ASMFC Striped Bass Board Approves Addendum II

ASMFC Striped Bass Board Approves Addendum II

Coastal Commercial Quotas Remain Unchanged; Juvenile Abundance Index

Management Trigger Improved



Charleston, SC – The Commission’s Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board

approved Addendum II to Amendment 6 to the Interstate Fishery Management

Plan for Atlantic Striped Bass. The Addendum revises the definition of

juvenile recruitment failure based on a recommendation from the Striped

Bass Technical Committee. The Management Board approved status quo

management for the coastal commercial quotas, which were being considered

for an increase as part of the Addendum.



"After lengthy deliberation, the sense of the Board was that recent fishery

trends do not warrant an increase in fishing mortality, commercial or

recreational, at this time," said Board Chair, Jack Travelstead. "The Board

also accelerated the assessment schedule, requesting an update assessment

in 2011 prior to the next benchmark assessment in 2013 to more closely

track changes in the fishery and the resource."



The proposal to increase the coastal commercial quota was intended to bring

more parity between the commercial and recreational fishery sectors.

Although Amendment 6 established management programs for both fisheries

based on the same target fishing mortality rate, the coastal commercial

fisheries are controlled by quotas whereas the coastal recreational

fisheries are managed through possession and size limits. As a result, the

recreational harvest has increased with expanding striped bass population

levels, and now accounts for approximately 70 percent of total harvest. The

Management Board opted to maintain the existing coastal commercial quotas

for several reasons, including a 66 percent decline in estimated

recreational catch from 2006 to 2009; a 25 percent decline in estimated

striped bass abundance from 2004 to 2008; and several years of

below-average production of fish from the Chesapeake Bay. The 2011

assessment update will help to indicate whether these trends are short- or

long-term, and if corrective action is necessary to maintain the spawning

stock biomass above the target level.



Juvenile abundance indices are an important component of the striped bass

monitoring program. Under the management plan, six states are required to

conduct juvenile sampling surveys, and the resulting indices of abundance

are analyzed for recruitment failure. "Recruitment" is the appearance of

young-of-the-year fish in the nursery areas. When recruitment failure

occurs in a given year, there likely will be reduced abundance and

availability of fish from that year class when surviving fish become

available to the fisheries.



Management action is prompted when recruitment failure occurs for three

consecutive years in any of the surveyed areas. The revision results in a

fixed value to determine recruitment failure in each surveyed area rather

than a value that changes from year to year. Additionally, the data points

used in the calculation have been standardized, which will result in a more

conservative evaluation of recruitment failure in several surveys. Under

the revised definition (as with the original definition), three consecutive

years of recruitment failure has not occurred in any area, and no

management action has been triggered based on the juvenile abundance

indices.



Copies of the Addendum will be available on the Commission website (

www.asmfc.org) under Breaking News. For more information, please contact

Robert Beal, ISFMP Director, at 703/842-0740 or rbeal@asmfc.org.

Conservation Zones Spared 
National Marine Fisheries Service denies request to open key conservation areas to commercial longlines

Link to more info: Final Rule to Remove the Snapper-Grouper Area Closure Implem

NOAA Eliminates the Proposed
Snapper-Grouper Area Closure in the South Atlantic
(Regulatory Amendment 10)

NOAA Fisheries Service will not implement the proposed snapper-grouper area closure in the South Atlantic. The snapper-grouper area closure is 4,827 square miles and extends from southern Georgia to northern Florida where harvest and possession of all snapper-grouper species would have been prohibited (except when fishing with black sea bass pots or spearfishing gear for species other than red snapper if implemented). The snapper-grouper area closure was previously approved through Amendment 17A to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (Amendment 17A). The final rule publishes in the Federal Register on April 28, 2011.

An emergency rule was published on December 9, 2010, to delay the effective date of the snapper-grouper area closure specified in Amendment 17A to June 1, 2011. Temporarily delaying the effective date of the snapper-grouper area closure to June 1, 2011, was intended to allow the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) time to respond to new stock assessment information through Regulatory Amendment 10 to the FMP for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (Regulatory Amendment 10). The new assessment shows red snapper to be overfished (population too low) and undergoing overfishing (rate of removal too high); however, the current rate of overfishing is less than the rate of overfishing found in the previous stock assessment. This prompted the Council to review the assessment and other scientific information and propose eliminating the snapper-grouper area closure.

