The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) and its Atlantic Menhaden Management Board approved Draft Addendum II to Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for public comment. The Draft Addendum considers options to reduce the Chesapeake Bay Reduction Fishery Cap by up to 50% and distribute the cap more evenly throughout the fishing season.
According to the ASMFC, the options aim to alleviate a concentration of effort that may be affecting other fisheries within the Chesapeake Bay and other potential ecological impacts.
The Draft Addendum was initiated in response to concerns regarding declining pound net harvest and catch per unit effort in the Chesapeake in recent years, coinciding with an increase in the concentration of reduction harvest in the summer months, and the possible downstream effects on menhaden predators.
The Draft Addendum also includes options that link the bay cap to the coastwide total allowable catch, as well as options to distribute the bay cap into three quota periods to prevent a concentration of reduction harvest in the spring and summer of the fishing season.
A press release will follow with details on the availability of the document for public comment, the public hearing schedule, and how to submit written comments. The ASMFC’s Atlantic Menhaden Management Board will meet to review submitted comments and consider final action on the addendum in November 2026 at the Commission’s Annual Meeting in Newport, RI. Go to ASMFC.org for more details.
New Jersey related discussions on any subsequent ASMFC action could come on Thursday, September 10 when the New Jersey Marine Fisheries Council meet at the Bay Avenue Community Center at 775 East Bay Avenue in Manahawkin starting at 5 p.m. Be sure to look for our weekly video fishing forecast for September 10 at TheFisherman.com for more information from the council agenda once it’s released.
