[Rimarinefisheries] States Schedule Hearings on Atlantic Menhaden Draft Amendment 3 - RI's is 10/4/2017 at 6PM at URI GSO

[rimarinefisheries at listserve.ri.gov]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, AUGUST 17, 2018
PRESS CONTACT, TINA BERGER, 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 Draft Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Menhaden. The details of those hearings follow.


Maine Dept. of Marine Resources
October 5, 2017; 6 PM
Yarmouth Town Hall
200 Main Street
Yarmouth, ME
Contact: Pat Keliher<mailto:patrick.keliher at maine.gov> at 207.624.6553

New Hampshire Fish and Game Department
October 3, 2017; 7 PM
Urban Forestry Center
45 Elwyn Road
Portsmouth, NH
Contact: Cheri Patterson<mailto:cheri.patterson at wildlife.nh.gov> at 603.868.1095

Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries
October 2, 2017; 6 PM
Thayer Public Library, Logan Auditorium
798 Washington Street
Braintree, MA
Contact: Nichola Meserve<mailto:nichola.meserve at state.ma.us> at 617.626.1531

October 5, 2017; 6 PM
Bourne Community Center, Room 2
239 Main Street
Buzzards Bay, MA
Contact: Nichola Meserve<mailto:nichola.meserve at state.ma.us> at 617.626.1531

Rhode Island Division of Fish and Wildlife
October 4, 2017; 6 PM
University of Rhode Island Bay Campus
Corless Auditorium, South Ferry Road
Narragansett, RI
Contact: Robert Ballou<mailto:robert.ballou at dem.ri.gov> at 401.222.4700 ext: 4420

Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
September 11, 2017; 7 PM
CT DEEP Boating Education Center
333 Ferry Road
Old Lyme, CT
Contact: Mark Alexander<mailto:Mark.alexander at ct.gov> at 860.447.4322

New York Dept. of Environmental Conservation
September 12, 2017; 6 PM
NYSDEC Division of Marine Resources
205 N. Belle Mead Road
East Setauket, NY
Contact: Jim Gilmore<mailto:james.gilmore at dec.ny.gov> at 631.444.0430

New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife
September 13, 2017; 6 PM
Manahawkin (Stafford Township) Courtroom
260 East Bay Avenue
Manahawkin, NJ
Contact: Russ Allen<mailto:steve.heins at dec.ny.gov> at 609.748.2020

Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife
September 14, 2017; 6 PM
DNREC Auditorium
89 Kings Highway
Dover, DE 19901
Contact: John Clark<mailto:john.clark at state.de.us> at 302.739.9914

Maryland Dept. of Natural Resources
September 18, 2017; 6 PM
Contact: Lynn Fegley<mailto:lynn.fegley at maryland.gov> at 410.260.8285

The hearing will be held in Annapolis, MD.
The state is working to identify a location.

Potomac River Fisheries Commission
September 19, 2017; 6 PM
Carpenter Building
222 Taylor Street
Colonial Beach, VA
Contact: Martin Gary<mailto:martingary.prfc at gmail.com> at 804.456.6935
Virginia Marine Resources Commission
September 20, 2017; 6 PM
Northumberland High School
201 Academic Lane
Heathsville, VA
Contact: Rob O'Reilly<mailto:rob.O'reilly at MRC.virginia.gov> at 757.247.2247

September 21, 2017; 6 PM
2600 Washington Avenue, 4th Floor
Newport News, VA
Contact: Rob O'Reilly<mailto:rob.O'reilly at MRC.virginia.gov> at 757.247.2247

North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries
September 27, 2017; 6 PM
Central District Office
5285 US Highway 70 West
Morehead City, NC
Contact: Michelle Duval<mailto:michelle.duval at ncdenr.gov> at 252.808.8013

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
September 26, 2017; 6 PM
Town of Melbourne Beach Community Center
507 Ocean Avenue
Melbourne Beach, FL
Contact: Jim Estes<mailto:jim.estes at myfws.com> at 850.617.9622


Draft Amendment 3 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 fishery cap.

The 2015 Benchmark Stock Assessment Report identified the development of ERPs as a high priority for Atlantic menhaden management. Menhaden serve an important role in the marine ecosystem as prey for a variety of species including larger fish (e.g. weakfish, 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 menhaden 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 menhaden within the broad ecosystem context. Draft Amendment 3 provides a variety of reference point options, including the continued development of menhaden-specific ERPs as well as the application of precautionary guidelines for forage fish 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. Specifically, under the current allocation method, increases in the total allowable catch (TAC) result in limited benefits to small-scale fisheries, and to several states. Furthermore, the current method may not provide a balance between the present needs of the fishery and future growth opportunities. Draft Amendment 3 considers a range of allocation alternatives, including a dispositional quota (bait vs. reduction), fleet-capacity quota (quota divided by gear type), jurisdictional quota, including a fixed minimum quota for each state, and an allocation method based on the TAC. In addition, the document considers five 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/files/PublicInput/AtlanticMenhadenDraftAmendment3_PublicComment.pdf or on the Commission website, www.asmfc.org<http://www.asmfc.org>, under Public Input. 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 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: Draft Amd. 3). If your organization is planning 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 specification of the 2018 TAC, is scheduled to occur on November 14th at the BWI Airport Marriott, 1743 West Nursery Road, Linthicum, MD. For more information, please contact Megan Ware, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at mware at asmfc.org<mailto:mware at asmfc.org> or 703.842.0740.

A PDF version of the press release can be found here - http://www.asmfc.org/uploads/file/5995e9f9pr37MenhadenDraftAm3_Hearings.pdf.

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PR16-37


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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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