[Rimarinefisheries] ASMFC American Lobster Board Releases Draft Jonah Crab FMP for Public Comment: States Schedule Hearings

Tue Jun 23 16:20:03 EDT 2015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, MAY 22, 2015

PRESS CONTACT, TINA BERGER, 703.842.0740

ASMFC American Lobster Board Releases Draft Jonah Crab FMP 

for Public Comment: States Schedule Hearings 

Arlington, VA - The states of Maine through Rhode Island and Maryland
have scheduled their public hearings to gather input on the Draft
Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Jonah Crab. The details of
those hearings follow. 

Maine Department of Marine Resources

July 6, 2015; 6-8 PM

Casco Bay Lines Conference Room

56 Commercial Street

Portland, Maine

Contact: Terry Stockwell <mailto:terry.stockwell at maine.gov>  at
207.624.6024 

New Hampshire Fish and Game Department

July 7, 2015; 7:30 PM

Urban Forestry Center

45 Elwin Road 

Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Contact: Doug Grout <mailto:doug.grout at wildlife.nh.gov>  at 603.868.1095

Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries 

July 8, 2015; 5 - 9 PM

Fairfield Inn and Suites

185 MacArthur Boulevard

New Bedford, Massachusetts

Contact: Dan McKiernan <mailto:dan.mckiernan at state.ma.us>  at
617.626.1536

Rhode Island Dept. of Environmental Management

July 9, 2015; 5:30 - 9 PM

University of Rhode Island Bay Campus

Corliss Auditorium

South Ferry Road

Narragansett, Rhode Island

Contact: Mark Gibson <mailto:mark.gibson at dem.ri.gov>  at 401.423.1935

Maryland Department of Natural Resources

June 30, 2015; 4:30 - 7 PM

Ocean Pines Library

1106 Cathell Road

Ocean Pines, Maryland

Contact: Craig Weedon <mailto:craig.weedon at maryland.gov>  at
410.643.4601 ext. 2113

The Jonah Crab FMP was initiated in response to concern about increasing
targeted fishing pressure for Jonah crab, which has long been considered
a bycatch in the lobster fishery. However, growing market demand has
increased landings by 6.48 fold since the early 2000s. The majority of
crab are harvested by lobstermen using lobster traps.  With the increase
in demand for crab, a mixed crustacean fishery has emerged that can
target both lobster or crab or both at different times of year based on
slight legal modifications to the gear and small shifts in the areas in
which traps are fished. The mixed nature of the fishery makes it
difficult to manage a Jonah crab fishery completely separate from the
American lobster fishery without impacting the number of vertical lines
and traps capable of catching lobster in state and federal waters. A
complete picture of the Jonah crab fishery in federal and state waters
is difficult to ascertain due to the mixed nature of the fishery. In the
absence of a comprehensive management plan and stock assessment,
increased harvest of Jonah crab may compromise the sustainability of the
resource.

The Draft Jonah Crab FMP presents management objectives, proposed
regulations to the commercial and recreational fisheries, monitoring
requirements, and recommendations for federal waters fisheries. The
proposed options seek to address the following issues: 

*         The crab resource is not directly regulated in federal waters
but is rather regulated incidentally by the American lobster
regulations. There are no crab specific regulations in federal waters or
permit/license requirements. 

*         There are no minimum size protections for Jonah crab, nor are
there regulations to protect spawning biomass, including restrictions on
the harvest of females or egg carrying females.

*         Supermarkets and other major buyers are positioning to
discontinue selling processed and whole Jonah crab unless it is managed
sustainably which would impact the ex-vessel price. 

*         A lack of universal permit and reporting requirements makes it
difficult to characterize catch and effort to the full extent in order
to manage the fishery 

*         A Jonah crab trap is not distinguishable from a lobster trap
making it difficult to independently manage crab and lobster fisheries. 

*         Because crab traps are similar in design and function to
lobster traps, but are not specifically regulated, there may be
implications with the lobster fishery and marine mammal interactions
compromising the effectiveness of the Large Whale Take Reduction and
Lobster plans.

Fishermen and other interested groups are encouraged to provide input on
the Draft FMP either by attending public hearings or providing written
comments. The Draft FMP can be obtained at 
http://www.asmfc.org/files/PublicInput/DraftJonahCrabFMP_PublicComment.p
df or via the Commission's website, www.asmfc.org <http://www.asmfc.org>
, under Public Input. Public comment will be accepted until 5:00 PM
(EST) on July 24, 2015 and should be forwarded to Megan Ware, FMP
Coordinator, 1050 N. Highland St, Suite A-N, Arlington, VA 22201;
703.842.0741 (FAX) or at comments at asmfc.org <mailto:comments at asmfc.org>
(Subject line: Jonah Crab FMP). For more information, please contact
Megan Ware at mware at asmfc.org <mailto:mware at asmfc.org>  or 703.842.0740.

PR15-18

----------

Tina Berger

Director of Communications

Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission

1050 N. Highland Street, Suite 200A-N

Arlington, VA 22201

703.842.0740 

tberger at asmfc.org <mailto:tberger at asmfc.org> 

www.asmfc.org

Visit us on Facebook
<https://www.facebook.com/AtlanticStatesMarineFisheriesCommission>  and 
Twitter <https://twitter.com/ASMFC> 

Vision: Sustainably Managing Atlantic Coastal Fisheries

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