September 2017 MAINE COASTAL NEWS Page 13. Commercial Fishing News
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2012-2016, 1985-2016, 1985-1995, and a weighted approached which considers both historic and recent landings. The Draft Amendment is available at
Draft Amendment 3 seeks to manage
the menhaden resource in a way that bal- ances menhaden’s ecological role as a prey species with the needs of all user groups. To this end, the Draft Amendment considers the use of ecosystem reference points (ERPs) to manage the resource and changes to the allocation method. In addition, it presents a suite of management options for quota transfers, quota rollovers, incidental catch, the episodic events set aside program, and the Chesapeake Bay reduction fi shery cap. The 2015 Benchmark Stock Assess-
ment Report identifi ed the development of ERPs as a high priority for Atlantic menha- den management. Menhaden serve an im- portant role in the marine ecosystem as prey for a variety of species including larger fi sh (e.g. weakfi sh, striped bass), birds (e.g. bald eagles, osprey), and marine mammals (e.g. humpback whales, bottlenose dolphins). As a result, changes in the abundance of menha- den may impact the abundance and diversity of predator populations, particularly if the availability of other prey is limited. ERPs provide a method to assess the status of men- haden within the broad ecosystem context. Draft Amendment 3 provides a variety of reference point options, including the con- tinued development of menhaden-specifi c ERPs as well as the application of precau- tionary guidelines for forage fi sh species. Draft Amendment 3 also considers
changes to the allocation method given concerns that the current approach may not strike an appropriate balance between gear types and jurisdictions. Specifi cally, under the current allocation method, increases in the total allowable catch (TAC) result in limited benefi ts to small-scale fi sheries, and to several states. Furthermore, the current method may not provide a balance between the present needs of the fi shery and future growth opportunities. Draft Amendment 3 considers a range of allocation alternatives, including a dispositional quota (bait vs. re- duction), fl eet-capacity quota (quota divided by gear type), jurisdictional quota, including a fi xed minimum quota for each state, and an allocation method based on the TAC. In addition, the document considers fi ve allocation timeframes including 2009-2011,
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http://www.asmfc.org/fi les/PublicInput/ AtlanticMenhadenDraftAmendment3_ PublicComment.pdf or on the Commission website,
www.asmfc.org, under Public In- put. Fishermen and other interested groups are encouraged to provide input on the Draft Amendment either by attending state public hearings or providing written comment. Public comment will be accepted until 5:00 PM (EST) on October 20, 2017 and should be forwarded to Megan Ware, FMP Coor- dinator, 1050 N. Highland St, Suite A-N, Arlington, VA 22201; 703.842.0741 (FAX) or at
comments@asmfc.org (Subject line: Draft Amd. 3). If your organization is plan- ning to release an action alert in response to Draft Amendment 3, please contact Megan Ware at 703.842.0740, so she can work with you to develop a unique subject line to enable us to better organize and summarize incoming comments for Board review. Final action on the Amendment, as
well as specifi cation of the 2018 TAC, is scheduled to occur on November 14th
at the
BWI Airport Marriott, 1743 West Nursery Road, Linthicum, MD. For more informa- tion, please contact Megan Ware, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at mware@
asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.
NOAA Fisheries Designates Critical Habitat for Atlantic Sturgeon
The critical habitat designation will
require federal agencies to consult NOAA Fisheries if they operate or fund activities that may aff ect designated critical habitat in more than 3,968 miles of important coastal river habitat from Maine to Florida. Atlantic sturgeon was listed under the Endangered Species Act in 2012 and is comprised of the threatened Gulf of Maine distinct popula- tion segment and the endangered New York Bight, Chesapeake Bay, Carolina, and South Atlantic distinct population segments. The ESA requires that NOAA Fisheries
designate critical habitat when a species is listed as threatened or endangered. Under the ESA, critical habitat is defi ned as specifi c areas within the geographical areas that are occupied by the species, that contain phys- ical or biological features essential to the conservation of that species, and that may
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require special management considerations. The designation of critical habitat does
not include any new restrictions or manage- ment measures for recreational or commer- cial fi shing operations, nor does it create any preserves or refuges. Instead, when a federal agency funds, authorizes, or carries out activities that may aff ect critical habitat, it must work with NOAA Fisheries to avoid or minimize potential impacts to critical habitat. The activity of the federal agency may need to be modifi ed to avoid destroying or adversely modifying the critical habitat. “We look forward to working with our federal partners to reduce potential impacts to Atlantic sturgeon critical habitat,” said Samuel D. Rauch III, deputy assistant administrator for regulatory programs at NOAA Fisheries. “Our focus now will be on providing guidance to federal agencies to help them carry out their actions effi ciently and eff ectively while minimizing impacts to habitat that is critical to these endangered and threatened populations of sturgeon.” Atlantic sturgeon are anadromous and
use coastal and estuarine waters throughout their lives, and travel to rivers to spawn or lay their eggs. Unlike some anadromous fi sh, sturgeon do not die after spawning and will return to spawn multiple times. They can grow up to 14 feet long, weigh up to 800
pounds, and live up to 60 years. Historically, Atlantic sturgeon inhab-
ited approximately 38 rivers in the United States spanning from Maine to Florida. Scientists identifi ed 35 of those as spawning rivers. Atlantic sturgeon can now be found in approximately 32 of these rivers, and spawn in at least 20 of them. Critical habitat
Continued on Page 19
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