Pubic Invited to Comment on Marine Protected Areas for Snapper and Grouper Interested members of the public are invited to provide comments on the draft Environmental Impact Statement for the South Atlantic Snapper Grouper Fishery. The proposed actions would establish eight marine protected areas (MPAs) in federal waters of the South Atlantic (one off southern […]
NOAA Fisheries Seeking Information on the Status of While Marlin NOAA Fisheries has initiated a status review for Atlantic white marlin. To support this status review, NOAA is soliciting information relevant to the status of and threats to the species, including, but not limited to: 1) historical and current abundance and distribution; 2) potential factors […]
Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point The Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point has begun a study of how the waters adjacent to the BT-11 Piney Island Bombing Range and the BT-9 bombing target on Brant Island Shoals are being used commercially and recreationally. The MCAS has contracted Geo-Marine, Inc. to conduct the […]
ASMFC Summer Flounder Board Sets 2007 TALNew York, New York – The Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board approved an initial total allowable landings (TAL) limit of 12.98 million pounds for the 2007 summer flounder fishery. The Board expects that this quota will enable the Secretary of Commerce to determine that […]
Control Date Under Consideration for King Mackerel Fishery June 15, 2004, is under consideration as a possible control date for the king mackerel fishery in the exclusive economic zone of the South Atlantic and Mid-Atlantic regions. This control date replaces an existing control date of October 16, 1995. Anyone who entered the fishery after June […]
Public Invited to Comment on List of Commercial Fisheries that Impact Marine Mammals NOAA Fisheries has published its proposed List of Fisheries for 2007, as required by the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). The proposed List of Fisheries for 2007 reflects new information on interactions between commercial fisheries and marine mammals. NOAA classifies each commercial […]
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act Passes Congress On December 8, 2006, in the final hours of the 109th Congress passed the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act. President Bush, through his Ocean Action Plan, made reauthorizing the Magnuson-Stevens Act a top priority. The President called for an end to overfishing, increased use […]
Council Weighs Input from Scientific Committee and AdvisorsMembers of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council utilized input from its Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) and advisory panels during its meeting in Atlantic Beach, North Carolina last week regarding a broad range of fisheries issues in the South Atlantic. Agenda items for review included marine protected […]
2007 Bluefish Management Measures Proposed NOAA Fisheries has proposed 2007 management measures for the Atlantic bluefish fishery, including state-by-state commercial quotas, a recreational harvest limit, and recreational possession limits. The intent of this proposed rule is to ensure that harvest levels and possession limits are consistent with the stock rebuilding program for bluefish. A coastwide […]
Measures Proposed to Revitalize U.S. Swordfish Fishery U.S. North Atlantic swordfish catches have declined by approximately 40 percent since 1995, primarily as a result of management measures to reduce bycatch (e.g., time/area closures and gear modifications.) The objective of this proposed action is to provide a reasonable opportunity for U.S. vessels to fully harvest the […]
