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Atlantic Coastal States Schedule Public Hearings on Striped Bass Draft Addendum IV

Arlington, VA – The Atlantic coastal states and jurisdictions have scheduled their hearings to gather public comment on Draft Addendum IV to Amendment 6 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Striped Bass. The dates, times, and locations of the scheduled hearings follow.

Maine Department of Marine Resources

September 4, 2014; 6-9 PM
Orion Performing Arts Center

MSAD#75, Mt. Ararat Middle School

66 Republic Avenue

Topsham, Maine
Contact: Terry Stockwell at 207.624.6553

New Hampshire Fish and Game

August 27, 2014; 7 PM

Urban Forestry Center

45 Elwyn Road

Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Contact: Doug Grout at 603.868.1095

Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries

September 2, 2014; 10 AM

Nantucket Community Room

4 Fairgrounds Road

Nantucket, Massachusetts

Contact: Jared Silva at 617.626.1534

 

September 2, 2014; 6 PM

Massachusetts Maritime Academy

Admiral’s Hall, 101 Academy Drive

Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts

Contact: Jared Silva at 617.626.1534

* MA DMF will also be seeking public comment on Spiny Dogfish Draft Addendum V at this hearing

 

September 3, 2014; 6 PM

MA DMF Annisquam River Station

30 Emerson Avenue

Gloucester, Massachusetts

Contact: Jared Silva at 617.626.1534

* MA DMF will also be seeking public comment on Spiny Dogfish Draft Addendum V at this hearing

 

September 4, 2014; 6 PM

Viking Club

410 Quincy Avenue (Route 53)

Braintree, Massachusetts

Contact: Jared Silva at 617.626.1534

Rhode Island Division of Fish & Wildlife
September 17, 2014 at 6 PM
University of Rhode Island, Corless Auditorium
South Ferry Road
Narragansett, Rhode Island

Contact: Nicole Lengyel at 401.423.1940

Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection

August 26, 2014; 7 PM

Marine Headquarters, Boating Education Center

333 Ferry Road

Old Lyme Connecticut

Contact David Simpson at 860.434.6043

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

September 16, 2014; 7 PM

Stony Brook University Wang Center, Room 201

Stony Brook, New York

Contact: Carol Hoffman at 631.444.0476

Click here for google map to Wang Center

September 23, 2014; 7 PM

NYSDEC Region 3 Office

21 South Putt Corners Road

New Paltz, New York

Contact: Kathy Hattala at 845.256.3071 

New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife

September 4, 2014; 7-9 PM

Galloway Twp. Branch of the Atlantic Co. Library

306 East Jimmie Leeds Road

Galloway, New Jersey

Contact: Russ Allen at 609.748.2020

* Will immediately follow the NJ Marine Fisheries Council meeting

 

September 15, 2014; 7-9 PM

Toms River Town Hall

L. M. Hirshblond Room

33 Washington Street

Toms River, New Jersey

Contact: Russ Allen at 609.748.2020

September 9, 2014; 7-9 PM

Ridgefield Park Elks Lodge #1506

Corner of Spruce Avenue and Cedar Street
Ridgefield Park, New Jersey

Contact: Russ Allen at 609.748.2020

Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission

September 17, 2014 at 6:00 pm

Silver Lake Nature Center (http://www.silverlakenaturecenter.org/)

1306 Bath Road

Bristol, Pennsylvania

Contact: Eric Levis at 717.705.7806

Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control

September 11, 2014; 6 – 8 PM

DNREC Auditorium

89 Kings Highway

Dover, Delaware

Contact: John Clark at 302.739.9914

Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Service
September 25, 2014; 6-9 PM

Cadby Theater, Kent Humanities Building

Chesapeake College

1000 College Circle

Wye Mills, Maryland

Contact: Michael Luisi at 410.260.8341

Virginia Marine Resources Commission

September 22, 2014 at 6 PM

Virginia Marine Resources Commission

2600 Washington Avenue, 4th Floor

Newport News, Virginia

Contact: Rob O’Reilly at 757.247.2248

Potomac River Fisheries Commission

September 23, 2014; 6 PM

222 Taylor Street

Colonial Beach, Virginia

Contact: Martin Gary at 804.224-7148

North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries

September 29, 2014; 6 PM

Dare County Government Complex

954 Marshall C. Collins Drive

Manteo North Carolina

Contact: Michelle Duval at 252.808.8011

The Draft Addendum proposes new fishing mortality (F) reference points, as recommended by the 2013 benchmark stock assessment, and associated management measures to reduce F to a level at or below the proposed target within one or three years.  It responds to results of the 2013 Atlantic striped bass benchmark assessment indicating  F in 2012 was above the proposed F target, and female spawning stock biomass (SSB) has been steadily declining below the target since 2006. This means even though the stock is not overfished and overfishing is not occurring, SSB is approaching its overfished threshold and stock projections show SSB will likely fall below the threshold in the coming years. In addition, a similar decline has been observed in total harvest.  In response to these factors, the Draft Addendum proposes management options to reduce fishing mortality to the target level.

The Draft Addendum includes a suite of management options to reduce recreational and commercial harvest along the coast and in the Chesapeake Bay under three reduction timeframes. The timeframes include (1) reducing F to its target in one year with a 25% reduction in 2013 harvest in 2015 (2) reducing F to its target within three years with a 17% reduction in 2013 harvest in 2015, and (3) reducing F to its target within three years with a 7% sequential reduction in harvest for three consecutive years starting in 2015.  Specific options to be considered include bag, size, slot and trophy size limits for the recreational fishery and quota reductions for the commercial fishery.

Given the Albemarle Sound/Roanoke River (A/R) stock of striped bass contributes minimally to the coastwide complex when compared to the Chesapeake Bay, Delaware, and Hudson stocks, Draft Addendum IV proposes it be managed by the State of North Carolina using stock-specific biological reference points.  These stock-specific reference points, which have been approved by the Board, would result in a separate quota that is set to maintain F for the A/R stock at its target level.  The Board tasked the Technical Committee with the continued development of Chesapeake Bay-specific reference points for future use.

The Draft Addendum is available at:

http://www.asmfc.org/files/PublicInput/StripedBassDraftAddendumIV_PublicComment.pdf

It can also be found on the Commission website (www.asmfc.org) under Public Input. Fishermen and other interested groups are encouraged to provide input on the Draft Addendum either by attending state public hearings or providing written comment. Public comment will be accepted until 5:00 PM (EST) on September 30, 2014 and should be forwarded to Mike Waine, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, 1050 N. Highland St, Suite A-N, Arlington, VA 22201; 703.842.0741 (FAX) or at mwaine@asmfc.org (Subject line: Draft Addendum IV). For more information, please contact Mike Waine, at mwaine@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.

STRIPED BASS NEED YOUR HELP! MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD!

Andrew

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