September American Eel Draft Addendum For Public Comment

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September American Eel Draft Addendum II Approved for Public Comment States Schedule Hearings for September and Early October

Washington, DC - The Commission's American Eel Management Board has approved the release of Draft Addendum II to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for American Eel for public comment.

The Draft Addendum proposes a number of management options to facilitate an increase in the number of adult American eel (also known as silver eel) that are able to out-migrate to the ocean and spawn. Specific options include gear and size restrictions, seasonal closures, and recommendations to protect the upstream and downstream migration of American eel. Atlantic coastal states have scheduled their hearings to gather public comment on the Draft Addendum. The dates, times, and locations of the scheduled meetings follow:

Virginia Marine Resources Commission
September 17, 6:00 PM
2600 Washington Ave, 4th Floor
Newport News, Virginia
Contact: Jack Travelstead at (757) 247-2247
Potomac River Fisheries Commission

September 23, 2008
6:30 PM
222 Taylor Street
Colonial Beach, Virginia
Contact: A.C. Carpenter at (804) 224-7148

Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection
September 24, 2008; 7:00 PM
DEP Marine Fisheries Office
333 Ferry Road
Old Lyme, Connecticut
Contact: David Simpson at (860) 434-6043

Maine Department of Marine Resources
September 25, 2008; 6:00PM
Natural Resources Service Center
(Behind Maine Department of Marine Resources)
6 Beech Street
Hallowell, Maine
Contact: Terry Stockwell at (207) 624-6553

September 29, 2008; 6:00PM
Ellsworth City Hall (Auditorium)
1 City Hall Plaza
Ellsworth, Maine
Contact: George Lapointe at (207) 624-6553

New York Dept. of Environmental Conservation
September 30, 2008; 6:00 PM
Bureau of Marine Resources Headquarters
205 North Belle Mead Road, Suite 1
East Setauket, New York
Contact: Steve Heins at (631) 444-0433

The Board initiated the Addendum due to continued concern for the American eel population. While the status of the stock is uncertain, the latest stock assessment information indicates the abundance of yellow eel (a juvenile life-stage of the American eel) has declined in the last two decades and the stock is at or near low levels. Further, relative abundance is likely to continue to decline unless mortality decreases and/or recruitment increases.

As such, the primary management objective of the Draft Addendum is to facilitate escapement of silver eel on their spawning migration with the intent of halting any further declines in juvenile recruitment and eel abundance.
Fishermen and other interested groups are encouraged to provide input on the Draft Addendum, either through attending public hearings or providing written comments.

The Draft Addendum will be available on September 11, 2008, 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 October 16, 2008 and should be forwarded to Kate Taylor, American Eel FMP Coordinator, 1444 'Eye' Street, NW, Sixth Floor, Washington, DC 20005; (202) 289-6051 (FAX) or at comments@asmfc.org (Subject line: American Eel). For more information, please contact Kate Taylor at (202) 289-6400 or ktaylor@asmfc.org.