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Commonwealth of Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries 251 Causeway Street, Suite 400 Boston, MA 02114 (617) 626.1520 Fax (617) 626.1509 |
 Deval Patrick Governor Ian Bowles Secretary |
July 1, 2005
MarineFisheries Advisory
The Commonwealth will host an ASMFC hearing on July 5th to gather comments on Draft Addenda for Menhaden (Addendum II) and Summer Flounder (Addendum XVII). The hearing will begin at 7PM at the Plymouth Harbor Radisson (180 Water St.). Please see the ASMFC press releases below and visit www.asmfc.org for further information.
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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MAY 26, 2005 |
PRESS CONTACT TINA BERGER (202) 289-6400 |
States Schedule Public Meetings to Gather Comment on
Draft Addendum XVII to the Summer Flounder FMP
Washington, DC – The Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board approved Draft Addendum XVII to the Summer Flounder Fishery Management Plan for public comment and review. The Draft Addendum proposes a program that allows the Board to subdivide the recreational coastwide allocation into regions as an option under conservation equivalency. It also initiates a public dialog to discuss the ability to average multiple years of data as well as multiple years of landings to establish recreational management programs.
Atlantic coastal states from Massachusetts through North Carolina have scheduled the dates and times of their public meetings to gather comment. The specific details of those meetings follow:
| Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries July 5, 2005; 7:00PM Plymouth Harbor Radisson 180 Water Street Plymouth, MA 02360 Contact: Melanie Griffin at 617-626-1528 |
Connecticut Dept. of Environmental Protection July 7, 2005; 7:00PM Marine Headquarters Office Education Center 333 Ferry Road Old Lyme, Connecticut Contact: Dave Simpson at (860) 434-6043 |
| Rhode Island Division of Fish and Wildlife June 28, 2005; 6:00PM URI Narragansett Bay Campus Corless Auditorium South Ferry Road Narragansett, Rhode Island Contact: Brian Murphy at (401) 423-1941 |
New York Dept. of Environmental Conservation July 12, 2005; 7:00PM 205 North Belle Mead Road, Suite 1 East Setauket, New York Contact: Gordon Colvin at (631) 444-0430 |
| New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife June 29, 2005; 6:30PM Atlantic County Library Galloway Township 306 East Jimmie Leeds Road Absecon, New Jersey Contact: Bruce Freeman at (609) 292-2083 |
Maryland Department of Natural Resources July 7, 2005; 6:30PM Ocean Pines Library Worcester County Library 11107 Cathell Road Ocean Pines, Maryland Contact: Howard J. King, III at (410) 260-8281 |
| Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife July 13, 2005; 7:30PM Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Richardson and Robbins Building Auditorium 89 Kings Highway Dover, Delaware Contact: Rick Cole at (302) 739-4782 |
Virginia Marine Resources Commission July 13, 2005; 6:00PM 2600 Washington Avenue Fourth Floor Conference Room Newport News, Virginia Contact: Jack Travelstead at (757) 247-2247 |
| North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries July 14, 2005; 7:00 PM Classroom 1, Crystal Coast Civic Center 3505 Arendell Street Morehead City, North Carolina Contact: Preston Pate at (252) 726-7021 |
The management options within Addendum XVII respond to concerns expressed by fishermen and managers regarding the potential variability of data from the Marine Recreational Fishery Statistics Survey (MRFSS) when used on a state-by-state basis. By adopting regional or coastwide management approaches, MRFSS coverage area increases while data variability decreases, thereby enhancing the credibility of both the data and the management program. The Addendum also initiates a public dialog to discuss the ability to average multiple years of data and multiple years of landings to establish recreational management programs.
When state-specific conservation equivalent measures are adopted, water bodies used by fishermen from several states (such as the Long Island Sound) may have multiple or conflicting regulations. These differing regulations create confusion for fishermen fishing in that area. Regional approaches to summer flounder recreational management could potentially minimize differences in adjacent states fishing on the same water body.
The Board will meet in August to review public comment on the Draft Addendum and consider its final approval. Fishermen and other interested groups are encouraged to provide input on the Addendum either by attending public hearings or providing written comments. Copies the Draft Addendum 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 5:00 PM on July 20, 2005 and should be forwarded to Toni Kerns, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at 1444 ‘Eye’ Street, NW, Sixth Floor, Washington, DC 20005; (202) 289-6051 (fax) or tkerns@asmfc.org. For more information, please contact Toni Kerns at (202) 289-6400 or tkerns@asmfc.org.