The decision to eliminate the snapper-grouper area closure through Regulatory Amendment 10 does not affect the prohibition on harvest and possession of red snapper. As of December 3, 2010, Amendment 17A extended the prohibition of commercial and recreational fishing for red snapper in all federal waters of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and the Atlantic coast of Florida. It is illegal to fish for, possess, or harvest red snapper from these waters.

More information, including Frequently Asked Questions for Regulatory Amendment 10 can be found online at: http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov.
If you would like to receive these fishery bulletins via e-mail as soon as they are published, please notify us at: sero.communications.comments@noaa.gov

NOAA REQUESTS $54 MILLION TO REDUCE FISHING EFFORT

RFA Says Agency Seeking Congressional Aid to Destroy Fishing Communities


In a bold attempt to take control of our nation's coastal resources, NOAA Fisheries has asked Congress for an additional $54 million in funding for catch shares, while simultaneously turning their back on the agency's scientific deficiencies in managing marine fisheries.


While Atlantic and Gulf Coast fishermen and legislators have openly rallied in opposition to this particular takeover scheme, NOAA Fisheries, led by an agenda-driven ideology to reduce fishing participation, continues to run roughshod over coastal constituents in clear violation of legislative order.



Appearing before a House Resource Committee hearing on October 26th in Washington, Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) executive director Jim Donofrio blasted the NOAA administration for failing to adequately fund scientific efforts in coastal fisheries management. "NOAA claims they don't have enough money to do the stock assessments on the species they manage," Donofrio said in his official testimony, explaining how there are boats tied to the dock in coastal communities throughout the United States right now, unable to access healthy, rebuilt fisheries due to lack of science.



When the Magnuson Stevens Act was passed by unanimous consent in the Senate in 2006 and signed by President Bush in 2007, it required NOAA fisheries to overhaul their Marine Recreational Fishing Statistical Survey (MRFSS) by a time-specific deadline of January 1, 2009. Donofrio said NOAA officials have publicly stated on several occasions that a new Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) has not yet been implemented, despite the requirements set forth by Congress.



"Right now we don't have a data collection program that Congress mandated in the 2007 reauthorization for marine recreational statistics, the new MRIP program," Donofrio told Congress in October, adding "they're still using the MRFSS data and they're shutting down fisheries based on the MRFSS data."



Despite the woeful lack of science and analytical data needed to properly manage fisheries, NOAA has apparently gone to key members of the House and Senate in asking for additional funds for catch share programs which by design cap fishing participation by trading away ownership of fish stocks to select groups and individuals. Earlier this year, NOAA's administration under the leadership of Dr. Jane Lubchenco had attempted to misappropriate several million dollars away from NOAA's scientific budget to allocate towards catch shares, a move which was stymied by an act of Congress.



In February, the House voted 259-159 to cut off funding for future catch share programs which would've opened the door to commodities trading of fishermen's catch allocations - or worse, a complete buy-out of angler access by preservationist groups. The bipartisan budget amendment tied to NOAA's proposed catch share funding was sponsored by Republican Rep. Walter Jones of North Carolina, as well as a pair of coastal Democrats in Rep. Barney Frank of Massachusetts and Rep. Frank Pallone of New Jersey.



"We've heard from Congressman Jones this week who says that NOAA is courting legislators, asking for more money for catch share programs," Donofrio said. "These are the same programs that have driven Massachusetts legislators to seek $21 million in directed economic relief from Washington to give to displaced fishermen, specifically because of these failed catch share policies enacted under the present NOAA administration."



A letter co-signed on October 31 by 19 bipartisan coastal members of the House of Representatives calls on ranking members of the House to ensure that language is included in the 2012 appropriations bill which would restrict the use of funds for development or approval of new catch share programs for any fishery under the jurisdiction of the New England, Mid Atlantic or South Atlantic Fishery Management Councils.



"The last thing the American government should be doing in these economic times is spending millions of taxpayer dollars to expand programs that will be put even more Americans out of work," the letter says, explaining that that is exactly what NOAA is attempting to do by requesting $54 million it its 2012 budget, "to accelerate implementation of new fisheries catch share programs across the U.S."



Donofrio said the RFA has already spoken to ranking members of the Senate who will be cosigning their support of the letter, and added that he and fellow fishermen will be reaching out to legislators in the Gulf of Mexico to rally support in opposition to catch share programs which take monies away from scientific efforts in that region.



"By commoditizing a public resource and placing share distinctions on individual fishes, what the catch share policy would do is give big corporations and wealthy non-profit groups the ability to buy up all the harvest for themselves, leaving individual anglers and coastal communities standing at the dock with nothing," Donofrio said. "This whole orchestrated effort by Dr. Lubchenco and her friends at Environmental Defense Fund is nothing more than a resource grab which will destroy our marine industry and take away access for millions of Americans."



