Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission An Overview. Tina Berger, Director of Communications

Transcription

1 Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission An Overview By Tina Berger, Director of Communications

2 Presentation Overview Commission Overview ASMFC Programs Species Highlights American Eel Atlantic Menhaden Atlantic Striped Bass Spot

3 ASMFC Overview Formed in 1942 Interstate Compact 15 Atlantic coast states, ME FL 0 3 miles from shore Deliberative forum for states Cooperative management of transboundary resources Standards est. by Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Management Act

4 Atlantic Coastal Act (1993) Standards for fisheries management States implement regulations State compliance tied to conservation standards Secretarial pre-emption Work cooperatively with federal partners on shared resources Authorizes funding to support ASMFC & state management Federal partners

5 Magnuson Stevens Act Not directly applicable to ASMFC Applies to joint/complementary managed species

6 Mission/Vision Mission (1942 Compact) To promote cooperative management of marine, shell and diadromous fisheries of the US Atlantic coast by the protection and enhancement of such fisheries, and by the avoidance of physical waste of the fisheries from any cause. Vision (Strategic Plan) Sustainably Managing Atlantic Coastal Fisheries

7 Programs Interstate Fisheries Management Fisheries Science Support to ISFMP Stock Assessments and Assessment Training Habitat Conservation Improve conservation through partnerships, policy development and advocacy Law Enforcement Recreational/commercial compliance ACCSP Commercial and recreational landings/effort

8 Fisheries Management 27 species/species groups Some managed solely by Commission American eel, striped bass, Atlantic menhaden, spot Others managed jointly/ cooperatively with Regional Councils and NOAA Fisheries Summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, Atlantic herring

9 Fisheries Management 27 Species/Species Groups Under Management

10 ISFMP Structure

11 ASMFC One State One Vote Principle David Blazer MD DNR Del. Dana Stein Legislative Appt. Russell Dize Governor Appt.

12 Other Votes NMFS USFWS Potomac River Fisheries Commission District of Columbia Regional Management Councils

13 FMP Development FMP/Amendment: months Problem identified Stock Status Scientific Review Technical Committee Proposed Action Potential Management Measures Public & Advisory Panel Input Public Comment Process Commission Decides Final Management Measures States Act Regulations Implemented and Enforced Addendum: 3 6 months

14 ASMFC Fisheries Science & Management Process Data Collection Landings Effort Surveys Stock Assessment Biomass Fishing Mortality Age Structure Fisheries Management Gear Restrictions Quotas Permitting Public Input Advisory Panels Public Hearings Public Comment

15 Species Highlights American Eel Atlantic Menhaden Atlantic Striped Bass Spot

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17 American Eel Depleted on coastwide basis At historically low levels due to a historical overfishing, habitat loss, predation, environmental changes Large declines in yellow eel abundance during the 1980s through the early 1990s Stable abundance from mid-1990s to present 2015: ESA Listing Not Warranted

18 Index of Abundance American Eel 40+ Year Index of Abundance of Yellow American Eel Source: ASMFC American Eel Stock Assessment Update,

19 American Eel Managed under Addendum V (2018) 2019 Yellow Eel Coastwide Cap = 916,473 lbs MD landings = 541,270 lbs. (64% of 2017 harvest) Management action triggered if coastwide cap exceeded by 10% in 2 consecutive years Maintains Maine glass eel quota of 9,688 lbs. Allows small harvest of glass eels for aquaculture purposes No new management changes on horizon

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21 Atlantic Menhaden Not overfished/overfishing not occurring Population Fecundity Measure of reproductive capacity Well above the threshold (57,295 billion eggs) and at or near the target (99,467 billion eggs) in recent years 2016 fecundity = 83,486 billion eggs Fishing mortality below target and threshold

22 Atlantic Menhaden Atlantic Menhaden Fecundity Source: Atlantic Menhaden Stock Assessment Update, 2017

23 Atlantic Menhaden Atlantic Menhaden Fishing Mortality (Ages 2-4) Source: Atlantic Menhaden Stock Assessment Update, 2017

24 Amendment 3 Maintains single-species BRPs until adoption of menhaden-specific ERPs in 2020 Sets 2018/2019 quotas at 216,000 mt MD Commercial Quota = 8,967,312 pounds Caps Chesapeake Bay reduction fishery at 51,000 mt Also includes state allocation, quota transfers & rollovers, incidental catch, episodic events set aside program

25 Atlantic Menhaden Upcoming Assessments 2 Ongoing Benchmark Stock Assessments Traditional Single Species Ecological Reference Points Outcomes to Guide Future Management Scheduled for Peer Review Late 2019 Board Consideration in February 2020 Unless delayed by partial federal shutdown

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27 Atlantic Striped Bass Not overfished/overfishing not occurring 2015 female spawning stock biomass (SSB) = 129 million pounds Been declining since 2004 though still above threshold Recruitment: periods of highs and lows High from Low High again in 2015

28 Female SSB (millions of pounds) Atlantic Striped Bass Spawning Stock Biomass and Recruitment Source: ASMFC Atlantic Striped Bass Stock Assessment, 2016 Female SSB Female SSB Threshold Female SSB Target Recruitment Recruitment (millions of age-1 fish)

29 Atlantic Striped Bass Managed under Addendum IV (2015) Reduced harvest by 25% for coast and 20.5% for Chesapeake Bay 2019 Commercial Quota ~ 6 million lbs. MD Coastal Commercial Quota = 90,727 lbs. MD Chesapeake Bay Commercial Quota = 1,471,888 lbs. MD accounts for largest % of harvest (commercial and recreational)

30 Atlantic Striped Bass Benchmark Stock Assessment & Peer Review Assessed 2 Models Improved Traditional Model Regional Model Awaiting Release of Reports from SAW/SARC Unlikely to Receive in Time for Board Consideration in February Due to Federal Furlough

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32 Recreational Catch (millions of fish) Spot Spot Commercial Landings and Recreational Catch Source: ACCSP Data Warehouse, Recreational Releases Recreational Landings Commercial Landings Commercial Landings (millions of pounds) 0 0

33 Spot Stock Status: Unknown 2017 Benchmark Assessment did not pass peer review Traffic Light Approach (TLA) used to monitor fishery and resource trends and initiate management as needed TLA assigns color (red, yellow, green) to indicate changes in harvest and abundance TC recommended changes to TLA

34 Proportion of Color Proportion of Color TLA Harvest Composite Mid-Atlantic trigger fired in 2017, since the two previous years were above the 30% threshold South Atlantic trigger fired in 2017 with two of the last three years above 30%

35 Proportion of Color Proportion of Color TLA Adult Abundance Mid-Atlantic trigger fired in 2017, the 4 th year in a row above the 30% threshold South Atlantic trigger not fired in 2017 but did show a pattern of increased red proportions for the last two years

36 Spot TLA harvest composite for both regions triggered in 2017 TLA adult abundance triggered in the Mid-Atlantic but not in the South Atlantic Technical committee recommends both regions take action even though only the Mid-Atlantic fired both triggers

37 Spot Board delayed adoption of new TLA and management action so states can reach out to harvesters regarding appropriate measures for fisheries Once adopted, management actions will need to be considered Note: No triggers were fired under the former TLA, but Board will likely adopt the new triggers based TC recommendations

38 Spot: Next Steps TLA provides NO information on how much harvest reduction is needed Board will likely initiate an addendum requiring states to create some regulation for currently unregulated fisheries Addendum process usually takes 3-6 months to complete; will include opportunities for public comment Your input is important so please comment during public comment period

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