Page 12. MAINE COASTAL NEWS September 2009
Commercial Fishing News
MISCELLANEOUS COMMERCIAL FISHING NEWS
and improve profitability of fisheries for avoid, thus avoiding the nets to which they the risk of bycatch would be required to fish
Continued from Page 11.
coastal communities.” are attached. New management areas would there between January 1 and April 30 every
top port for the amount of fish landed for the The ports of Reedville, VA and Empire- become closed to gillnetting for two to three year during the times when gillnet fishing is
20th consecutive year, NOAA’s Fisheries Venice, LA, ranked second and third for months if harbor porpoise bycatch remains allowed.
Service announced. quantity of landings in 2008 primarily due to too high. In the Mid-Atlantic, proposed NOAA Fisheries met with a team of
The port of New Bedford, Mass., menhaden. Some 354.2 million pounds of fish measures include the creation of a new stakeholders at the end of 2007 and early in
claimed the top spot for value of landings for were landed in Reedville and 353.2 million management area off the coast of New Jersey 2008 to discuss ways to reverse the
the ninth year in a row, primarily due to sea pounds were landed in Empire-Venice. encompassing waters where high bycatch increasing trend in harbor porpoise bycatch.
scallops, bringing in $241.3 million in 2008. The new report on the nation’s ports is has been observed in recent years. The area These proposed measures are a result of the
The port’s total landings were down 3.6 part of Fisheries of the United States 2008, a would be closed to gillnetting from February stakeholder meetings.
million pounds and the value declined by detailed statistical report on the nation’s 1 to March 15, and gear modified to reduce
$27.6 million from 2007 primarily due to a commercial and recreational fishing,
significant drop in scallop landings. landings, import, export, per capita fish
ASMFC American Lobster Board
Nationwide, the total domestic consumption and consumer expenditures
commercial landings for 2008 were 8.3 billion for fish products. The report will be available
pounds, valued at $4.4 billion. Although online and can be read at http://
Approves Draft Addendum XV for
landings were down from last year’s 9.3 www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/st1/index.html.
billion pounds, the value was up from last
Public Comment
year’s total value of $4.2 billion. The main New Conservation Measures Proposed to
reason for the landings drop was the drop in Protect Harbor Porpoises The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries have not fished with traps in LCMA 1 in the
pollock landing and the reason for the NOAA has proposed stronger rules for Commission’s American Lobster past from fishing in Area 1 with traps in the
increase in value was that the price of Pollock gillnet fisheries to reduce the number of Management Board has approved Draft future. Ultimately, whatever actions are
rose significantly from 8 to 14 cents per harbor porpoises that are killed in Addendum XV to Amendment 3 to the approved as part of the final addendum
pound. encounters with the gear. Northeast Interstate Fishery Management Plan for would be in the form of recommendations to
Dutch Harbor-Unalaska ranked second gillnetters already use pingers, gear American Lobster for public comment. The the National Marine Fisheries Service for
in value of landings at $195 million which, modifications, and special management Draft Addendum proposes changes to the action in the federal waters portion of LCMA
despite the drop in overall quantity of areas as required to reduce the risk of Lobster Conservation Management Area 1 1.
landings, this year was valued $20.9 million harming harbor porpoises. Because of these (LCMA 1 - Gulf of Maine) permit process in Fishermen and other interested groups
more than 2007. efforts, the number of animals killed in federal waters in response to increasing are encouraged to provide input on Draft
“The long-term success of the port of Northeast gillnets declined from more than lobster fishing effort in that area since 2000 Addendum XV, either through attending
Dutch Harbor-Unalaska comes partly from 1,500 per year to just a few hundred between (highest on record since 1981). While public hearings or providing written
the fact that many of the fish species landed 1999 and 2003. In 2003, however, bycatch lobster abundance in the Gulf of Maine is comments (a subsequent press release on
there are managed under some of the numbers started to increase and about 1,000 relatively high there is concern that high scheduled public hearings will be released
nation’s most advanced catch share animals are estimated to have been killed in levels of fishing effort in the area are not once the hearings have been finalized).
programs,” said Jim Balsiger, acting NOAA Northeast gillnets in 2006, the most recent likely to be sustainable if abundance returns Copies of Draft Addendum XV will be
assistant administrator for NOAA’s year for which there is an estimate. to long-term median levels. Further, limited available by August 21 and can be obtained
Fisheries Service. “Catch-share programs New measures proposed for New access programs in other lobster by contacting the Commission at (202) 289-
increase fishermen’s safety by eliminating England would require pingers in additional management areas and recent constraints on 6400 or via the Commission’s website at
the race to fish. They ensure sustainable fishing areas and for a longer period of time. traditional trawl fisheries have the potential www.asmfc.org under Breaking News.
fishing, reduce overcapacity in the industry Pingers emit a sound that harbor porpoises to shift trap gear fishing effort to LCMA 1 Public comment will be accepted until 5:00
where there is open access. PM on October 2, 2009 and should be
Specifically, the Draft Addendum forwarded to Toni Kerns, Senior FMP
proposes to maintain the historic level of trap Coordinator for Management, 1444 ‘Eye’
fishing effort (2004 - 2008) and curtail a Street, NW, Sixth Floor, Washington, DC
potential influx of new federal lobster 20005; (202) 289-6051 (FAX) or at
vessels in LCMA 1 federal waters fishery (3 tkerns@asmfc.org (Subject line: Draft
- 200 miles from shore). The Draft Addendum Addendum XV).
also proposes to limit entry of vessels which The Board also approved the initiation
of an addendum to update the biological
WANTED
reference points for all three stock unit areas
responding to the 2009 stock assessment.
These include fishing mortality rate
threshold levels to determine overfishing
MARITIME BOOKS,
and abundance thresholds to determine
MAGAZINES, DOCUMENTS
stock status. Two sets of reference points
POSTCARDS and will be presented for public consideration as
PHOTOGRAPHS
recommended by the Technical Committee
and by the Peer Review Panel. A draft will be
International Maritime Library developed for Board review at its next
P.O. Box 710
meeting in November. If approved, it will be
Winterport, Maine 04496
released for public comment this winter. For
more information, please contact Toni Kerns
(207) 223-8846
at (202) 289-6400 or tkerns@asmfc.org.
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