Page 14. MAINE COASTAL NEWS March 2009
ASMFC 2009 WINTER MEETING SUMMARY
Meeting Summary second by Mr. Cole. Motion carries. Main SUMMER FLOUNDER, SCUP, AND
Continued from Page 13.
In addition to initiating the smooth dog- Motion as Substituted Move to initiate an BLACK SEA BASS MANAGEMENT
fins and discarding the carcass at sea, will fish addendum, Board members agreed to addendum to re-examine measures for BOARD
remain prohibited under all options of Ad- submit their state plans to meet the require- smooth dogfish in their entirety. Motion car- Scup Board Increases TAL to 11.18 Million
dendum I. ments of the Coastal Sharks FMP by April 1. ries. Pounds for 2009 Fishery
In October 2008, the Management Board Staff will forward the required details of these ATLANTIC HERRING SECTION The Commission’s Summer Flounder,
eliminated a previously established 1,000 state plans to Board members next week. The ASMFC Atlantic Herring Section Ap- Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management
pound commercial trip limit for smooth dog- Plan Review Team will review these regula- proves Addendum I Board approved an increase to the 2009 scup
fish due to concerns about the impacts of the tions and provide the Board with a summary Addendum Provides Suite of Measures to total allowable landings limit from 7.34 million
trip limit to the commercial fishery. Since that during the ASMFC Spring Meeting in May. Control Effort in Area 1A pounds to 11.18 million pounds, with the
time, commercial smooth dogfish fishermen Motions The Atlantic Herring Section approved commercial quota revised to 8.4 million
have indicated that requiring all fins to remain Move to approve the 2007 FMP Review Addendum I to Amendment 2 to the Inter- pounds and the recreational harvest limit
naturally attached to the carcass through for all states as presented with the exception state Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic revised to 2.6 million pounds (after the re-
landing is impractical for such a high volume of Massachusetts. Motion made by Mr. Sea Herring. Addendum I aims to control search set aside was deducted). This in-
fishery. Historically, participants have re- Augustine, second by Mr. Cole. Motion car- fishing effort within the Area 1A by allowing crease is consistent with that taken by the
moved fins at sea in order to keep the meat ries. Main Motion Move to initiate an adden- the Section to employ bimonthly, trimester, or National Marine Fisheries Service for federal
fresh, maximize hold capacity, and increase dum that would allow smooth dogfish to be seasonal quotas with the flexibility to pro- waters.
processing efficiency. Draft Addendum I will processed at sea including removal of fins hibit landings before June 1. The Addendum The Board’s action is based on the re-
also include measures to eliminate recre- and head. Motion made by Dr. Pierce, second also restricts vessels from landing more than sults of a recent review of the scup stock
ational possession limits for smooth dogfish. by Mr. Travelstead. Substitute Motion once per calendar day. assessment which indicates that the scup
The Management Board is scheduled to Move to substitute: to initiate an addendum Quota allocations will be based on the resource is rebuilt (population estimated to
meet in May to review and consider approval to re-examine measures for smooth dogfish in average vessel trip reports from 2000 – 2007. be 130% of its target biomass) and overfish-
of the Draft Addendum for public comment. their entirety. Motion made by Mr. Simpson, In order to prevent quota overages, the fish- ing is not occurring. The newly estimated
ery will close when 90 or 95% of a quota has allowable harvest, or maximum sustainable
Complete Yacht Service in the Maine Tradition been harvested as is most appropriate for the yield (MSY), is also significantly higher than
quota season chosen by the Section. The previously estimated and represents a poten-
Addendum provides the Section the ability tial for greater harvest levels in the future.
to distribute quota underages equally among While the Northeast Fisheries Science
all remaining periods. Addendum I also re- Center’s Data Poor Workshop, which con-
quires fishermen to report through a weekly ducted the review of the scup assessment,
system in order to properly monitor and man- found the new long-term estimate of maxi-
age the quotas. mum MSY to be reasonable given the histori-
A seasonal quota allocation will be em- cal evidence from the fishery, it recom-
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harvested. ferred approach given the uncertainty in the
Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachu- model estimates and stock status”.
setts will set Area 1A quota allocation provi- Given this advice, the states chose to
sions for 2010, and possibly future years, maintain their recreational management mea-
during a 2009 days out meeting (date to be sures for the 2009 fishery. For specific state
determined). measures, please contact your state marine
Copies of the Addendum will be avail- fishery agency.
able on February 17, 2009 and can be obtained Meeting Summary
via the Commission’s website at The Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black
www.asmfc.org under Breaking News or by Sea Bass Board met to address a number of
contacting the Commission at (202) 289-6400. issues. The Board was presented the results
Motions of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s
Main Motion Move that the Section Data Poor Workshop and Peer Review for
adopt Option F for 2009 and Option H for 2010 scup and black sea bass. The new scup
and beyond for Issue 1. Motion made by Dr. assessment utilizes an age structured as-
Pierce, second by Rep. Abbott. Motion sessment program (ASAP) which incorpo-
amended. Motion to Amend Move to amend rates data such as population size at age,
to include under Option H, allow the use of growth rates, age at maturity, reproductive
Options C, E, and F with the percentages in potential and success, life span, and remov-
Table 1 of the draft Addendum. Motion made als by deaths. Both fishery-dependent (catch
by Mr. Grout, second by Mr. P. White. Mo- data from commercial and recreational fisher-
tion carries. Main Motion as Amended Move ies) and fishery-independent (survey sample
that the Section adopt Option F for 2009 and data) data were used in the model. The data
Option H to include under Option H, allow the used in the model should be less sensitive to
use of Options C, E, and F with the percent- inter-annual changes in any single data com-
ages in Table 1 of the draft Addendum for ponent than the previous model used to
2010 and beyond for Issue 1. Motion made by assess the population. The peer review panel
Dr. Pierce, second by Rep. Abbott. Motion accepted the revised stock assessment as the
carries. Move to adopt for Issue 2.1, Option basis for biological reference points and sta-
G for 2009 and Options F and G for 2010 and tus determination for scup. The new model of
beyond. Motion made by Dr. Pierce, second scup population dynamics and the recom-
by Mr. R. White. Motion carries. Move to mended reference points represent a more
adopt for Issue 2.2, Option C. Motion made stable approach for monitoring stock status
by Dr. Pierce, second by Mr. Grout. Motion and specifying the annual fishery regula-
carries. Move to adopt for Issue 3, Option C. tions. The new reference points indicate that
Motion made by Dr. Pierce, second by Rep. the stock is rebuilt (the population is at 130%
Abbott. Motion carries unanimously. Move of its biomass target) and overfishing is not
to adopt for Issue 4, Options A, C, and E. occurring. While the new long term Maximum
Motion made by Dr. Pierce, second by Rep. sustainable yield (MSY) estimate appears
Abbott. Motion carries. Move to adopt for reasonable given the historical evidence
Issue 5, Option D. Motion made by Dr. Pierce, from the fishery, managers may consider a
second by Mr. Grout. Motion carries. Move cautious approach in setting quotas. The
to approve Addendum I as amended. Motion peer review panel advised that “rapid in-
made by Sen. Damon, second by Mr. Adler. creases in quota to meet the revised MSY
Motion carries unanimously. would be unwarranted given uncertainties in
recent recruitment. A more gradual increase
in quotas is a preferred approach reflective of
the uncertainty in the model estimates and
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