RJ
12-19-2006, 11:49 PM
Pictured (left to right) Jack Travelstead (MAFMC), Pete Jensen (Chairman, MAFMC), and Senator Charles E. Schumer.
New York City, NY - Congress passed a reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act early Saturday morning, December 9. The President thanked Congress for working in a bipartisan manner and in "maintaining our thriving commercial and recreational fishing communities." He added that "this bill embraces my priorities of ending overfishing and rebuilding our Nation's fish stocks through more effective, market-based management and tougher enforcement." This bill includes: strong measures to end overfishing and rebuild stocks, detailed provisions to guide the use of dedicated access privilege programs, and requirements to improve recreational fishery data collection. The course for fisheries management has now been set and it remains to be seen how well the Act is implemented.
Consequences of this Congressional action were immediate. US Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who lobbied hard for this reauthorization, attended the Council meeting on Tuesday, December 12 and commented that:
“Fishermen will now get what they desperately needed the most – a temporary and minor reprieve from draconian deadlines and almost certain annihilation of the recreational fishing industry on Long Island.”
While praising the flexibility added to the legislation - it provided a critical provision to increase the rebuilding period for fluke an additional three years, moving the rebuilding deadline from 2010 to 2013 - Senator Schumer also focused attention on the lack of fairness of regulations between neighboring states, such as New Jersey and Connecticut. Although the three-year extension will give the Long Island fluke industry the tools necessary to keep their businesses alive and still allow for the fluke stocks to grow, he stated that these inequitable rules put New York at a significant disadvantage, and encourages businesses to flock elsewhere. On point, Senator Schumer made the following comments:
· Make the following restrictions more equitable with neighboring states: length of season, number and size of fish that can be kept.
· Work with the Secretary of Commerce to evaluate a new type of data collection system to ensure the most accurate statistics are being used to form any future recommendations.
· Work with the Secretary of Commerce to conduct an annual analysis of the cumulative socioeconomic impacts to a fishing community when determining timelines, cutbacks and quotas, as well as multiyear management plans to reflect an average of fishing quotas as opposed to attempting to offset annual fluctuations.
Recreational Management Measures Set for Fishing Year 2007
The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) together with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass (Board) met on December 12 and adopted the following 2007 recreational fishery management measures:
Summer Flounder
Scup *
Black Sea Bass
2007 Harvest Limit
5.19 m lbs
2.74 m lbs
2.47 m lbs
Possession Limit
Minimum Fish Size
Open Season
state-specific
state-specific
state-specific
50 fish (EEZ)
10" (EEZ )
Jan. 1-Feb. 28
Sep. 18-Nov. 30
25 fish
12"
Jan. 1-Dec. 31
* For state waters, the Board adopted the following conservation equivalency measures for scup:
State
Minimum Size
Possession Limit
Open Season
MA
10.5"
25 fish (50 max private vessel); party /charter may possess up to 60 fish from May 1- June 30 (all other times PC bag is 25 fish)
May 1- Sept. 30
RI
10.5"
25 fish; party / charter may possess up to 60 fish from Sept. 1- Oct. 31 (all other times PC bag is 25 fish)
June 1- Oct. 31
CT
10.5"
25 fish; party /charter may possess up to 60 fish from Sept. 1- Oct. 31 (all other times PC bag is 25 fish)
June 1- Oct. 31
NY
10.5"
25 fish; party /charter may possess up to 60 fish from Sept. 1- Oct. 31 (all other times PC bag is 25 fish)
June 1- Oct. 31
NJ
9"
50 fish
Jan. 1-Feb. 28 and July 1 – Dec. 31
DE , MD, VA, NC
8"
50 fish
All year
The summer flounder quota reflects the fact that the Commission's Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board approved an initial total allowable landings (TAL) limit of 12.98 million pounds for the 2007 summer flounder fishery. This level is consistent with the NMFS' final rule for summer flounder. However, both the Council and the Commission expect that the TAL for summer flounder will increase to 17.11 million pounds early in 2007 owing to the summer flounder rebuilding schedule being extended from 2010 to 2013. After this adjustment in the summer flounder TAL, the recreational harvest limit will increase from 5.19 million pounds to 6.84 million pounds. This rebuilding extension was included in the recently passed Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management (Magnuson-Stevens Act) Reauthorization Act. Although all quotas for 2007 are less than those that exist in 2006, the recreational management measures proposed for scup and black sea bass will, if adopted by NMFS, be the same as those that exist in 2006. For the summer flounder fishery, the Council and Board adopted the conservation equivalency alternative. This decision requires the states to develop state-specific management measures (i.e., possession limits, size limits, and seasons) to achieve state-specific harvest limits. The states will develop management proposals and submit them to the Board for approval at its February 2007 meeting. As a non-preferred alternative, the Council and Board adopted a coastwide daily bag limit of one fish with a 19-inch total length (TL) minimum size requirement, and an open season for the entire calendar year. They also adopted a precautionary default measure of an 18.5-inch TL minimum fish size, a 1 fish possession limit and an open season all year. This measure would be imposed on any state that did not develop and implement conservation equivalent management measures.
