Council Approves Framework 6 for Summer Flounder

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC) met in Cape May, NJ last week and approved Framework 6 for submission to the Secretary of Commerce. Framework 6 is designed to allow for the establishment of multistate regions under the conservation equivalency provision of the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan (FMP). This framework is consistent with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Addendum XVII to its FMP for Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass. If approved by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), both management authorities would be able to develop voluntary multistate conservation equivalency regions among adjacent states to establish common recreational fishing measures for summer flounder (i.e., size, season, and bag limits).

The Council also approved for public hearing Amendment 9 to the Squid, Mackerel, and Butterfish FMP. Amendment 9 could result in a number of changes to the current FMP. The following management measures are being considered for adoption into the plan: 1) establish multiple year specifications for all four species in the management unit, 2) extend the moratorium on entry into the directed Illex fishery, 3) revise the fishing mortality reference points for Loligo, 4) designate essential fish habitat (EFH) for Loligo eggs, 5) establish area closures to protect essential fish habitat (EFH), 6) revise the Loligo minimum codend mesh size requirement, 7) modify the exemption for the Illex fishery from the Loligo minimum codend mesh size requirements, 8) modify the Loligo possession limit for Illex vessels during closure of the directed Loligo fishery, 9) require electronic daily reporting in the directed Illex fishery, 10) establish seasonal gear restricted areas to reduce butterfish discarding, and 11) evaluate alternative gears and/or gear modifications. The next step in the process is to publish a notice of availability (NOA) of the public hearing document and its underlying draft supplemental environmental impact statement. This should occur in early May at which time a 45 day public comment period would begin. The schedule of public hearings will also be announced at the time of the publication of the (NOA) for Amendment 9.

 The Council held four Committee meetings during its March meeting: Ecosystems Committee; Surfclam, Ocean Quahog, and Tilefish Committee; Squid, Mackerel, and Butterfish Committee; and Executive Committee. The Ecosystems Committee reviewed and approved, with some minor modifications, the final draft of the Council’s report entitled “Evolution Towards an Ecosystems Approach to Fisheries (EAF).” The modified report will be submitted to NMFS later this month. The Committee also addressed the use of circle hooks as a means to reduce bycatch mortality. It was noted that circle hooks do not apply to all species managed by the Council, and that as a minimum it must be determined which species benefit from their use in terms of reducing discard mortalities. It was also recommended that adoption of the use of circle hooks in recreational fisheries would be an educational effort rather than a regulatory mandate.The Surfclam, Ocean Quahog, and Tilefish Committee reviewed the status of NMFS’ reimbursement program for purchase and installation of Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS). Given that funding for VMS reimbursement will be available until September 2007, it was decided that staff efforts be directed at reviewing, and perhaps changing, the tilefish specifications for the 2006 / 2007 fishing year. The schedule for Amendment 1 to the Tilefish FMP was also reviewed and discussed, as was the February 27 letter from the NMFS Northeast Regional Administrator requesting the establishment of an ITQ (Individual Transferable Quota) Cost Recovery Committee but no action was taken at this meeting.

Council Approves Framework 6 for Summer Flounder

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC) met in Cape May, NJ last week and approved Framework 6 for submission to the Secretary of Commerce. Framework 6 is designed to allow for the establishment of multistate regions under the conservation equivalency provision of the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan (FMP). This framework is consistent with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Addendum XVII to its FMP for Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass. If approved by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), both management authorities would be able to develop voluntary multistate conservation equivalency regions among adjacent states to establish common recreational fishing measures for summer flounder (i.e., size, season, and bag limits).

The Council also approved for public hearing Amendment 9 to the Squid, Mackerel, and Butterfish FMP. Amendment 9 could result in a number of changes to the current FMP. The following management measures are being considered for adoption into the plan: 1) establish multiple year specifications for all four species in the management unit, 2) extend the moratorium on entry into the directed Illex fishery, 3) revise the fishing mortality reference points for Loligo, 4) designate essential fish habitat (EFH) for Loligo eggs, 5) establish area closures to protect essential fish habitat (EFH), 6) revise the Loligo minimum codend mesh size requirement, 7) modify the exemption for the Illex fishery from the Loligo minimum codend mesh size requirements, 8) modify the Loligo possession limit for Illex vessels during closure of the directed Loligo fishery, 9) require electronic daily reporting in the directed Illex fishery, 10) establish seasonal gear restricted areas to reduce butterfish discarding, and 11) evaluate alternative gears and/or gear modifications. The next step in the process is to publish a notice of availability (NOA) of the public hearing document and its underlying draft supplemental environmental impact statement. This should occur in early May at which time a 45 day public comment period would begin. The schedule of public hearings will also be announced at the time of the publication of the (NOA) for Amendment 9.

 The Council held four Committee meetings during its March meeting: Ecosystems Committee; Surfclam, Ocean Quahog, and Tilefish Committee; Squid, Mackerel, and Butterfish Committee; and Executive Committee. The Ecosystems Committee reviewed and approved, with some minor modifications, the final draft of the Council’s report entitled “Evolution Towards an Ecosystems Approach to Fisheries (EAF).” The modified report will be submitted to NMFS later this month. The Committee also addressed the use of circle hooks as a means to reduce bycatch mortality. It was noted that circle hooks do not apply to all species managed by the Council, and that as a minimum it must be determined which species benefit from their use in terms of reducing discard mortalities. It was also recommended that adoption of the use of circle hooks in recreational fisheries would be an educational effort rather than a regulatory mandate.The Surfclam, Ocean Quahog, and Tilefish Committee reviewed the status of NMFS’ reimbursement program for purchase and installation of Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS). Given that funding for VMS reimbursement will be available until September 2007, it was decided that staff efforts be directed at reviewing, and perhaps changing, the tilefish specifications for the 2006 / 2007 fishing year. The schedule for Amendment 1 to the Tilefish FMP was also reviewed and discussed, as was the February 27 letter from the NMFS Northeast Regional Administrator requesting the establishment of an ITQ (Individual Transferable Quota) Cost Recovery Committee but no action was taken at this meeting.