Here you go...info from MDs fishery Director Tom Oconnell Please find attached the ASMFC Press Release on the approval of Draft Addendum IV to the Striped Bass Interstate Fisheries Management Plan. I will provide a summary below on how this decision will impact Maryland fishermen. First, however, I’d like to acknowledge all of those who have taken the time to become familiar with Draft Addendum IV and discuss the management options under consideration with the constituents you represent, and for the respect you provided to those with different, and sometimes, opposing perspectives. We are strongest when we work together recognizing that while our perspectives may not always be the same, we all have the same goal of ensuring our fisheries resources are managed sustainably for generations of today and tomorrow. This was reflected in the letter to ASMFC delivered on behalf of SFAC and TFAC members requesting the development of Chesapeake Bay reference points in an expeditious manner. As I shared with you at your last meeting, and contained in the Chesapeake Bay striped bass white paper distributed to you last week, the Bay jurisdictions of Maryland, Virginia, Potomac River Fisheries Commission and District of Columbia, were united in requesting a three-year timeframe for reducing fishing mortality to the target level. Despite a significant effort for this management option, we fell three votes short of getting it. It was clear that the majority of Board members came into the meeting with a preference of reducing fishing mortality to the target level in one year which would require a 25% reduction in 2015. Through the coordinated effort, the Bay jurisdictions were able to obtain the Board’s support for reducing the harvest reduction from 25% to 20.5% for the Chesapeake Bay fisheries. A 20.5% was the reduction needed to achieve the fishing mortality target in two years. While the Bay fisheries will be reduced 20.5% in 2015, the Board agreed to reduce the coastal recreational and commercial fisheries, which includes our spring trophy fishery by 25%. Based upon the management options chosen, and recognizing the majority of the coastwide harvest is from the coastal recreational fishery, it is likely that the coastwide fishing mortality will be reduced to the target level in one year, and if not, less than two years. Summary of actions: Coastal commercial fishery: 25% reduction from Amendment 6 quotas. - Since several states have not been achieving their quotas, this action may not result in any harvest reductions from recent levels. The ASMFC needs to revisit this issue for fairness, however, the planned harvest restrictions in the coastal recreational fishery are projected to achieve a reduction greater than the required 25% and, if so, this is expected to make up for the lack of reductions in the coastal commercial fishery. - Maryland’s coastal commercial quota will be similar to 2013 levels. Coastal recreational fishery: Change from 2 fish at 28” to 1 fish at 28”, or an alternative plan to achieve a 25% reduction from 2013. - A 1 fish at 28” is projected to achieve a 31% reduction which as mentioned above will help offset the actions taken for the coastal commercial fishery. - The ASMFC agreed that the coastal recreational fishery should take the largest reductions because this fishery has been the principal cause of increased fishing mortality, and consists of primarily female fish. Chesapeake Bay Spring trophy fishery: This is a conservation equivalent fishery to the coastal recreational fishery so we need to reduce harvest 25% from the 2013 level. To achieve this reduction, a 1 fish at 36” is expected. Currently, we are at 1 fish at 28”. The season will remain the same – 3rd Saturday in April to May 15. Bay commercial fishery: 20.5% reduction from 2012 harvest. - The ASMFC supported the Bay jurisdictions request to base the reduction off of the 2012 harvest instead of 2013 because the Bay jurisdictions proactively reduced the 2013 harvest quota by 14% in response to decreased abundance. The coastal states did not take any action in 2013. - Basing the reduction off of 2012 provides MD a Bay commercial quota of 1.471 million pounds. If 2013 was used, our quota would have been 1.321 million pounds. - Maryland’s Bay commercial quota in 2014 is 1.925 million pounds. Bay recreational fishery: 20.5% reduction from 2012 harvest. Given stakeholder preferences to maintain our current 2 fish creel limit and May 15 to December 15 season, we will need to increase the minimum size from 18” to 20”. Commercial size limits: No changes are required by ASMFC. There was an option to make the commercial size limits consistent with recreational size limits but the ASMFC rejected this option. Next steps: All the actions above are to be in place prior to the 2015 fishing season. Maryland will proceed accordingly: - Conduct public scoping of the above management changes beginning in mid-November. - Commercial quota changes will be implemented by public notice prior to January 1. - Recreational rule changes will be pursued through regulation. An emergency regulation is needed to implement the coastal recreational rule changes by January 1. The Bay’s recreational rule changes can be handled through a normal regulatory proposal if submitted by mid-December to be effected by the start of the spring trophy fishery on the 3rd Saturday in April.
Posted on: Fri, 31 Oct 2014 16:00:11 +0000
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