Atlantic coastal states from Massachusetts through Maryland have scheduled their hearings to gather public comment on Draft Addendum XVII to Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for American Lobster. The dates, times, and locations of the scheduled meetings follow:
New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife
October 6, 2011; 7:00 PM
Belmar Municipal Court
601 Main Street
Belmar, New Jersey
Contact: Peter Himchak at 609.748.2020
Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries
September 29, 2011; 6:30 PM
Fairhaven High School
12 Huttleston Avenue
Fairhaven, Massachusetts
Contact: Dan McKiernan at 617.626.1536
Rhode Island Division of Fish and Wildlife
September 27, 2011; 6:30 PM
Coastal Institute Building
URI Bay Campus Auditorium
South Ferry Road
Narragansett, Rhode Island
Contact: Tom Angell at 401.423.1931
Connecticut Dept. of Energy and Environmental Protection
September 20, 2011; 4 - 6 PM
Bridgeport Regional Aquaculture Science & Technology Center
60 St Stephens Road
Bridgeport, Connecticut
Contact: David Simpson at 860.434.6043
September 22, 2011; 7 PM
CT DEEP Marine Headquarters
333 Ferry Road
Old Lyme, Connecticut
Contact: David Simpson at 860.434.6043
October 4, 2011; 4 - 6 PM
The Sound School
60 South Water Street
New Haven, Connecticut
Contact: David Simpson at 860.434.6043
New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation
October 5, 2011; 7 PM
NYSDEC Marine Resources
205 N Belle Mead Road, Suite 1
East Setauket, New York
Contact: Kim McKown at 631.444.0454
Maryland Dept. of Natural Resources
October 12, 2011; 6 PM
Ocean City Municipal Airport
12724 Airport Road
Berlin, Maryland
Contact: Chris Jones at 410.643.4601 ext. 2113
The Draft Addendum presents a suite of management options to reduce fishing exploitation on the Southern New England stock of American lobster by 10% starting in July 2013. The proposed 10% reduction would come from changes in the minimum size limit, maximum size limit, and/or closed seasons. Proposals would be developed for each affected Lobster Conservation Management Area (2, 3, 4, 5, and 6) to meet the 10% reduction as outlined in the Draft Addendum.
In taking this proposed action, the Board indicated that the 10% reduction in exploitation is the first step in responding to Technical Committee advice for significant exploitation reductions over the long-term to initiate Southern New England stock rebuilding.
The Southern New England lobster stock is at low levels of abundance and experiencing persistent low recruitment caused by a combination of environmental factors and continued fishing mortality. It is this low recruitment that is preventing the Southern New England stock from rebuilding. Under the assumptions of poor recruitment and very high natural mortality, the Technical Committee is not certain that the stock would recover to the target level under a total fishery moratorium.
Fishermen and other interested groups are encouraged to provide input on the Draft Addendum either by attending public hearings or providing written comments. Copies of the Draft Addendum are available at http://www.asmfc.org/speciesDocuments/lobster/fmps/lobsterDraftAddendumXVII_PublicComment.pdf or by contacting the Commission at 703.842.0740. Public comment will be accepted until 5:00 PM (EST) on October 14, 2011 and should be forwarded to Toni Kerns, Senior FMP Coordinator, 1050 N. Highland St, Suite A-N, Arlington, VA 22201; 703.842.0741 (FAX) or at tkerns@asmfc.org (Subject line: Draft Addendum XVII). The Board will meet in November at the Commission's Annual Meeting to review public comment and consider final action on the Addendum.
*************************
Tina Berger
Public Affairs Specialist
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
1050 N. Highland St., Suite 200 A-N
Arlington, VA 22201-2196
(p) 703.842.0740
(f) 703.842.0741
tberger@asmfc.org
http://www.asmfc.org
ASMFC Vision: Healthy, self-sustaining populations for all Atlantic coast fish species or successful restoration well in progress by the year 2015.
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