The Commonwealth will host an ASMFC hearing on September 19th to gather comments on Draft Addendum I to the Spiny Dogfish Plan. A hearing will be held on Monday, September 19th beginning at 7PM at the Holiday Inn in Dedham, MA (55 Ariadne Rd.). Please see the ASMFC press releases below and visit www.asmfc.org for further information.
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Draft Addendum I to the Spiny Dogfish FMP Approved for Public Comment

The Commission's Spiny Dogfish Management Board approved Draft Addendum I to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Spiny Dogfish for public comment and review. The Draft Addendum proposes establishing a multi-year specification setting process for the spiny dogfish fishery for up to five years. Its intent is to streamline the annual specification process for spiny dogfish, thereby, reducing administrative costs while also providing fishermen with the ability to set long-term business plans and goals for their fishery operations.

Under the current management system for spiny dogfish, the specification of commercial quotas and trip limits are conducted every year and apply only to the following fishing year. The Draft Addendum modifies the current FMP to allow for specification of total allowable landings (TALs) for the spiny dogfish fishery in any given year for up to five years. The three management options under consideration in the Draft Addendum are (1) status quo; (2) allow for multi-year management measures without annual review (Commission preferred option); and (3) allow for multi-year management with annual review. Implementation of Addendum 1 would provide the option, not the requirement, for the Commission to specify multi-year management measures. The Mid-Atlantic and New England Fishery Management Councils have already taken similar action under Framework 1, recommending the adoption of multi-year management measures, without annual review, to NOAA Fisheries for final approval.

In other action, the Board approved initiating the development of a coastal shark fishery management plan to complement current federal actions on coastal sharks.

The addendum process provides the states the opportunity to conduct hearings on the proposed actions. Information on any scheduled hearings will be released once it becomes available. The Board will meet in early November to review public comment on the Draft Addendum and consider its final approval. Copies of the Draft Addendum will be available on August 22 and can 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 September 26, 2005 and should be forwarded to Ruth Christiansen, Spiny Dogfish Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at 1444 'Eye' Street, NW, Sixth Floor, Washington, DC 20005; (202) 289-6051 (fax) or comments@asmfc.org (Subject line: Spiny Dogfish). For more information, please contact Ruth Christiansen at (202) 289-6400 or rchristiansen@asmfc.org.

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PR05-18

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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: tberger@asmfc.org
www.asmfc.org

ASMFC Vision: Healthy, self-sustaining populations of all Atlantic coast fish species or successful restoration well in progress by the year 2015.