[Rimarinefisheries] RI Public Hearing on Atlantic Menhaden Draft Amendment 3 Public Information Document Will Be Held on December 19

[rimarinefisheries at listserve.ri.gov]

RI Public Hearing on Atlantic Menhaden Draft Amendment 3 Public Information Document Will Be Held on December 19

This is a reminder that a hearing to gather public comment on the Public Information Document (PID) for Draft Amendment 3 to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (ASMFC’s) Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Menhaden will take place this Monday, December 19, 2016 at 7 pm at URI Narragansett Bay Campus, Corless Auditorium.

As the first step in the amendment process, the document seeks input from stakeholders and those interested in Atlantic menhaden about changes observed in the fishery/resource and potential management measures. Draft Amendment 3 was initiated following ASMFC Menhaden Board review and acceptance of the 2015 Stock Assessment and Peer Review report, which found the menhaden resource in good condition ‐‐ not overfished nor experiencing overfishing. Population fecundity, a measure of reproductive capacity, was estimated to be roughly double the threshold value (86.8 trillion eggs).  Additionally, total fishing mortality was estimated to be 0.22, below both the fishing mortality threshold (1.26) and target (0.38).

The PID outlines a number of issues in the fishery and solicits feedback on how the resource should be managed. Specifically, the PID presents a suite of tools to manage the menhaden resource using ecological reference points and provides options to allocate the resource among the states, regions, and user groups. In addition to the specific issues identified in the PID, commenters are welcome to provide input on all aspects of the fishery and resource, including recommendations for future management.

Stakeholders are encouraged to provide input on the PID either by attending the public hearing or providing written comment. The PID can be obtained at http://www.asmfc.org/files/PublicInput/AtlMenhadenAmend3PID_PublicComment.pdf or via the Commission’s website, www.asmfc.org<http://www.asmfc.org>, under Public Input. Public comment will be accepted until 5 PM (EST) on January 4, 2017 and should be forwarded to Megan Ware, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, 1050 N. Highland St, Suite A‐N, Arlington, VA 22201; 703.842.0741 (FAX) or at comments at asmfc.org (Subject line: Menhaden PID).

Thank you
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