Page 12. MAINE COASTAL NEWS October 2017 Commercial Fishing News


ASMFC Northern Shrimp Section Se- lects Final Measures for Amendment 3 and Recommends Final Approval by the Commission


M C F N


Draft Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Menhaden. The details of those hearings follow.


Portland, ME – The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Northern Shrimp Section (Section) selected fi nal measures for Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Man- agement Plan (FMP) for Northern Shrimp and recommended Commission approval of the Amendment at its next Business Session meeting, likely in October in Norfolk, VA. The Amendment is designed to improve management of the northern shrimp re- source in the event the fi shery reopens (the fi shery has been under moratorium since 2014). Specifi cally, the Amendment refi nes the FMP objectives and provides the fl exi- bility to use the best available information to defi ne the status of the stock and set the total allowable catch (TAC). Furthermore, the Amendment implements a state-specifi c allocation program to better manage eff ort in the fi shery; 80% of the annual TAC will be allocated to Maine, 10% to New Hampshire, and 10% to Massachusetts. Fishermen with a trap landings history will continue to operate under gear-specifi c allocations (i.e., 87% of the state-specifi c quota will be allocated to the trawl fi shery, and 13% to the trap fi shery), however, the Section anticipates exploring alternative measures through the adaptive management process that would allow states to modify allocation between gear types on an annual basis. The Section also has the discretion to roll over unused quota from the states of New Hampshire and Massachusetts to Maine by a date deter- mined during annual specifi cations. Additionally, the Amendment strength-


ens catch and landings reporting require- ments to ensure all harvested shrimp are being reported, and requires shrimp-direct- ed trawl vessels to use either a double-Nord- more or compound grate system (both designed to minimize the catch of small, presumably male, shrimp). Other changes include the implementation of accountabil- ity measures (i.e., penalties if states exceed their quota), specifi cation of a maximum fi shing season length, and formalizing fi sh- ery-dependent monitoring requirements. The Section will meet November 29


(location to be determined) to review the 2017 stock status report and set specifi ca- tions for the 2018 fi shing season. For more information, please contact Max Appelman, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at mappelman@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.


States Schedule Hearings on Atlantic Menhaden Draft Amendment 3


Arlington, VA – The Atlantic coastal states of Maine through Florida have scheduled their hearings to gather public comment on


Maine Dept. of Marine Resources October 5, 2017; 6 PM Yarmouth Town Hall 200 Main Street Yarmouth, ME Contact: Pat Keliher at 207.624.6553


New Hampshire Fish and Game Depart- ment


October 3, 2017; 7 PM Urban Forestry Center 45 Elwyn Road Portsmouth, NH Contact: Cheri Patterson at 603.868.1095


Massachusetts Division of Marine Fish- eries


October 2, 2017; 6 PM Thayer Public Library, Logan Auditorium 798 Washington Street Braintree, MA Contact: Nichola Meserve at 617.626.1531


October 5, 2017; 6 PM Bourne Community Center, Room 2 239 Main Street Buzzards Bay, MA Contact: Nichola Meserve at 617.626.1531


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, 2012-2016, 1985-2016, 1985-1995, and a weighted approached which considers both historic and recent landings. The Draft Amendment is available at


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 sched- uled to occur on November 13 & 14 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.


ASMFC Atlantic Menhaden Manage- ment Board to Meet November 13th 14th


to Consider Approval of Amend- ment 3 and Set 2018 Specifi cations


Arlington, VA – The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Atlantic Menhaden Management Board will meet November 13-14, 2017 to consider approval of Amend- ment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Menhaden and set spec- ifi cations for the 2018 fi shing season. The meeting, which is scheduled to begin at 1 PM on the 13th


and end at 5 PM on the 14th ,


will take place at BWI Marriot, 1743 West Nursery Road, Linthicum, Maryland. Draft Amendment 3, which is currently


120 7530 Olympic View Dr. Unit 105, Edmonds, WA 98026 · (425) 774-7595


out for public comment, seeks to manage the menhaden resource in a way that balances 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. Specifications for the 2018 fishery


will occur following Board approval of the Amendment. The Commission’s Business Session will meet immediately following the conclusion of the Atlantic Menhaden


&


Board meeting to consider fi nal approval of the Amendment. The meeting will be live-streamed via


webinar; the details of which will be released at a later date. For more information, please contact Megan Ware, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at mware@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.


NOAA designates critical habitat for Atlantic sturgeon


NOAA Fisheries today designated


critical habitat for Atlantic sturgeon—an important step to ensuring their recovery. 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 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 spawn- ing rivers. Atlantic sturgeon can now be found in approximately 32 of these rivers, and spawn in at least 20 of them. Critical habitat areas in coastal rivers were identifi ed based on physical and biological features, such as substrate type in the river bed, water temperature and salinity, that are essential to the conservation of Atlantic sturgeon, particularly for spawning and development. Atlantic sturgeon were harvested


heavily in the twentieth century, particu- larly for their eggs (or roe) used for caviar. Overfi shing led to a decline in abundance of Atlantic sturgeon, and in 1998 the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission issued a coast-wide moratorium on the harvest of Atlantic sturgeon, and NOAA Fisheries fol-


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