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Menhaden Comment Period Opens

February 21, 2012 By


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, FEBRUARY 17, 2012
PRESS CONTACT, TINA BERGER, 703.842.0740

Atlantic Menhaden Public Information Document
Available for Public Comment

Arlington, VA – The Public Information Document (PID) for Amendment 2 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Menhaden is now available for public comment and review on the Commission’s website at http://www.asmfc.org/speciesDocuments/menhaden/fmps/Amend2PID_DraftForPublicComment.pdf. As the first step in the development of Amendment 2, the PID presents the current status of the fishery and resource, and solicits public input on which major issues and alternatives should be included for consideration and analysis in Draft Amendment 2.

The PID’s primary focus is to initiate discussion on the timing and implementation of achieving the new fishing mortality threshold (F = 1.32) and target (F = 0.62) reference points recently adopted through Addendum V. Since fishing mortality in 2008 (the latest year in the assessment) is estimated at 2.28, overfishing is occurring, however, the stock is not overfished. The goal of the new reference points is to increase abundance, spawning stock biomass, and menhaden availability as a forage species. The PID also seeks public input on a more timely and comprehensive catch reporting system, and scopes potential options to be used in managing Atlantic menhaden commercial bait and reduction fisheries as well as recreational fishery.

Alongside the development of Amendment 2, the peer-reviewed stock assessment will be updated with data through 2011 to provide a more recent estimate of fishing mortality. Results of the assessment update will be used to estimate the harvest reductions needed to achieve the new threshold and target fishing mortality rates. Therefore, preliminary harvest reductions are provided in the PID but will likely change based on the results of the stock assessment update.

Fishermen and other interested groups are encouraged to provide input on the PID either by attending public hearings or providing written comments. Public comment must be received no later than 5:00 PM (EST) on April 20, 2012 and should be forwarded to Michael Waine, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at 1050 N. Highland St, Suite A-N, Arlington, VA 22201; 703.842.0741 (FAX) or mwaine@asmfc.org (Subject line: Menhaden PID). A subsequent press release will announce the state’s public hearing schedule. For more information, please contact Michael Waine at 703.842.0740.

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PR12-12

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Tina Berger
Public Affairs Specialist
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
1050 N. Highland St., Suite 200 A-N
Arlington, VA 22201-2196
(p) 703.842.0740
(f) 703.842.0741
tberger@asmfc.org
www.asmfc.org

ASMFC Vision: Healthy, self-sustaining populations for all Atlantic coast fish species or successful restoration well in progress by the year 2015.

Filed Under: Advocacy, Featured, Menhaden

Bill introduced in Assembly to create equity in management costs

February 13, 2012 By


In keeping with its commitments to recover the additional costs to manage the commercial fishery due to illegal activity and to bring equity in management costs between the commercial and recreational fisheries, the Government Relations Committee, under Trent Zivkovich’s leadership, worked for several weeks with Maryland Delegate Jim Gilchrist to develop a bill dealing with those issues. Delegates Gilchrist and Marvin Holmes have just introduced HB 1173, and CCA Maryland issued the following news release. Now that a bill has been introduced, we’ll be calling on all of our members and friends to help support this legislation and to call for its passage. Watch for future alerts where we hope you join us in spreading the message that recreational anglers and Maryland’s citizens are sick of subsidizing an industry that refuses to change.
Gilchrist introduces bill calling for cost equity
Delegate James W. Gilchrist (D-17th) has introduced HB 1173, supported by the Coastal Conservation Association Maryland (CCA MD), which would mandate that commercial fishermen pay at least 90 percent of the management costs of their fishery or face repercussions.
“For too long recreational anglers have supported the management of their fishery while the majority of the cost of managing commercial fisheries has been borne by Maryland taxpayers,” explained Tony Friedrich, CCA MD executive director. “It’s time to stop asking the general public to accept this financial burden.
“During the past several weeks CCA Maryland has worked with Delegate Gilchrist discussing this inequity and possible solutions to protect Maryland tax dollars and recreational user fees. We believe the bill introduced will go a long way in correcting the inequity. We commend him and Co-sponsor Delegate Marvin Holmes and encourage his colleagues to support this bill to be fair to all Maryland citizens.”
All fishing in Maryland—both commercial and recreational—is supported by a combination of license and permit fees, federal angler taxes and direct grants, and state revenue. Preliminary estimates by the Maryland Department of Natural Resource (DNR) has found that 93 percent of management costs for recreational fishing comes from license fees and federal angling taxes; while only 20 percent of the management of commercial fisheries comes from license and permit fees, with an additional 23 percent covered by direct federal grants.
If enacted, the bill would mandate that DNR modify commercial fishing seasons or close commercial fisheries for striped bass, clam, oysters, or crab if projected revenues would not cover at least 90 percent of management cost for that fishery.
“Last winter management costs for striped bass skyrocketed when DNR discovered more than 13 tons of striped bass captured in illegally-placed nets,” Friedrich said. “DNR initially closed the gill net season, and had to increase staffing on the water and at reporting stations to assure additional infractions would not occur when it was re-opened. In developing better ways to monitor and enforce the commercial striped bass fishery, DNR identified the massive shortfall and inequity in the amount of money contributed by commercial fisherman in all fisheries as compared to recreational anglers.
“Unfortunately, many in the commercial industry continue to disregard our natural resources law as evidenced by recent illegal activity involving the oyster fishery. Nineteen separate commercial fishermen have been cited in the last two months for oyster violations, including poaching in sanctuaries, again adding costs to the management of the commercial industry. It’s time for this illegal activity to stop.”

