Commercial Striped bass season

[Peter 274]

August 25, 2009
MarineFisheries Advisory

COMMERCIAL STRIPED BASS FISHERY TO CLOSE AFTER
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2009 –

Commercial fishermen may catch and land striped bass through Wednesday, August 26th, but are prohibited from landing fish for commercial purposes as of 00:01 hours on Thursday, August 27, 2009 until the 2010 fishery opens, in July of 2010.

[Peter 274]

Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
News Release



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PRESS CONTACT: Tina Berger
June 15, 2010 [phone]
(This press release revises the May 28th release with the addition of hearing details for PA and NC’s June 29th hearing, and a time change for MD’s July 19th hearing.)

States Schedule Hearings on Striped Bass Draft Addendum II
Public Comment Accepted Until October 1

Washington, DC – Atlantic coastal states from Maine through North Carolina have scheduled their hearings to gather public comment on Draft Addendum II to Amendment 6 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Striped Bass. The dates, times, and locations of the scheduled meetings follow:


Maine Department of Marine Resources
September 14, 2010; 6:00 PM
Town of Yarmouth Log Cabin
196 Main Street
Yarmouth, Maine
Contact: Terry Stockwell at [phone]

New Hampshire Fish and Game
September 13, 2010; 7:00 PM
Urban Forestry Center
45 Elwyn Road
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Contact: Doug Grout at [phone]

Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries
August 16, 2010; 6:00 PM
Holiday Inn
55 Ariadne Road
Dedham, Massachusetts
Contact: Jared Silva at [phone]

Rhode Island Division of Fish and Wildlife
August 17, 2010; 6:00 PM
URI, Narragansett Bay Campus, Corless Auditorium
215 South Ferry Road
Narragansett, Rhode Island
Contact: Mark Gibson at [phone]

Connecticut Dept. of Environmental Protection
July 13, 2010; 7:00 PM
Fayerweather Yacht Club
51 Brewster Street
Bridgeport, Connecticut
Contact: David Simpson at [phone]

July 14, 2010; 7:00 PM
Marine Headquarters
333 Ferry Road
Old Lyme, Connecticut
Contact: David Simpson at [phone]

The Draft Addendum proposes two changes to the striped bass management program: (1) an increase in the coastal commercial quota, and (2) revising the definition of recruitment failure based on Technical Committee advice.

The proposal to increase the coastal commercial quota is intended to improve equality between the commercial and recreational fishery sectors. Although Amendment 6 established management programs for both fisheries based on the same target fishing mortality rate, the implementation of state-specific quotas for coastal commercial harvest (and not for recreational harvest) has prevented the commercial and recreational fisheries from responding equally to changes in striped bass population size. Since 2003, coastal commercial harvest has decreased by 3.6 percent, while recreational harvest has increased by 13.7 percent. Under the option, the Board would select a percent increase to be applied to the coastal commercial allocations assigned in Amendment 6.

The Management Board voted to include a second issue in the Draft Addendum based on information presented at the meeting. As part of its review of the juvenile abundance indices, the Striped Bass Technical Committee recommended to the Management Board a revision to how striped bass recruitment failure is defined. Juvenile abundance indices are an important component of the striped bass monitoring program and are used to determine periods of recruitment failure which can trigger management action under Amendment 6. Adopting the proposed recommendation would result in a fixed value to determine recruitment failure in each surveyed area rather than a value that changes from year to year. Use of either the Amendment 6 definition or the Technical Committee recommendation for recruitment failure does not result in any necessary changes to the current management program.

Fishermen and other interested groups are encouraged to provide input on the Draft Addendum, either by attending public hearings or providing written comments. The Draft Addendum can be obtained via the Commission’s website at www.asmfc.org under Breaking News or by contacting the Commission at [phone]. Public comment will be accepted until 5:00 PM (EST) on October 1, 2010 and should be forwarded to Nichola Meserve, FMP Coordinator, 1444 Eye Street, NW, Sixth Floor, Washington, DC 20005; [phone] (FAX) or at [e-mail] (Subject line: Striped Bass Addendum II). For more information, please contact Nichola Meserve, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator at [phone] or [e-mail].

[Peter 274]

August 19, 2010
MarineFisheries Advisory
COMMERCIAL STRIPED BASS, SUMMER FLOUNDER AND SPINY DOGFISH FISHERIES TO CLOSE
________________________________________

Current dealer reporting data indicates quotas for striped bass, summer flounder and dogfish, will be realized next week.

The 2010 commercial striped bass quota (1,128,577 lbs) will be reached by Sunday, August 21st, prompting a closure effective Monday, August 22nd, at 0001 hours. This fishery will re-open in July, 2011. Dealers are reminded that all striped bass imported into Massachusetts shall meet or exceed 34” through August 31st. After August 31st all striped bass imported into Massachusetts must be tagged designating the state of origin and shall meet or exceed the minimum size in place for the state of origin.

The 2010 commercial summer flounder quota (846,667 lbs.) will be obtained by the end of the fishing day, 2000 hours (8:00 PM), on Tuesday, August 24th. This fishery will be closed from Wednesday, August 25, 2010 through January 31, 2011. The 2011 Period I fishery is scheduled to open on February 1, 2010 with a 500-lb. daily possession limit for net gears.

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Northern Region 2010/2011 quota for spiny dogfish (8,272,448 lbs) is expected to be reached on Tuesday, August 24, 2010. The commercial possession and landing of spiny dogfish is prohibited effective 0001 hours on Wednesday, August 25, 2010. The spiny dogfish fishery in the Northern Region is scheduled to re-open May 1, 2011, further information regarding the 2011/2012 quota and annual specification will be provided once determined.
Commercial fishermen are reminded that August, 2010 trip-level reports are due by September 15, 2010, even if the permit was not fished. Please ensure that trip-level reports are received by MarineFisheries no later than the deadline. Failure to submit these reports in a timely manner may result in the non-renewal of a permit or permit endorsement in 2011. Take notice that beginning in 2010, monthly trip-level reports have taken the place of annual catch reports; annual catch reports no longer need to be provided to MarineFisheries.
Trip level reports should be sent to DMF Statistics Project, 30 Emerson Ave, Gloucester, MA 01930. Blank forms and instructions were mailed out prior to the beginning of the 2010 commercial fishing season, and additional copies can be obtained from the MarineFisheries web site at: www.mass.gov/dfwele/dmf/commercialfishing/trip_level.htm
For further information on closures and reporting contact DMF at 617-626-1520 or please visit our website at www.mass.gov/marinefisheries.