"I can't fathom how Dr. Lubchenco can claim to support best available science when her Administration is asking Congress for money, not to improve stock assessments and data collection, but for coastal sharecropping schemes which will destroy our mom and pop businesses along the coast," Donofrio said.



(To see if your representative has signed visit www.joinrfa.org/press/CongressCatchShareLetter.pdf)



Find your Representative at www.house.gov/representatives and tell them, "fishermen need money for better science, NOT programs that will put captains, tackle shops and marinas out of business while forcing anglers off the water." Catch shares will only protect the fish by destroying fishermen...it will hand ownership of the resource over to the few, the privileged, the elite, the preservationists and the corporations!!!



JOIN RFA TODAY & HELP US SAY NO TO NOAA!
_________________

Sept. 6, 2011

Shrimp-baiting season opens Sept. 9 in S.C. waters

The 2011 shrimp-baiting season will open at noon Friday, Sept. 9 in South Carolina waters. Although an unusually cold winter resulted in some mortality of white shrimp, adequate numbers survived to produce a fair fall population. Timely rainfall this summer has also contributed positively to the population.

Recreational shrimpers who purchase a shrimp-baiting license can legally cast their nets for shrimp over bait during this season. Shrimp-baiting season will remain open until noon Tuesday, Nov. 8. The S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) opens the shrimp-baiting season annually on the last Friday on or before Sept. 15 each year.

The shrimp baiting season lasts 60 days, resident licenses cost $25 and non-residents licenses cost $500. The catch limit is 48 quarts of shrimp measured heads-on (29 quarts heads-off) per boat or set of poles per day, and each boat is limited to a set of 10 poles. When taking shrimp over bait, no cast net may be used having a mesh smaller than one-half inch square measure or one inch stretch measure.

Post-season mail surveys conducted every year since 1988 indicate that recent total catches have been less than 1 million pounds per season (heads on) after peaking at more than 3.6 million pounds in 1997. Despite the decline in total catch, catch per trip has remained relatively stable, averaging about 20-22 quarts per trip since 2001. The stable catch-per-trip suggests that shrimp abundance has remained relatively good, but fewer licenses and shrimping trips are resulting in a lower overall harvest. Recent sampling by DNR's Crustacean Monitoring Program caught fair numbers of shrimp along the southern coast, according to Larry DeLancey, program supervisor. Areas around Port Royal Sound and Georgetown produced the largest shrimp.

DNR Law Enforcement Division in Charleston advises baiters not to have bait or poles in a boat that is in the water before noon on Friday, Sept. 9. The public is asked to report violations of saltwater recreational and commercial fishing laws by calling the Coast Watch hotline number (1-800-922-5431) toll-free, 24 hours a day.

Public Hearings Scheduled for Black Sea Bass November 14th 2011 in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

South Atlantic Fishery Management Council
News Release
October 18, 2011
CONTACT: Kim Iverson
Public Information Officer
(843) 571-4366

Public Hearings Scheduled for Black Sea Bass, Red Grouper and Wreckfish Fisheries



Members of the South AtlanticThe South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold a series of seven public hearings beginning November 14, 2011 to solicit public input on management measures impacting federal fisheries for black sea bass, red grouper, and wreckfish. Amendments are being developed to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan in order to: address overcapacity in the commercial black sea bass pot fishery and reduce the rate of harvest for both commercial and recreational sectors; end overfishing and rebuild the red grouper stock; and address the current Individual Transferable Quota (ITQ) program for wreckfish.

Black Sea Bass Restrictions: Amendment 18A
Annual Catch Limits (in numbers of pounds) have been established by the Council for black sea bass as mandated in the Magnuson-Stevens Conservation and Management Act to end overfishing and help rebuild the stock. Increased restrictions on the harvest of other species in the snapper grouper complex have led to an increase in fishing effort for black sea bass. As a result, the catch limits have been reached earlier by both commercial and recreational fishermen, resulting in closures. The fishing year for black sea bass begins June 1st. For the 2011/2012 fishing season, the commercial fishery met its ACL in just 45 days and the fishery was closed. After NOAA Fisheries Service accounted for overages in landings by the recreational sector for the 2010/2011 season, it was announced the recreational fishery had met its adjusted ACL of 341,747 pounds for this fishing year. The recreational black sea bass fishery will close on October 17, 2011 and reopen June 1, 2012. Amendment 18A is being developed to limit the commercial black sea bass pot fishery and reduce harvest rates for both commercial and recreational sectors. A new stock assessment for black sea bass is currently underway. The Council will receive the results of the assessment during its December 5-9, 2011 meeting in Raleigh, NC.
Measures Included in Amendment 18A:
• For the commercial black sea bass pot fishery: limit participation through an endorsement program, limit the number of pots used during a permit year, and other measures to limit harvest and reduce bycatch
• Establish commercial trip limits (all gear types)
• Increase size limits (commercial and recreational)
• Establish a spawning season closure (for both commercial and recreational sectors)
• Modify the current rebuilding strategy to allow for an increase in the Annual Catch Limit as the stock continues to rebuild, based on the results of the most recent stock assessment.
• Improve commercial and for-hire data reporting requirements