Filed Under: Advocacy, Featured, Striped Bass

Striped Bass ASMFC 2.10.12

February 10, 2012 By

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, FEBRUARY 9, 2012
PRESS CONTACT, TINA BERGER, 703.842.0740

ASMFC Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board Initiates Addendum to Address Illegal Striped Bass Harvest

Alexandria, VA – The Commission’s Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board initiated an addendum to address illegal striped bass harvest. The Board’s action is in response to recommendations of the Interstate Watershed Task Force (IWTF). The IWTF conducted a multi-year, multi-jurisdictional investigation on illegal striped bass harvest within Chesapeake Bay which resulted in over $1.6 million dollars in fines levied against 19 individuals and three corporations for more than one million pounds of illegal striped bass harvested estimated to be worth up to seven million dollars.

The covert investigation determined that some Virginia commercial fishermen were illegally harvesting fish during the Potomac River Fisheries Commission’s closed season, as well as illegally harvesting oversized fish from Virginia waters during the spawning season. Additionally, some Maryland commercial fishermen were taking advantage of loopholes in the state tagging system to falsely report large numbers of smaller, legal-sized fish, allowing them to obtain more tags and exceed quota limits. The investigation also found some wholesale dealers were complicit through false record-keeping, false check-in, and knowingly buying illegal or untagged fish.

The investigation revealed that the current control measures for regulating striped bass harvest could be improved. The IWTF and the Commission’s Law Enforcement Committee (LEC) recommended increasing penalties for illegally harvested fish and implementing a uniform commercial tagging system among all states with commercial striped bass fisheries.

The IWTF and LEC acknowledge the efforts of Maryland, Virginia and the Potomac River Fisheries Commission in initiating measures to deter the activities detected by the Task Force. Maryland has reformed its commercial fishing management rules, including the suspension or revocation of commercial licenses from violators and increasing the penalty for commercially fishing without a license. The Potomac River Fish Commission has permanently revoked the commercial licenses of the violators identified from the investigation, while Virginia suspended the commercial licenses of identified violators for two years, the maximum amount allowed by Virginia law.

The Board will consider potential management options for inclusion in the Draft Addendum for public comment at the Commission’s Spring Meeting in May. For more information, please contact Kate Taylor, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at ktaylor@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.

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PR12-05

*************************
Tina Berger
Public Affairs Specialist
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
1050 N. Highland St., Suite 200 A-N
Arlington, VA 22201-2196
(p) 703.842.0740
(f) 703.842.0741
tberger@asmfc.org
www.asmfc.org

ASMFC Vision: Healthy, self-sustaining populations for all Atlantic coast fish species or successful restoration well in progress by the year 2015.

