This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
September 2014 MAINE COASTAL NEWS Page 13. MISCELLANEOUS COMMERCIAL FISHING NEWS


for the recreational fi shery and quota reduc- tions for the commercial fi shery. Given the Albemarle Sound/Roanoke River (A/R) stock of striped bass contributes minimally to the coast-wide complex when compared to the Chesapeake Bay, Dela- ware, and Hudson stocks, Draft Addendum IV proposes it be managed by the State of North Carolina using stock-specifi c biolog- ical reference points. These stock-specifi c reference points, which have been approved by the Board, would result in a separate quota that is set to maintain F for the A/R stock at its target level. The Board tasked the Technical Committee with the continued development of Chesapeake Bay-specifi c reference points for future use. It is anticipated the majority of Atlantic coastal states will conduct public hearings on the Draft Addendum; a subsequent press release will announce the details of those hearings once they become fi nalized. Fishermen and other interested groups are encouraged to provide input on the Draft Addendum either by attending state public hearings or providing written comment. The Draft Addendum will be available on the Commission website (www.asmfc. org) under Public Input the week of August 11th. Public comment will be accepted until 5:00 PM (EST) on September 30, 2014 and should be forwarded to Mike Waine, Fish- ery Management Plan Coordinator, 1050 N. Highland St, Suite A-N, Arlington, VA 22201; 703.842.0741 (FAX) or at mwaine@ asmfc.org (Subject line: Draft Addendum IV). For more information, please contact Mike Waine, at mwaine@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.


ASMFC American Eel Management Board Delays Action on Draft Adden- dum IV until October


The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries


Commission’s American Eel Management Board met to consider fi nal approval of Draft Addendum IV to the Interstate Fish- ery Management Plan (FMP) for American Eel. Draft Addendum IV proposes a suite of options to address the commercial glass, yellow, and silver eel fi sheries along the Atlantic coast. Management options under consideration include glass and yellow eel quotas, a catch cap for the yellow eel fi sh- ery, and a seasonal closure and license cap for the silver eel fi shery in the Delaware River in New York. The Draft Addendum


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


also includes glass eel harvest allowances for aquaculture purposes and as credit for habitat restoration programs.


The Board reviewed public comment from state public hearings conducted along the coast and written comment submitted to the Commission. After lengthy deliberations of the extensive proposed management op- tions and in recognition of the states’ varying interests and needs, the Board decided to postpone fi nal action on the Draft Adden- dum IV. In the interim, Board will convene a subcommittee of its members to identify preferred management measures to be con- sidered by the Board for fi nal action at the Commission’s Annual Meeting in Mystic, Connecticut the week of October 27, 2014. The Draft Addendum is the second phase of management action in response to the 2012 American Eel Benchmark Stock Assessment indicating the American eel population in U.S. waters is depleted. Caus- es of decline are likely due to a combination of historical overfi shing, habitat loss, food web alterations, predation, turbine mor- tality, environmental changes, toxins and contaminants, and disease. The stock has declined in recent decades and is currently under consideration by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for listing as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. For more information, please contact Kate Taylor, at ktaylor@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.


ASMFC & MAFMC Maintain Specifi cations for 2015 Summer Flounder, Scup, Black Sea Bass Fisheries & Approve 2015 Bluefi sh Specifi cations


MAFMC Suspends Research Set Aside Program


WASHINGTON, DC – The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commis- sion) and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Manage- ment Council (Council) reviewed and main- tained previously established commercial quotas and recreational harvest limits for summer fl ounder, scup, black sea bass for the 2015 fi shing season. The Council decided to forgo setting Research Set Asides (RSA) for all the four species in 2015 due to concern regarding the misuse and illegal harvest of RSA by many participants. Earlier this sum- mer the federal government issued 70 grand jury subpoenas throughout New York as part of two-year investigation into illegal harvest under the guise of RSA fi shing. The Council


Commercial Fishing News


did allow for the possibility of resuming the program in 2016 pursuant to improvements in quota monitoring and program oversight. The Council will conduct a thorough exam- ination of the program in the coming months and develop options for moving forward. The table below summarizes revised quotas and limits based on the Council’s action on RSA (2014 values are provided for comparison purposes). The 2015 summer fl ounder commer- cial quota is 11.07 million pounds and the


recreational harvest limit is 7.38 million pounds, an increase from 2014 levels. The increase responds to the fi ndings of the 2013 benchmark stock assessment and peer review which projected increases in the spawning stock biomass (SSB) levels for 2015 and 2016. The Commission and Council also moved forward on the contin- ued development of a Scoping Document for the Comprehensive Summer Flounder


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