Ending Overfishing and Rebuilding Red Grouper: Amendment 24
A stock assessment conducted in 2010 identified the red grouper stock in the South Atlantic region as overfished and undergoing overfishing. Amendment 24 will set Annual Catch Limits and Accountability Measures, establish a rebuilding plan, and revise certain population parameters for red grouper to end overfishing and rebuild the stock. The amendment also establishes allocations between recreational and commercial sectors.

Wreckfish ITQs: Amendment 20A
Wreckfish, a deepwater species in the snapper grouper management complex, is currently harvested through an Individual Transferable Quota (ITQ) program. With an anticipated reduction in the Annual Catch Limit for wreckfish, the Council is considering measures to adjust the distribution of wreckfish shares in order to remove inactive effort and allow the commercial sector’s ACL to be harvested effectively.

Public hearings for the amendments will take place from 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM unless otherwise noted. Note: some hearings will be held on concurrent dates. Council staff will provide an overview of each amendment and be on hand to answer questions. Local Council representatives will take formal comments on the public hearing documents any time between those hours. The Council is accepting written and email comments from October 21, 2011 until 5:00 p.m. on November 21, 2011. Copies of the public hearing documents with details on how to submit written comments will be posted on the Council’s web site at www.safmc.net and available by contacting the Council office at 843/571-4366 or Toll Free 866/SAFMC-10.

Public Hearing Schedule


Monday, November 14
Avista Resort
300 N. Ocean Boulevard
Myrtle Beach, SC 29582
Phone: 843/249-2521

Monday, November 14
Hampton Inn Savannah/Midtown
20 Johnston Street
Savannah, GA 31405
Phone: 912/721-3700

Tuesday, November 15 (5:30 – 7:30 PM)
Charleston Marriott Hotel
170 Lockwood Boulevard
Charleston, SC 29403
Phone: 843/723-3000

Tuesday, November 15
Jacksonville Marriott
4670 Salisbury Road
Jacksonville, FL 32256
Phone: 904/296-2222

Wednesday, November 16
Radisson Resort at the Port
8701 Astronaut Blvd. meeting
Cape Canaveral, FL 32920
Phone: 321/784-0000

Thursday, November 17
Key Largo Bay Marriott
103800 Overseas Highway
Key Largo, FL 33037
Phone: 305/453-0000

*Tuesday, December 6
Holiday Inn Brownstone
1707 Hillsborough Street
Raleigh, NC 27605
Phone: 919/828-0811
*Hearing in conjunction with the December 5-9, 2011 Council meeting. Begins at 5:30 PM



The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, one of eight regional councils, conserves and manages fish stocks from three to 200 miles offshore of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and east Florida.

Commerce Inspector General to Investigate Fisheries Rulemaking

The following was released by Congressmen Barney Frank and John Tierney:


WASHINGTON - October 28, 2011- Congressman Barney Frank and Congressman John Tierney today announced that they have received the attached letter from Todd Zinser, Commerce Department Inspector General, which states that his office will review NOAA's rulemaking process concerning the fishing industry.



In a letter addressed to Frank and Tierney, Zinser writes that "based on your request, the results of NOAA's outside review, and concerns expressed to us, we will be undertaking an evaluation to address several key areas concerning fisheries rulemaking." Zinser's letter was a response to an August letter (attached) from Tierney and Frank in which they called for an investigation of the rulemaking process.



In his response, Zinser stated that one of the primary goals of the re-evaluation process would be to take into account "the socioeconomic impact of regulations on fishermen and fishing communities" as stipulated in the Magnuson-Stevens Act. Frank and Tierney have long argued that this provision of the law has been all but ignored in the rulemaking process.



