U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | National Marine Fisheries Service

NOAA FISHERIES SERVICE
NORTHEAST REGION

Saltwater Recreational Fishing Action Agenda

November 2011

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Executive Summary

NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Northeast Regional Office and Northeast Fisheries Science Center will carry out activities to support and enhance recreational fisheries under the guidance of the April 2010 NOAA Recreational Saltwater Fishing Summit, and the October 2010 NMFS Recreational Saltwater Fisheries Action Agenda (National Action Agenda). Following the 2010 Summit, NMFS developed the National Action Agenda, which has five major goals to improve service to the recreational fishing community:

1. Improved Recreational Fishing Opportunities
2. Improved Recreational Catch, Effort, and Stock Status Data
3. Improved Recreational Socio-economic Data
4. Improved Communication
5. Institutional Orientation

Our Northeast Region Recreational Fisheries Action Plan has action items under each of the five goals for late 2011 through 2012, and a few follow-up items related to mid-2011 actions. These action items include the major ongoing activities necessary to manage recreational fisheries, such as annual management specifications, major surveys, habitat reviews, and stock assessments. Also, most importantly, we have included a number of new items to improve our internal and external ability to better engage the recreational fishing community. Our action items will help achieve, on a regional basis, the five goals of the National Action Agenda. Items briefly described here are explained in more detail in the following sections of this action plan.

Under Goal 1, Improved Recreational Fishing Opportunities, we will:

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Provide advice and guidance on artificial reef Special Management Zones.

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Goals and Objectives

GOAL 1: Improve Recreational Fishing Opportunities

Objective Reduce user conflicts on artificial reefs in Federal waters.

Project Special management zones (SMZs) for sportfish restoration funded artificial reefs (NERO Lead)

Oversee and participate in the Mid-Atlantic Council's efforts to use the SMZ mechanism and its new reef monitoring committee formulated under provisions of the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan (FMP) to review information on and recommend actions to reduce recreational/commercial conflicts for five artificial reefs in Federal waters off the coast of Delaware. These reefs are state-built, using U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Dingell-Johnson Sportfish Restoration (SFR) funds, and recreational fishing groups contend that proliferation of commercial lobster pots and fish traps on reefs in the Mid-Atlantic are interfering with recreational fishing on SFR-funded reefs. Reducing recreational/commercial conflicts could lead to improved recreational access and increased recreational fishing opportunities for these artificial reefs.

Deliverable Participate in the development of measures to reduce user conflicts between recreational and commercial fishing on artificial reefs, and, if necessary, publish Federal regulations to implement such measures.

Timing The formulation of the reef monitoring committee and initial informational meetings will take place in 2012. Recommendations from the committee are expected in 2012.

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http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/stories/2011/12/docs/action_agenda_ne.pdf