Framework 1 to the Council's Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Fishery Management Plan (FMP) passed when the Council hosted the second and final public meeting on it. The sole purpose of the framework is to implement a vessel monitoring system (VMS). The major issue was how to best accommodate the small artisanal vessels operating off the coast of Maine that do not have ready access to shoreside electrical service to power VMS transmissions while in port. The principal alternatives discussed were to either allow a special power-down exemption for these vessels, or grant the vessels extra time to have an additional power source installed (such as an auxiliary battery or solar panel). The compromise adopted was a coastwide VMS requirement that is anticipated to be in effect by May 1, 2007. However, vessels fishing under the Maine Quahog Limited Access permit (coded OQ 7) are to be provided a grace period of one year from the effective date of the rule to install VMS.
Framework 4 to the Joint FMP for Monkfish was passed by the Council. This action approved the range of essential fish habitat (EFH) designation alternatives to be included in the New England Council's EFH Omnibus Amendment (Phase 1). It also approved 10 decision actions related to the management of monkfish. Details contained in these actions and the Mid-Atlantic Council's motions are available via the Internet at: http://www.mafmc.org/mid-atlantic/press/MAFMC_Monk_FW4_Motions.pdf.
The Joint Spiny Dogfish Committee met to consider changes to the 2007 / 2008 specifications for dogfish, but took no action to initiate any changes to these regulations; i.e., an annual fishing year (May 1 through April 30) and a quota level of 4,000,000 pounds with a 600 pound trip limit for each of the two fishing periods.
The Trawl Survey Panel met and specified that future bottom trawl surveys to be conducted by the RV Henry B. Bigelow use a three-bridal, four-seam net as specified in the technical addendum to the Panel's previous report. The Council approved the Committee's recommendation, and a letter will be sent to NMFS recommending adoption of this specified net. The Council also recommended that NOAA Fisheries establish a formal training program for all personnel involved with the vessel fishing crew, survey leadership and shore-based personnel to increase understanding and knowledge of the handling, repairing, and construction of fishing gear utilized during fisheries surveys by the Northeast Fisheries Science Center.
The Ecosystems; Squid, Mackerel and Butterfish; and, Executive Committees met, but no recommendations requiring Council action were forthcoming from these three committees.
The Council hosted a Public Hearing for Amendment 16 to the New England Council's Northeast Multispecies FMP on Tuesday evening at 7:00 p.m. A Public Hearing was also held for the NMFS' Northeast Regional Bycatch Reporting Methodology Omnibus Amendment on Wednesday evening at 7:00 p.m. An overview of the purpose and scope of the amendment was presented by NMFS officials and public comment was collected.
New York City, NY - Congress passed a reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act early Saturday morning, December 9. The President thanked Congress for working in a bipartisan manner and in "maintaining our thriving commercial and recreational fishing communities." He added that "this bill embraces my priorities of ending overfishing and rebuilding our Nation's fish stocks through more effective, market-based management and tougher enforcement." This bill includes: strong measures to end overfishing and rebuild stocks, detailed provisions to guide the use of dedicated access privilege programs, and requirements to improve recreational fishery data collection. The course for fisheries management has now been set and it remains to be seen how well the Act is implemented.
Consequences of this Congressional action were immediate. US Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who lobbied hard for this reauthorization, attended the Council meeting on Tuesday, December 12 and commented that:
“Fishermen will now get what they desperately needed the most – a temporary and minor reprieve from draconian deadlines and almost certain annihilation of the recreational fishing industry on Long Island.”
While praising the flexibility added to the legislation - it provided a critical provision to increase the rebuilding period for fluke an additional three years, moving the rebuilding deadline from 2010 to 2013 - Senator Schumer also focused attention on the lack of fairness of regulations between neighboring states, such as New Jersey and Connecticut. Although the three-year extension will give the Long Island fluke industry the tools necessary to keep their businesses alive and still allow for the fluke stocks to grow, he stated that these inequitable rules put New York at a significant disadvantage, and encourages businesses to flock elsewhere. On point, Senator Schumer made the following comments:
· Make the following restrictions more equitable with neighboring states: length of season, number and size of fish that can be kept.
· Work with the Secretary of Commerce to evaluate a new type of data collection system to ensure the most accurate statistics are being used to form any future recommendations.
· Work with the Secretary of Commerce to conduct an annual analysis of the cumulative socioeconomic impacts to a fishing community when determining timelines, cutbacks and quotas, as well as multiyear management plans to reflect an average of fishing quotas as opposed to attempting to offset annual fluctuations.
