March 2016 MAINE COASTAL NEWS Page 13. MISCELLANEOUS COMMERCIAL FISHING NEWS
be forwarded to Megan Ware, FMP Coor- dinator, 1050 N. Highland St, Suite A-N, Arlington, VA 22201; 703.842.0741 (FAX) or at
mware@asmfc.org (Subject line: Draft Addendum I).
States Schedule Hearings on Jonah Crab Draft Addendum I
The states of Maine through Maryland have scheduled their hearings to gather public comment on Draft Addendum I to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Jonah Crab (FMP). The details of those hearings follow.
Maine Dept. of Marine Resources March 17, 2016; 6-8 PM
Casco Bay Lines Conference Room 56 Commercial Street Portland, Maine Contact: Terry Stockwellat 207.624.6553
Massachusetts Division of Ma- rine Fisheries
March 14, 2016; 5:30 PM
New Bedford Fairfi eld Inn and Suites
185 McArthur Drive
New Bedford, Massachusetts Contact: Dan McKiernan at 617.626.1536
March 15, 2016; 6:00 PM
MA DMF Annisquam River Field Station
30 Emerson Avenue
Gloucester, Massachusetts Contact: Dan McKiernan at 617.626.1536
The Draft Addendum proposes changes to the incidental bycatch limits for non- trap gear (e.g., otter trawls, gillnets) and non-lobster trap gear (e.g., fi sh, crab, and whelk pots). For non-trap gear, the Draft Addendum includes options to maintain, increase, or eliminate the bycatch limit, while options for non-lobster traps include establishing bycatch limits of varying size or maintaining no limit on these gears. The intent of the Draft Addendum is to cap inci- dental landings of Jonah crab while ensuring the inclusion of current participants in the Jonah crab fi shery. The FMP currently prescribes a 200 crab per calendar day/500 crab per trip incidental bycatch limit for non-trap gear; however, concerns were expressed over
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the appropriateness of these limits. Data submitted by the New England Fishery Management Council and NOAA Fisheries illustrate while 97-99% of trips from 2010 through 2014 were within the current limit, there were several trips above the limit. Furthermore, current bycatch landings were suffi ciently low, accounting for approxi- mately 0.1% of total landings.
Bycatch limits for non-lobster trap gear were added as a second issue for consid- eration in the Draft Addendum to address concerns regarding the lack of effort controls on non-lobster traps and the potential for trap proliferation. Data submitted by NOAA Fisheries show between May 1, 2013 and August 31, 2015, 194 trips landed Jonah crab with whelk pots, crab pots, and fi sh pots. Of these, 80 trips landed 100 crab or fewer and 115 trips landed 200 crab or fewer. Approxi- mately 45 trips landed between 200 and 500 crab and 40 trips landed more than 450 crab. Landings from Maryland show between 2012 and 2015, 33 trips landed Jonah crab with fi sh pots. All of these trips were under 200 pounds. Reports also indicated from 2014-2015, 36 trips landed Jonah crab with whelk pots. Average landings per trip with whelk pots were under 500 pounds; how- ever, there is concern that these whelk pot landings may in fact be rock crab, a closely related species which is often misreported as Jonah crab.
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 can be obtained at
http://www.asmfc.org/files/PublicInput/ JonahCrabDraftAddendumI_PublicCom- ment_Feb2016.pdf or via the Commission’s website,
www.asmfc.org,under Public Input. Public comment will be accepted until 5:00 PM (EST) on April 18, 2016 and should be forwarded to Megan Ware, FMP Coordinator, 1050 N. Highland St, Suite A-N, Arlington, VA 22201; 703.842.0741 (FAX) or
atmware@asmfc.org(Subject line: Draft Addendum I).
ASMFC Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Board Approves Region- al Management for 2016 Recreational Summer Flounder and Black Sea Bass Fisheries
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup
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and Black Sea Bass Management Board approved Addendum XXVII to the Sum- mer Flounder and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan. The Addendum contin- ues the use of regional management for the 2016 summer fl ounder and black sea bass recreational fi sheries, with a modifi cation to the summer fl ounder regions. The modifi ed summer fl ounder regions are intended to provide more equity in recreational harvest opportunities along the coast, especially be- tween New Jersey and Delaware in the Del- aware Bay. The approved summer fl ounder regions are Massachusetts; Rhode Island; Connecticut through New York; New Jer- sey; Delaware through Virginia; and North Carolina. For black sea bass, the Board approved the continuation of management measures by northern (Massachusetts – New Jersey) and southern regions (Delaware – North Carolina).
Addendum XXVII was initiated to address the discrepancy in management measures between New Jersey and Dela- ware in the Delaware Bay. In recent years, the difference in size limit, which has been as great as 2-inches, has been cited as having an economic impact on southern New Jersey anglers. The approval of the New Jersey Delaware Bay region will allow New Jersey to pursue, through its regulatory process, the
Commercial Fishing News
following management measures for New Jersey waters west of the COLREGS line in the Delaware Bay: a 17-inch minimum size, 4 fi sh possession limit, and a 128 day season. For New Jersey anglers east of the COLREGS line and north along the New Jersey coast, the state will seek to maintain 2015 management measures in 2016, name-
Continued on Page 20.
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