At some point in the coming months – possibly as early as the week of February 4-6 when the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) will hold their annual winter meeting in Virginia – we’ll get a first taste of what’s to come with striped bass management.
However, the ASMFC public hearings scheduled throughout the month of January have nothing to do with striped bass, and everything to do with the way anglers fish for fluke, sea bass, porgies and even bluefish!
The ASMFC, together with the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC), are jointly considering changes to the process for setting recreational management measures by way of bag, size and season. As first detailed in The Fisherman Magazine back in November of 2021 (Initiative For Change: A New Call For Angler Management), the fisheries management bodies have been using a new Harvest Control Rule/Percent Change Approach to recreational fisheries management designed to bring more stability to the regulations.
Prior to the new Percent Change Approach implemented through the Harvest Control Rule Framework/Addenda in 2023, bag, size and season limits for sea bass, fluke, and porgy in particular would change practically every year based on angler effort and harvest data coming from the Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP). The new process has allowed ASMFC and MAFMC to implement multiple years with the same regulations, providing stability in recreational regulations and a more balanced approach to setting measures.
In an official report to Congress back in 2021, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine stated “Stability of regulations is frequently mentioned as a goal by stakeholders.” The new Percent Change Approach implemented through the Harvest Control Rule Framework/Addenda addressed those stakeholder concerns in the recreational fishing community, but the new process is scheduled to “sunset” by the end of 2025.
If Atlantic Coastal anglers would like to see this “stability of regulations” continue into 2026, the time to speak up is now!
“This is something that we’ve heard from the recreational fishing community through the public input process that exists in the fisheries management realm and it’s something that makes logical business sense,” noted Mike Waine, Atlantic Fisheries Policy Director at the American Sportfishing Association (ASA). In a previous interview for The Fisherman, Waine called stability in management measures “beneficial not only for the recreational anglers on the water but also the businesses that support those anglers and the pursuit of fishing.”
This month, the ASMFC and MAFMC are holding public hearings to discuss the implementation of an improved, long-term process for setting recreational measures, starting with the 2026 measures. The Recreational Measures Setting (RMS) management action seeks to codify and enhance the changes from the Harvest Control Rule action for future fishing years.
Through these upcoming public hearings in January, the fisheries management bodies are hoping to gather public input on the Draft Addenda, which proposes five possible options for setting recreational measures. “ASA supports options that build upon the current Percent Change Approach through Option C,” Waine noted, adding that the recreational fishing industry on behalf of their angling customers is concerned about the magnitude of uncertainty of catch data used in Option D and the lack of caps in changes to measures in Option E.
“Above all else, we do not support no action,” he added, noting how the ASA also supports revisiting the recreational measure setting process every 5 years to evaluate its effectiveness in providing stability in recreational measures while ensuring measures align with stock status.
While a complex set of options, the scheduled public hearings listed below should better summarize the various selections in the process for engaged anglers. You can also visit the ASA’s Keep America Fishing website through the “Action Center” to sign on to a letter in support continuing the RMS effort, and notably Option C. The deadline for submitting comments is February 15 at 11:59 p.m. (email comments@asmfc.org, Subject: Recreational Measures Setting Process).
Tuesday, January 14 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Maine Dept. of Marine Resources, New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, and Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries. The webinar registration link is available here. For additional information contact Corrin Flora (ME) 207-446-8126; Renee Zobel (NH) 603-868-1095; or Nichola Meserve (MA) 978-619-0017
Wednesday, January 22 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation Marine Resources Headquarters at 123 Kings Park Blvd., Nissequogue River Park in Kings Park, NY. This is a hybrid meeting (both in-person and virtual). The webinar registration link is available here. For additional information contact Martin Gary (NY) 631-444-0430
Thursday, January 23 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Rhode Island Dept. of Environmental Management, University of Rhode Island Bay Campus in the Corless Auditorium at 215 South Ferry Road in Narragansett, RI 02882. This is a hybrid meeting (both in-person and virtual). The virtual Zoom link is here. For additional information contact Jason McNamee (RI) 401-423-1923
Tuesday, January 28 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
New Jersey Dept. of Environmental Protection and Connecticut Dept. of Energy & Environmental Protection The webinar registration link is available here. For additional information contact Joseph Cimino (NJ) 609-748-2020 or Matthew Gates (CT) 860-876-4393
Wednesday, January 29 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife, Maryland Dept. of Natural Resources, Potomac River Fisheries Commission, Virginia Marine Resources Commission, and North Carolina Dept. of Environmental Quality. The webinar registration link is available here. For additional information contact John Clark (DE) 302-739-9914; Mike Luisi (MD) 410-260-8341; Ron Owens (PRFC) 804-224-7148; Pat Geer (VA) 757-247-2200; or Chris Batsavage (NC) 252-241-2995.
Click here to Support Recreational Management Reform for Fluke, Scup, Black Sea Bass and Bluefish courtesy of Keep America Fishing.
