The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board releases Draft Addendum VI to Amendment 6 of the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Striped Bass for public comment. Atlantic coastal states from Maine through North Carolina, including Pennsylvania, the District of Columbia, and the Potomac River Fisheries Commission, have scheduled their hearings to gather public input on Draft Addendum VI. The details of New England hearings follow. A complete list of all hearings can be found at TheFisherman.com.
** UPDATED 8/28/2019 with Massachusetts details.
Maine Department of Marine Resources
October 1, 2019 at 6 PM
Kennebunk Town Hall – Room 300
1 Summer Street
Kennebunk, Maine
Contact: Megan Ware at 207.446.0932
October 2, 2019 at 6:30 PM
Yarmouth Town Hall – Log Cabin
196 Main Street
Yarmouth, Maine
Contact: Megan Ware at 207-446-0932
New Hampshire Fish and Game
October 1, 2019 at 7 PM
Urban Forestry Center
45 Elwyn Road
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Contact: Doug Grout at 603.868.1095
Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries
Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries
October 2, 2019 at 6 PM
Crowne Plaza Woburn
15 Middlesex Canal Park Drive
Woburn, Massachusetts
Contact: Mike Armstrong at 978.282.0308, ext. 109
October 3, 2019 at 6 PM
MA Maritime Academy, Admiral’s Hall
101 Academy Drive
Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts
Contact: Mike Armstrong at 978.282.0308, ext. 109
Rhode Island Division of Fish & Wildlife
September 24, 2019 at 6 PM
University of Rhode Island Bay Campus
Corless Auditorium
South Ferry Road
Narragansett, Rhode Island
Contact: Nicole Lengyel Costa at 401.423.1940
Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
September 23, 2019 at 7 PM
Marine Headquarters, Boating Education Center
333 Ferry Road
Old Lyme, Connecticut
Contact: Justin Davis at 860.434.6043
September 25, 2019 at 7 PM
Port 5 Hall
69 Brewster Street
Bridgeport, Connecticut
Contact: Justin Davis at 860.434.6043
Draft Addendum VI was initiated in response to the 2018 Benchmark Stock Assessment, which indicates the resource is overfished and experiencing overfishing. The Draft Addendum explores a range of management alternatives designed to end overfishing and reduce fishing mortality to the target level in 2020.
The Draft Addendum proposes management options for both commercial and recreational sectors in the ocean and in Chesapeake Bay in order to reduce total fishery removals by 18% relative to 2017 levels. The proposed measures include reduced quotas for commercial fisheries, and changes in bag limits, minimum sizes, and slot size limits for the recreational sector. Since catch and release practices represent a significant component of overall fishing mortality, the Draft Addendum also explores the mandatory use of circle hooks when fishing with bait to reduce release mortality in recreational striped bass fisheries.
Draft Addendum VI is available at www.asmfc.org or via the Commission’s website. Fishermen and other stakeholders are encouraged to provide input on Draft Addendum VI either by attending state public hearings or providing written comment. Public comment will be accepted until 5 PM (EST) on October 7, 2019 and should be sent to Max Appelman, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, 1050 N. Highland St, Suite A-N, Arlington, VA 22201; 703.842.0741 (FAX) or at comments@asmfc.org (Subject line: Striped Bass Draft Addendum VI).