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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 27, 2005 |
PRESS CONTACT: Tina Berger (202) 289-6400 |
States Schedule Public Meetings to Gather Comment on
Draft Addendum II to the Atlantic Menhaden FMP
Washington, DC – Atlantic coastal states from Maine through Georgia have scheduled their public meetings to gather comment on Draft Addendum II to Amendment 1 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Atlantic Menhaden. The dates, times and locations of those meetings follow:
| Maine Department of Marine Resources June 27, 2005; 6:00 PM Boothbay Harbor Laboratory 194 McKown Point Road West Boothbay Harbor, Maine Contact: Lew Flagg at (207) 624-6548 |
Delaware Dept. of Natural Resources & Environmental Control June 27, 2005; 7:00 PM Division of Fish & Wildlife Auditorium 89 Kings Highway Dover, Delaware Contact: Roy Miller at (302) 739-9914 |
| Massachusetts Division of Marine
Fisheries July 5, 2005; 7:00 PM Plymouth Harbor Radisson 180 Water Street Plymouth, Massachusetts Contact: Melanie Griffin at (617) 626-1528 |
Maryland Department of Natural
Resources June 29, 2005; 7:00 PM Annapolis Radisson 210 Holiday Court Annapolis, Maryland Contact: Howard King III at (410) 260-8281 |
| Rhode Island Division of Fish and
Wildlife July 6, 2005; 6:00 PM URI Narragansett Bay Campus Corless Auditorium South Ferry Road Narragansett, Rhode Island Contact: Jason McNamee at (401) 423-1943 |
Potomac River Fisheries Commission July 13, 2005; 6:30 PM John T. Parran Hearing Room 222 Taylor Street Colonial Beach, Virginia Contact: AC Carpenter at (804) 224-7148 |
| Connecticut Dept. of Environment
Protection July 7, 2005; 7:00 PM Marine Headquarters Boating Education Center 333 Ferry Road Old Lyme, Connecticut Contact: Dave Simpson at (860) 434-6043 |
Virginia Marine Resources Commission July 12, 2005; 6:00 PM Virginia Institute of Marine Science Waterman’s Hall Route 1208 Greate Road Gloucester Point, Virginia Contact: Jack Travelstead at (757) 247-2247 |
| New York Dept. of Environmental
Conservation July 7, 2005; 7:00 PM Bureau of Marine Resources Headquarters 205 North Belle Meade Road East Setauket, New York Contact: Byron Young at (631) 444-0436 |
North Carolina Division of Marine
Fisheries July 11, 2005; 6:00 PM Classroom 2, Crystal Coast Civic Center 3505 Arendell Street Morehead City, North Carolina Contact: Trish Murphy at (252) 726-7021 |
| New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife June 28, 2005; 6:30 PM Nacote Creek Research Station 360 New York Road, Route 9 Port Republic, New Jersey Contact: Bruce Freeman at (609) 633-2408 |
Georgia Department of Natural
Resources |
The Draft Addendum was developed in response to concern regarding the possibility of localized depletion of menhaden stocks in the Chesapeake Bay. It presents a suite of management options to limit the catch of menhaden in both the Chesapeake Bay and coastwide, including various harvest caps, timeframes, and gears.
The Draft Addendum also proposes initiating a research program immediately to determine the status of menhaden populations in the Chesapeake Bay and assess whether localized depletion is occurring. It identifies the following research priorities: (1) determine menhaden abundance in the Chesapeake Bay; (2) determine estimates of menhaden removal by predators; (3) evaluate the rate of exchange of menhaden between the Bay and coastal systems; and (4) conduct larval studies to determine recruitment to the Bay.
The Board will meet in August to review public comment on the Draft Addendum and consider its final approval. Fishermen and other interested groups are encouraged to provide input on the Addendum either by attending public hearings or providing written comments.
Copies of the Draft Addendum 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 5:00 PM on August 1, 2005 and should be forwarded to Nancy
Wallace Atlantic Menhaden Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at 1444 ‘Eye’ Street, NW, Sixth Floor,
Washington, DC 20005; (202)289-6051 (fax) or comments@asmfc.org (Subject line: Menhaden). For
more information, please contact Nancy Wallace at (202)289-6400 or nwallace@asmfc.org.
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