June 2010 MAINE COASTAL NEWS Page 13.
LOBSTER MANAGEMENT BOARD APPROVES ADDENDUM XVI Commercial Fishing News
AMERICAN LOBSTER MANAGEMENT BOARD (May 3, 2010)
ASMFC American Lobster Board Ap- proves Addendum XVI
Addendum Establishes New Reference Points for 3 Stock Units
Alexandria, VA – The Commission’s Ameri- can Lobster Management Board has ap- proved Addendum XVI to Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for American Lobster. The Addendum estab- lishes new reference points for the three lobster stocks and modifies procedures for adopting and implementing new reference points.
Addendum XVI establishes a four- tiered approach to define abundance refer- ence points in the Gulf of Maine (GOM) and Georges Bank (GBK), a four-tiered approach to define exploitation reference points for all three stock units, and a three-tiered approach to define abundance reference points for Southern New England (SNE). The Board set the SNE abundance reference points to a lower target level than the GOM and GBK stocks because it believes the SNE stock has limited ability to rebuild to higher historical levels. Members of the Board believe that environmental and ecosystem changes have reduced the resource’s ability to rebuild to historical levels.
Based on these new reference points, GOM abundance is in favorable condition and exploitation falls in the middle of the range. GBK abundance and exploitation are in favorable condition. The SNE abundance estimate is below the reference point limit and requires Board action to rebuild the stock. The Addendum also broadens defini- tions for status determination criteria for the three stock units, allowing for greater flexibil- ity in incorporating changes to the reference point definitions as science and assessment methodologies evolve. Changes to reference points may now be made through Board action (versus addendum) following a peer- reviewed stock assessment. A more detailed overview of the Addendum’s new reference points and stock status by assessment area will be available on the Commission’s website under Breaking News by May 21. In response to the condition of the SNE stock, the Board initiated the development of a draft addendum to address stock declines, including a range of alternatives from no action to a moratorium. The Board intends to meet in SNE area in July to review the docu- ment and consider sending it out for public comment.
Meeting Summary
The American Lobster Board also re- viewed a report from the Technical Commit- tee (TC) on differing measures in state and federal waters in the Outer Cape Cod Lobster
Conservation Management Area (OCC LCMA). The report responded to two Board questions: (1) How much reduction in fishing mortality and brood stock protection does the Outer Cape trap reduction plan (enacted in 2004) provide? (2) Is this equal to, greater than, or less than the gains provided by the 1/8" V-notch possession standard and the adoption of a 6-3/4 maximum gauge? The TC found that although a 20% trap reduction was achieved, there has been no responding re- duction in fishing mortality as intended by the trap reduction. In fact, there is evidence that there has been a 40% increase in fishing mortality since 2002 in the OCC LCMA. The industry has increased its efficiency to com- pensate for the loss of traps. The OCC fishery has lost more egg production by harvesting sexually mature v-notched lobster (8%), than has been gained by the increase in minimum size (increase to 3 3/8" from 3 ¼”) (1%). In light of the increases in fishing mortality and the increase in harvest rate of less than ¼” v- notch lobster, the TC reported that the OCC LCMA trap reduction plan does not provide
Misc. CFN News Continued from Previous Page.
fined as overfished may be struggling due to causes other than fishing pressure, such as habitat loss or predator-prey interactions. Under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, NOAA and the eight regional fishery management councils are required to end overfishing and prevent future overfishing through annual catch limits and accountability measures. Annual catch limits are required to be put in place by 2010 for stocks with unsustainable fishing, and by 2011 for all stocks. To complete the annual report, NOAA examines a variety of sources, including land- ings data and log books, and conducts its own surveys. The 2009 Status of U.S. Fisher- ies, which contains data and analysis nation- ally and by region, is available online at http:/ /
www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/statusoffisheries/ SOSmain.htm.
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equivalent levels of brood protection that a 1/ 8" v-notch definition and 6 3/4" maximum gauge would provide.
The Area 3 Lobster Conservation Man- agement Team had requested to remove the requirement to increase the circular and rect- angular vent that corresponded with the 3 ½” gauge size. The vent increase was delayed for two years in 2008. The Board reviewed the TC to report on vent size with corresponding gauge sizes. Based The TC did not recom-
mend removing the vent because there would be conservation loss. The Board did not remove the change in vent scheduled for July1, 2010 in LCMA 3. The Board approved de minimis requests from the states of North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware. For more information, please contact Toni Kerns, Senior Fishery Management Plan Coordinator for Management, at
tkerns@asmfc.org or at (202) 289-6400. Motions
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