December 2013 MAINE COASTAL NEWS Page 13. MISCELLANEOUS COMMERCIAL FISHING NEWS


spiny dogfi sh quotas for the 2014/15 and 2015/16 fi shing seasons (May 1 – April 30) in response to increases in spawning stock biomass. The 2014/2015 quota is now set at 49,370,000 pounds (previously 41,784,000 pounds) and the 2015/1016 quota is set at 50,612,000 pounds (previously 41,578,000 pounds), with a maximum possession limit of 4,000 pounds per day for the northern region states (Maine through Connecti- cut). Quotas for the northern region and southern states (New York through North Carolina) are provided in the table below. Any overages from the previous fi shing seasons will be paid back by the region or state in the following season, as has been done in the past. The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC) forwarded the same recommendation to the National Marine Fisheries Service Northeast Region- al Administrator for fi nal action. The New England Fishery Management Council has not specifi ed when it will consider the new quotas.


ASMFC Regional/state quotas and possession limits for the 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 fi shing seasons (in pounds). Quotas will be adjusted for any over/ under harvests in the previous fi shing season.


The Board’s action responds to the


fi ndings of the 2013 Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) Update on the Status of Spiny Dogfi sh, which estimates spiny dogfi sh are not overfi shed and not experiencing overfi shing. Spawning stock biomass (SSB) was estimated at 465.99 million pounds in 2013 and has exceeded the target (351.23 million pounds) for the past six years. Fishing mortality was estimated to be 0.15 in 2012, well below the plan’s threshold (0.2439). The recommendation from the MAFMC Science and Statistical Committee (SSC) took into account the projected record low recruitment from 1997 to 2003; the recommended quotas are not expected to cause SSB to decline below the biomass threshold.


Discards have remained relatively sta-


ble around 11 million pounds over the past decade and are expected to remain near that level in the future fi shing seasons. Canadian and foreign landings have also decreased signifi cantly in recent years. It is anticipat- ed the Canadian dogfi sh harvest will not increase in the near future given the lack of


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U.S. catch of North Atlantic swordfi sh has increased in recent years, following a successful international rebuilding plan. In the 1990s North Atlantic swordfi sh was overfi shed, but thanks to the successful


Northern Region (ME - CT)


Possession Limit % Allocation 2014/2015 2015/2016


4,000 58.00%


28,634,600 29,354,960


demand for the product and the subsequent closure of Canadian spiny dogfi sh proces- sors.


Additionally, based on the recom- mendation of its Coastal Sharks Technical Committee, the Board approved a 36 fi sh possession limit for sharks in the large coastal sharks (LCS) species group (silky, tiger, blacktip, spinner, bull, lemon, nurse, scalloped hammerhead, great hammerhead, and smooth hammerhead sharks) for 2014. The Board’s action complements the pro- posed federal shark specifi cations. Finally, the Board approved Addendum III to the Coastal Sharks Interstate Fishery Management Plan, which changes the plan’s coastal shark species groupings for hammer- head and blacknose sharks and establishes a new commercial quota and recreational size limit for hammerhead sharks. These modi- fi cations were made to ensure consistency across the state and federal plans. Addendum III will be available on the Commission website (www.asmfc. org) or by contacting the Commission at 703.842.0740. For more information, please contact Marin Hawk, Fishery Man- agement Plan Coordinator, at mhawk@ asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.


International Assessment Shows Again North Atlantic Swordfi sh Stock Rebuilt


NY NJ


1,336,446 3,773,843 442,355 2,922,704 5,329,492 6,929,573 1,370,067 3,868,781 453,484 2,996,230 5,463,565 7,103,900


7.64% 0.90% 5.92% 10.80% 14.04%


rebuilding plan adopted by ICCAT in 1999 the population has fully recovered. Data source: 2013 ICCAT Report of the Standing Committee on Research and Statistics. October 31, 2013 A new stock assessment conducted in September 2013 by the scientifi c commit- tee of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) concluded that the stock of North Atlantic swordfi sh, a species caught by U.S. fi sh- ermen, remains rebuilt at a sustainable population level. The assessment reaffi rms that the goal of the Commission’s rebuild- ing program, set in 1999, was achieved and that the stock has continued to grow. The assessment also predicts that current levels of catch are likely to maintain the North Atlantic swordfi sh in a rebuilt condition into the future. A healthy stock is excellent news for


U.S. fi shermen. Along with population re- covery, U.S. catch of North Atlantic sword- fi sh in the United States has increased in recent years due to efforts to revitalize U.S. fi sheries. For many years there was a gap be-


tween the U.S. landings and the U.S. quota. However, in 2012 U.S. landings of North Atlantic swordfi sh were the highest since the 1990s, while still remaining sustainable. In addition to bolstering fi shing indus- tries, increased catch means more U.S.- caught North Atlantic swordfi sh is available as a sustainable seafood option for consum- ers. The current status of North Atlantic swordfi sh in the United States shows that the fi shing rate is sustainable and the population is abundant - that it is not overfi shed and is above its target population level. Consumers can be sure that by buying North Atlantic swordfi sh harvested by U.S. vessels, they are supporting a well regulated and sustainably managed fi shery. Background Story


In the 1990s, the North Atlantic sword- fi sh population was overfi shed.


Starting in the mid-1990s, the United States reduced landings of North Atlantic swordfi sh, closed certain fi shing grounds, and developed new management measures


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