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 those hearings follow.
** UPDATED 8/2/2019 for Massachusetts.
** UPDATED 8/30/2019 for New York.
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
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
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC)
September 4, 2019 from 6 to 9 PM
Ballroom at Bethpage State Park Clubhouse
Bethpage State Park
99 Quaker Meetinghouse Road
Farmingdale, New York
Contact: Maureen Davidson at 631-444-0483
September 12, 2019 from 6 to 9 PM
NYSDEC Region 3 Office
21 South Putt Corners Road
New Paltz, New York
Contact: Gregg Kenney at 845.256.3199
New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife
September 3, 2019 from 6 to 8:30 PM
Roselle Park Borough Hall
110 East Westfield Avenue
Roselle Park, New Jersey
Contact: Heather Corbett at 609.748.2020
September 4, 2019 from 6 to 8:30 PM
Ocean City Public Library
1725 Simpson Avenue
Ocean City, New Jersey
Contact: Heather Corbett at 609.748.2020
September 12, 2019 from 6 to 8:30 PM
Bay Avenue Community Center
775 East Bay Avenue
Manahawkin, New Jersey
Contact: Heather Corbett at 609.748.2020
Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission
August 28, 2019 from 7 to 9 PM
Silver Lake Nature Center
1306 Bath Road
Bristol, Pennsylvania
Contact: Andrew Shiels at 814.359.5181
Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control
August 29, 2019 at 6 PM
DNREC Auditorium
89 Kings Highway
Dover, Delaware
Contact: John Clark at 302.739.9914
Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Service
September 25, 2019 from 6 to 8 PM
Calvary United Methodist Church (Basement Room)
301 Rowe Boulevard
Annapolis, Maryland
Contact: Michael Luisi at 410.260.8341
Virginia Marine Resources Commission
September 9, 2019 at 6:30 PM
Virginia Marine Resources Commission
380 Fenwick Road, Fort Monroe
Hampton, Virginia
Contact: Alex Aspinwall or Pat Geer at 757.247.2200
Potomac River Fisheries Commission
September 10, 2019, at 6 PM
222 Taylor Street
Colonial Beach, Virginia
Contact: Martin Gary at 804.224.7148
District of Columbia Department of Energy and Environment
September 12, 2019, at 6 PM
Aquatic Resources Education Center
1900 Anacostia Drive
Washington, District of Columbia
Contact: Julia Robey Christian at 202.450.7878
North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries
September 11, 2019 at 6:30 PM
Dare County Administration Building
Commissioners Meeting Room
954 Marshall C. Collins Drive
Manteo, North Carolina
Contact: Chris Batsavage at 252.808.8009
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 [email protected] (Subject line: Striped Bass Draft Addendum VI).
If your organization is planning to release an action alert related to the Draft Addendum, please contact Max Appelman prior to its release. The Board will meet at the Commission’s Annual Meeting in October to review public comment and consider final approval of the Addendum.
