June 2014 MAINE COASTAL NEWS Page 13. MISCELLANEOUS COMMERCIAL FISHING NEWS


through landing of the fi sh (including while aboard a fi shing vessel or transferred at sea from one vessel to another) Currently, the Interstate FMP allows


removal of the fi ns of spiny dogfi sh at-sea as long as the corresponding carcass is retained. The wet weight of fi ns on-board may not exceed 5% of the dressed weight of carcasses on-board (a 5-to-95 fi n-to-car- cass ratio). Maine, New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia and Flor- ida already require fi ns to remain naturally attached to the fi sh through landing. The Board will review and consider approval of the Draft Addendum for public comment at the Commission’s Summer Meeting in August 2014.


The Board also considered changing the state waters’ commercial possession limit for the 2014/2015 spiny dogfi sh fi shing season, currently set at 4,000 pounds, in response to the proposed action by NOAA Fisheries to move to an unlimited possession limit in federal waters. The Board main- tained the 4,000 pound limit with individual states providing input to NOAA Fisheries on its proposed rule.


For more information, please contact Marin Hawk, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at mhawk@asmfc.org.


First Year of Atlantic Menhaden Amendment 2 Implementation Yields Positive Results


The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries


Commission’s Atlantic Menhaden Manage- ment Board accepted the 2014 Fishery Man- agement Plan Review detailing the results of the 2013 fi shing year and implementation of Amendment 2 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Menhaden. Total 2013 harvest excluding bycatch was 166,077 metric tons (mt), 2.8% below the coastwide total allowable catch (TAC) of 170,800 mt established through Amendment 2. In 2013, the reduction fi shery harvested 131,034 mt while the bait fi shery harvested approximately 35,043 mt. A total of 1,942 metric tons were harvested under the 6,000 pound bycatch allowance with approxi- mately 91% of bycatch coming from pound nets. Bycatch accounted for 1.2% of the total coastwide harvest, but does not count towards the TAC. Amendment 2 does not provide for the rollover of unused quota from one year to the next because the stock is currently experiencing overfi shing.


C&C Machine


· Complete Engine Re- building, Engine Balance, Crank Welding/Grinding, Pressure Testing, Cast Iron/Alum Crack Repair


· Custom Machining Fabri- cation of Steel, Aluminum, Stainless


· Steel, Aluminum, and Stainless Inventory & Gas Welding Depot


667-6910


Over 20 years in Business 328 Bucksport Rd., Suite 1, Ellsworth Monday - Friday


A FULL SERVICE YARD


Gasoline · Diesel · Marine Store Laundry · Showers Telephone · Ice


EVINRUDE/JOHNSON


OUTBOARD SALES & SERVICE ELECTRONICS INSTALLATIONS FLOAT & MOORING SERVICE


LOCATED IN CRADLE COVE WITH GREAT ANCHORAGE


INSIDE STORAGE SPACE AVAILABLE


CALL FOR DETAILS


700 Acre Island, P.O. Box 25 Lincolnville, ME 04849 207-734-2246 · VHF 09


"We encourage your support and membership!"


Working together, we can speak as one to maintain our fi sh- eries, working families and working waterfronts.


PO Box 88 Belfast, ME 04915


207-338-1406 207-322-1924 207-322-1928 www.downeastlobstermen.org


“Through the cooperative efforts of the Atlantic states in implementing Amendment 2, we have taken measurable steps towards ensuring the long-term sustainability of the Atlantic menhaden resource for both its ecosystem services and the fi sheries that depend on it,” stated Commission Chair Louis Daniel of North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries.


Amendment 2 implementation has also improved reporting as well as expanded biological monitoring for the bait fi shery. The accompanying table details state quotas for the 2014 fi shing year after setting aside 1% for episodic events. Any overages in the 2013 quotas because of late reports will come out of the 2014 quotas. Progress on the upcoming benchmark stock assessment continues with an assessment workshop scheduled for June 2 -5, 2014 at the NOAA Beaufort Lab and the peer review scheduled for December 2014. It is anticipated that the Board will consider the results of the peer review at the Commission’s Winter Meeting in February 2015. For more information, please contact, Mike Waine, Fishery Man- agement Plan Coordinator, at mwaine@ asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.


ASMFC Atlantic Striped Bass Draft Addendum Development Continues The Atlantic States Marine Fisher- ies Commission’s Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board met to review and consider approval of Draft Addendum IV to Amendment 6 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Striped Bass for public comment. The Draft Addendum will propose new fi shing mortality refer- ence points, as recommended by the 2013 benchmark stock assessment, and associ- ated management measures to achieve the proposed target fi shing mortality rate. While the Board did not approve the document for public comment, it approved substantive changes to the document and will reconsider a revised draft for public comment at the Commission’s Summer Meeting in August. The most signifi cant change was the addition of a three-year timeframe to reduce fi shing mortality to its target with options to achieve the reduction in harvest incremen- tally over the three years. This extended timeframe is intended to lessen the impacts of taking the required harvest reductions in one year. As a result, the Draft Adden- dum will propose measures to achieve the


required reduction all in one year or incre- mentally over three years.


The Board also received a report from


the Technical Committee on the develop- ment of Chesapeake Bay specifi c fi shing mortality reference points for inclusion in the Drat Addendum. Due to the nature of the fi shery, which targets smaller and predom- inantly male fi sh, the Technical Committee could not develop Bay-specifi c reference points at this time. It reported the reference points approved for management use in the 2013 benchmark stock assessment represent the best available scientifi c advice to man- age fi shing mortality on the entire striped bass population. The proposed coastwide target fi shing mortality rate is designed to maintain the spawning stock biomass at its target level over the long-term. The effects of the Bay’s harvest of smaller fi sh on the total coastwide stock are already incorporat- ed into the coastwide population reference points due to different selectivity patterns for the Bay and coastal fi shing fl eets. The Atlantic striped bass stock is not


overfi shed and overfi shing is not occurring under the proposed reference points. While the stock has declined, it remains at levels similar to 1995 when the stock was declared recovered. The revised Draft Addendum will continue to focus on the same man- agement measures that are currently used


Commercial Fishing News


to regulate the coastal and Chesapeake Bay striped bass fi sheries – recreational bag and size limits, and adjustments to the commercial quotas. The Board established a subgroup to work closely with the Plan Development Team to help guide the inclu- sion of the new options. The revised Draft Addendum will be considered by the Board for approval for public comment in August, with public hearings conducted throughout the fall and fi nal addendum approval slated for October at the Commission’s Annual Meeting. If approved, the states would then implement management measures in early 2015. For more information, please contact, Mike Waine, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at mwaine@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.


New Report Documents Importance of Shallow-Water Bottom Habitats in the Gulf of Maine


By Dr. David K. Stevenson, Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Offi ce, Habitat Conservation Division


Shallow water marine and estuarine habitats have been identifi ed as Essential Fish Habitat for many species important to commercial and recreational fi shermen in the greater Atlantic region of the U.S. These


Continued on Page 20. A Full Service Yard - Storage, Repair & Restoration


Three Haven 12 1/2s under construction ERIC DOW BOAT SHOP


Builder of Traditional Small Craft. Repair and Restoration. P.O. Box 7, Brooklin, Maine (207) 359-2277


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32