Recreational Management Measures Set for Fishing Year 2007
The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) together with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass (Board) met on December 12 and adopted the following 2007 recreational fishery management measures:
Summer Flounder
Scup *
Black Sea Bass
2007 Harvest Limit
5.19 m lbs
2.74 m lbs
2.47 m lbs
Possession Limit
Minimum Fish Size
Open Season
state-specific
state-specific
state-specific
50 fish (EEZ)
10" (EEZ )
Jan. 1-Feb. 28
Sep. 18-Nov. 30
25 fish
12"
Jan. 1-Dec. 31
* For state waters, the Board adopted the following conservation equivalency measures for scup:
State
Minimum Size
Possession Limit
Open Season
MA
10.5"
25 fish (50 max private vessel); party /charter may possess up to 60 fish from May 1- June 30 (all other times PC bag is 25 fish)
May 1- Sept. 30
RI
10.5"
25 fish; party / charter may possess up to 60 fish from Sept. 1- Oct. 31 (all other times PC bag is 25 fish)
June 1- Oct. 31
CT
10.5"
25 fish; party /charter may possess up to 60 fish from Sept. 1- Oct. 31 (all other times PC bag is 25 fish)
June 1- Oct. 31
NY
10.5"
25 fish; party /charter may possess up to 60 fish from Sept. 1- Oct. 31 (all other times PC bag is 25 fish)
June 1- Oct. 31
NJ
9"
50 fish
Jan. 1-Feb. 28 and July 1 – Dec. 31
DE , MD, VA, NC
8"
50 fish
All year
The summer flounder quota reflects the fact that the Commission's Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board approved an initial total allowable landings (TAL) limit of 12.98 million pounds for the 2007 summer flounder fishery. This level is consistent with the NMFS' final rule for summer flounder. However, both the Council and the Commission expect that the TAL for summer flounder will increase to 17.11 million pounds early in 2007 owing to the summer flounder rebuilding schedule being extended from 2010 to 2013. After this adjustment in the summer flounder TAL, the recreational harvest limit will increase from 5.19 million pounds to 6.84 million pounds. This rebuilding extension was included in the recently passed Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management (Magnuson-Stevens Act) Reauthorization Act. Although all quotas for 2007 are less than those that exist in 2006, the recreational management measures proposed for scup and black sea bass will, if adopted by NMFS, be the same as those that exist in 2006. For the summer flounder fishery, the Council and Board adopted the conservation equivalency alternative. This decision requires the states to develop state-specific management measures (i.e., possession limits, size limits, and seasons) to achieve state-specific harvest limits. The states will develop management proposals and submit them to the Board for approval at its February 2007 meeting. As a non-preferred alternative, the Council and Board adopted a coastwide daily bag limit of one fish with a 19-inch total length (TL) minimum size requirement, and an open season for the entire calendar year. They also adopted a precautionary default measure of an 18.5-inch TL minimum fish size, a 1 fish possession limit and an open season all year. This measure would be imposed on any state that did not develop and implement conservation equivalent management measures.
Framework 1 to the Council's Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Fishery Management Plan (FMP) passed when the Council hosted the second and final public meeting on it. The sole purpose of the framework is to implement a vessel monitoring system (VMS). The major issue was how to best accommodate the small artisanal vessels operating off the coast of Maine that do not have ready access to shoreside electrical service to power VMS transmissions while in port. The principal alternatives discussed were to either allow a special power-down exemption for these vessels, or grant the vessels extra time to have an additional power source installed (such as an auxiliary battery or solar panel). The compromise adopted was a coastwide VMS requirement that is anticipated to be in effect by May 1, 2007. However, vessels fishing under the Maine Quahog Limited Access permit (coded OQ 7) are to be provided a grace period of one year from the effective date of the rule to install VMS.
Framework 4 to the Joint FMP for Monkfish was passed by the Council. This action approved the range of essential fish habitat (EFH) designation alternatives to be included in the New England Council's EFH Omnibus Amendment (Phase 1). It also approved 10 decision actions related to the management of monkfish. Details contained in these actions and the Mid-Atlantic Council's motions are available via the Internet at: http://www.mafmc.org/mid-atlantic/press/MAFMC_Monk_FW4_Motions.pdf.
The Joint Spiny Dogfish Committee met to consider changes to the 2007 / 2008 specifications for dogfish, but took no action to initiate any changes to these regulations; i.e., an annual fishing year (May 1 through April 30) and a quota level of 4,000,000 pounds with a 600 pound trip limit for each of the two fishing periods.
The Trawl Survey Panel met and specified that future bottom trawl surveys to be conducted by the RV Henry B. Bigelow use a three-bridal, four-seam net as specified in the technical addendum to the Panel's previous report. The Council approved the Committee's recommendation, and a letter will be sent to NMFS recommending adoption of this specified net. The Council also recommended that NOAA Fisheries establish a formal training program for all personnel involved with the vessel fishing crew, survey leadership and shore-based personnel to increase understanding and knowledge of the handling, repairing, and construction of fishing gear utilized during fisheries surveys by the Northeast Fisheries Science Center.
The Ecosystems; Squid, Mackerel and Butterfish; and, Executive Committees met, but no recommendations requiring Council action were forthcoming from these three committees.
The Council hosted a Public Hearing for Amendment 16 to the New England Council's Northeast Multispecies FMP on Tuesday evening at 7:00 p.m. A Public Hearing was also held for the NMFS' Northeast Regional Bycatch Reporting Methodology Omnibus Amendment on Wednesday evening at 7:00 p.m. An overview of the purpose and scope of the amendment was presented by NMFS officials and public comment was collected.