This most recent sign of progress follows years of effort on both the federal and local levels. Mayor Scott Lang of New Bedford has worked closely with Massachusetts lawmakers in both the House and Senate to change punitive rules over the fishing industry.



"While we have had frustrations in our dealings with the federal government on behalf of the fishing industry," said Congressman Frank, "the Inspector General of the Commerce Department has been a consistent bright spot. His office did excellent work in backing up our claims regarding law enforcement and I am hoping that the investigation process will provide similarly positive results leading to improvements in rulemaking regarding fisheries management."



"For too long, concerns have been raised about the fairness and transparency of the rules and regulations impacting our fishermen. The Inspector General's decision to investigate NOAA fisheries rulemaking is a positive development, and I appreciate Mr. Zinser's willingness to conduct this important work. Congressman Frank and I will closely follow the results of the IG's review," Congressman John Tierney said.

Subject: The UN initiated CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY is out of touch with reality.

The Situation
On August 23, 2010, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was petitioned by the Center for Biological Diversity and four other organizations to ban all lead in fishing tackle under the Toxic Substances Control Act. This includes sinkers, jigs, weighted fly line, and components that contain lead such as brass and ballast in a wide variety of lures, including spinners, stick baits and more.

On August 27, 2010, the EPA denied the petition for ammunition but maintained the petition to ban lead fishing tackle. Supporters of hunting and the shooting sports have been successful in having ammunition excluded from this ban.

The petition was presented with the aim of reducing bird deaths caused by the ingestion of lead sinkers and jigheads; however, a study conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found that less than one percent of all waterfowl and other birds such as eagles are killed by lead sinker ingestion.

The reasons for opposing the ban are:

The data does not support a federal ban on lead sinkers used for fishing. In general, bird populations, including loons and other waterfowl species, are subject to much more substantial threats such as habitat loss through shoreline development. Any lead restrictions need to be based on sound science that supports the appropriate action for a particular water body or species.

Depending on the alternative metal and current prevailing raw material costs, non-lead fishing tackle products can cost from six to 15 times more than lead products. Non-lead products may not be as available and most do not perform as well. Mandatory transitioning to non-lead fishing tackle would require significant changes from both the industry and anglers.

A federal ban of the use of lead in fishing tackle will have a significant negative impact on recreational anglers and fisheries resources, but a negligible impact on waterfowl populations.

America's 60 million anglers generate over $45 billion in retail sales with a $125 billion impact on the nation’s economy creating employment for over one million people.
Anglers are encouraged to support voluntary angler education programs for the use of lead sinkers and should urge state and federal fish and wildlife agencies to do the same.

How You Can Help
The EPA has opened the petition for public comments. Please take the following two simple steps to oppose this ban.

Officially submit your comments opposing this ban using the EPA’s comment page at www.regulations.gov. Comments are due by September 15. You can copy and paste the template message below into the official comment form.
Enter your zip code at the bottom of this page to voice your concerns directly to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson. Your letter to EPA Administrator Jackson will also be copied to your two Senators and House member.


Template Message


I am writing to oppose the proposed EPA ban on lead in fishing tackle. This ban would have a significant impact on the recreational fishing community with minimal benefit for the referenced waterfowl. Lead is used not only in sinkers but in a wide variety of fishing lures and other tackle components.

The petitioners’ document is replete with commentary unsupported by scientific data and rife with misunderstandings about the use of lead sinkers. Although the petition is aimed at reducing waterfowl death from lead sinker ingestion, a study by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has shown that less than one percent of birds die from ingested sinkers. Lead fishing tackle does not present a population level problem to any bird species. In fact, loon populations are increasing throughout their breeding range.

If a particular body of water is of concern, the issue is most effectively addressed by a local science-driven process, not a national ban. Fisheries and recreational fishing methods are best managed by state agencies.

While supporters of this ban claim that there are many comparable alternatives to lead sinkers and jigs, this is not the case. Depending on the alternative metal and current prevailing raw material costs, non-lead fishing tackle products can cost from six to 15 times more than lead products. Non-lead products may not be as available and most do not perform as well. Mandatory transitioning to non-lead fishing tackle would require significant – and costly - changes from both the industry and anglers.

The resultant decrease of fishing tackle purchases will diminish the dollars for fisheries conservation through fishing license sales and the federal manufacturers’ excise tax on fishing equipment. Something our country can ill afford.

I urge you to deny the lead ban petition, because it will have a significant negative impact on the recreational fishing community and only a negligible impact on waterfowl populations.

Thank you for your consideration.