The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is hosting an ASMFC hearing on Addendum X to the American Lobster Interstate Fishery Management Plan on Wednesday, November 29th in Dedham. See the ASMFC press release below for further information.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, NOVEMBER 9, 2006
PRESS CONTACT, TINA BERGER, 202/289-6400

States Schedule Public Hearings on Draft Addendum X
Addendum Proposes Establishment of Landing Data Collection Program

The Commission's American Lobster Management Board approved sending forward for public comment Draft Addendum X to Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for American Lobster. Maine, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island have scheduled their public hearings to gather comment on the Draft Addendum. The dates, times and locations of the scheduled meetings follow:

Maine Department of Marine Resources
November 27, 2006; 6:00 PM
University of Maine at Machias,
Science Building, Room 102
9 O’Brien Ave.
Machias, Maine
Contact: Terry Stockwell at (207)633-9556

November 28, 2006; 6:00 PM
Rockland City Hall,
Council Chambers
270 Pleasant Street
Rockland, Maine
Contact: Terry Stockwell at (207)633-9556

November 29, 2006; 6:00 PM
Ellsworth City Hall
Council Chambers
1 City Hall Plaza
Ellsworth, Maine
Contact: Terry Stockwell at (207)633-9556

November 30, 2006; 6:00 PM
Eastland Park Hotel, Longfellow Room A
157 High Street
Portland, Maine
Contact: Terry Stockwell at (207)633-9556

Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries
November 29, 2006; 6:00 PM
Holiday Inn
55 Ariadne, US 1A & I 95/128
Dedham, Massachusetts
Contact: Melanie Griffin at (617)626-1528

Rhode Island Division of Fish and Wildlife
December 6, 2006; 6:00 PM
URI Narragansett Bay Campus
Corless Auditorium
South Ferry Road
Narragansett, Rhode Island
Contact: Tom Angel at (401)423-1931

The Draft Addendum proposes the establishment of a landings data collection program that is consistent with the standards of the Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program and responds to the recommendations of the 2005 Lobster Stock Assessment and Peer Review Advisory Report.

Fishermen and other interested groups are encouraged to provide input on Draft Addendum X, either by attending public hearings or providing written comments. Copies can be obtained by contacting the Commission at (202)289-6400 or via the Commission's website at www.asmfc.org under Breaking News. Public comment will be accepted until 5:00 PM on December 15, 2006 and should be forwarded to Toni Kerns, Senior Fisheries Management Plan Coordinator for Management, 1444 'Eye' Street, NW, Sixth Floor, Washington, DC 20005; (202)289-6051 (FAX) or at tkerns@asmfc.org (Subject line: Draft Addendum X). For more information, please contact Toni Kerns at (202)289-6400.