pooling of Multi-year Data
The Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board approved Addendum XVII to the Summer Flounder Fishery Management Plan. The Addendum provides the states the option to voluntarily form multi-state regions for the management of their recreational summer flounder fisheries. This action was taken to address concerns raised by fishermen and managers on the adequacy of using recreational data to set state-specific regulations, as well as problems that have arisen when neighboring states apply differing regulations on shared water bodies.
The Addendum will enable a group of adjacent states to pool their recreational data to determine a single possession limit, size limit, and season. The management measures within the region would be the same for each state in the region and conservation equivalency would not be permitted. The Addendum also allows for states to average multiple years of data to determine the impacts of proposed recreational management programs, including minimum fish size, possession limit, and season. For example, averaging of data will help states to more accurately estimate expected catch when liberalizing their regulations in response to a harvest underage. Averaging of data to determine the recreational harvest targets would not be allowed.
The Board found the requirements of Addendum XV no longer necessary due to the decrease in the total allowable landings in 2006. The purpose of the Addendum was to modify the commercial allocation scheme to transfer an anticipated additional 1.6 million pounds of the 2006 summer flounder quota for use as a bycatch allocation. Since there is no additional quota available, the proposed action under Addendum XV is unnecessary.
To ensure consistent size measurements of black sea bass among states and federal agencies, the Board will now require that fish measurements exclude the tendril, or tail filament, of the fish.
Copies the Addendum can be obtained via the Commission’s website at
tk****@as***.org
.