Filed Under: Advocacy, Featured, Striped Bass

Menhaden at ASMFC 2.9.11

February 9, 2012 By

ASMFC Atlantic Menhaden Board Approves the Public Information Document for Draft Amendment 2
States to Conduct Public Hearings in March & April

Alexandria, VA – The Commission’s Atlantic Menhaden Management Board approved the Public Information Document (PID) for Amendment 2 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Menhaden for public comment and review. As the first step in the development of Amendment 2, the PID presents the current status of the fishery and resource, and solicits public input on which major issues and alternatives should be included for consideration and analysis in Draft Amendment 2.

The PID’s primary focus is to initiate discussion on the timing and implementation of achieving the new fishing mortality threshold (F = 1.32) and target (F = 0.62) reference points recently adopted through Addendum V. Since fishing mortality in 2008 (the latest year in the assessment) is estimated at 2.28, overfishing is occurring, however, the stock is not overfished. The goal of the new reference points is to increase abundance, spawning stock biomass, and menhaden availability as a forage species. The PID also seeks public input on a more timely and comprehensive catch reporting system, and scopes potential options to be used in managing Atlantic menhaden commercial bait and reduction fisheries as well as recreational fishery.

Alongside the development of Amendment 2, the peer-reviewed stock assessment will be updated with data through 2011 to provide a more recent estimate of fishing mortality. Results of the assessment update will be used to estimate the harvest reductions needed to achieve the new threshold and target fishing mortality rates. Therefore, preliminary harvest reductions are provided in the PID but will likely change based on the results of the stock assessment update.

Staff will be finalizing the draft over the next week based on the Board’s input yesterday; a subsequent press release will announce the document’s availability as well as the state public hearing schedule. The Board will meet in May at the Commission’s Spring Meeting to review submitted comment and identify the measures to be included in the Draft Amendment. The Board will meet again in August to review and incorporate the results of the 2012 stock assessment update and consider approving the Draft Amendment for public comment. Final amendment approval is anticipated for October, with plan implementation scheduled for 2013. For more information, please contact Michael Waine, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at 703.842.0740 or mwaine@asmfc.org.

Filed Under: Advocacy, Featured, Menhaden

Tight Lines 2.3.12

February 8, 2012 By


Fellow Anglers,

If your urge to fish remains with you throughout the winter, this message is for you.

I am pleased to announce that the Tackle Box in Lexington Park has joined CCA Maryland’s first Tidal Pickerel Challenge. Local anglers will be able to register at The Tackle Box and become part of its team in the challenge, which runs until March 15. Awards are given for largest pickerel and most net inches, and are presented to both individuals and the winning tackle shop team(s). Judging is done based on photos in the catch and release event. The Tackle Box team will match up against stiff competition from other tackle shops throughout the state. There is no limit to the number of anglers on a team, so the more the better. Fish at your leisure, record and report your catches, and you are contributing to your team’s success.

New to Pickerel fishing? Local light tackle guide, Capt. Brady Bounds gives the following advice: “Any creek or stream that harbors yellow perch, also should hold pickerel. The head of the creeks where it becomes a feeder stream is best. On the Patuxent, look in creeks above Benedict and perhaps the main river above Wayson’s Corner. You may also find them at headwaters of other creeks such as Battle Creek, St. Leonard Creek, Mill Creek, Cuckold Creek, Sotterly Creek, Cat Creek, Washington Creek, and Indian Creek . On the Potomac side, consider the St Mary’s River where it becomes marsh and above, Breton Bay where it becomes MacIntosh Run, the head of St Clements Bay in marsh up to Rt 234, Chaptico Run up to Rt 234, Allens Fresh, Nanjamoy Creek, Goose Creek, Pt Tobacco in the marsh and canals, Chiximuxen, the headwaters of Mattawoman, Piscaway Creek at Ft Washington, Swan Creek, and possibly Henson Creek. Typically fishing either side and through the high tide is best in winter and also a sunny shoreline about three to six feet in depth.”

Anglers can obtain their official ruler and contest rules at The Tackle Box, 22035 Three Notch Rd., Lexington Park, or by contracting Brady Bounds at 301-904-0471.

Please see the flyer for additional details.

Enjoy the FIshing!

Don McDougall
Patuxent Chapter President
CCA Maryland

Filed Under: Uncategorized