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Published: October 20, 2008
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The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council met in Kill Devil Hills, NC October 14-16, 2008 and approved Amendment 10 to the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish (MSB) Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for submission to the Secretary of Commerce. Amendment 10 is designed to rebuild and maintain the long-term health of the butterfish stock, and, to the extent practicable, generally minimize bycatch and bycatch mortality in the MSB fisheries.
For preferred alternatives, the Council voted that in 2010, a 2-1/8" minimum codend mesh requirement would be implemented in the Loligo fishery in Trimesters 1 and 3 (the previously considered fishing circle mesh requirement was removed).
The Council also voted to include a seasonally allocated butterfish mortality cap for the Loligo fishery starting in 2011 (i.e. the Loligo fishery would be closed when it caught a pre-specified amount of butterfish). The directed Loligo fishery would be allocated 75% of the butterfish ABC specified for a given year and the cap would be monitored based on existing levels of NMFS observer coverage (the previously considered industry-funded observer program was removed). The allocation of butterfish mortality would be: Trimester 1=65%; Trimester 2 = 3.3%; and, Trimester 3 = 31.7%.
There would be no in-season closures in Trimester 2 due to difficulties in tracking the relatively small bycatch amount allocated to the Trimester 2 Loligo fishery, but overages and/or underages would be accounted for in Trimester 3. If Trimester 2 bycatch levels increase and reduce the cap amount available in Trimester 3, the Council could activate the in-season closure mechanism for Trimester 2 in future years.
The Amendment would also include a 72 hour notification requirement before Loligo vessels could make a directed Loligo trip, primarily for the purpose of observer placement. If a vessel is selected to take an observer, the vessel would have to carry an observer (if available). Vessels would always have to notify NMFS when a trip is cancelled (even if the vessel is not selected to take an observer). If a vessel cancels a trip after being selected, the vessel would be assigned an observer on its next trip for which an observer is available.
source: Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council press release
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Published: October 20, 2008
Print
EmailThe Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council met in Kill Devil Hills, NC October 14-16, 2008 and approved Amendment 10 to the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish (MSB) Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for submission to the Secretary of Commerce. Amendment 10 is designed to rebuild and maintain the long-term health of the butterfish stock, and, to the extent practicable, generally minimize bycatch and bycatch mortality in the MSB fisheries.
For preferred alternatives, the Council voted that in 2010, a 2-1/8" minimum codend mesh requirement would be implemented in the Loligo fishery in Trimesters 1 and 3 (the previously considered fishing circle mesh requirement was removed).
The Council also voted to include a seasonally allocated butterfish mortality cap for the Loligo fishery starting in 2011 (i.e. the Loligo fishery would be closed when it caught a pre-specified amount of butterfish). The directed Loligo fishery would be allocated 75% of the butterfish ABC specified for a given year and the cap would be monitored based on existing levels of NMFS observer coverage (the previously considered industry-funded observer program was removed). The allocation of butterfish mortality would be: Trimester 1=65%; Trimester 2 = 3.3%; and, Trimester 3 = 31.7%.
There would be no in-season closures in Trimester 2 due to difficulties in tracking the relatively small bycatch amount allocated to the Trimester 2 Loligo fishery, but overages and/or underages would be accounted for in Trimester 3. If Trimester 2 bycatch levels increase and reduce the cap amount available in Trimester 3, the Council could activate the in-season closure mechanism for Trimester 2 in future years.
The Amendment would also include a 72 hour notification requirement before Loligo vessels could make a directed Loligo trip, primarily for the purpose of observer placement. If a vessel is selected to take an observer, the vessel would have to carry an observer (if available). Vessels would always have to notify NMFS when a trip is cancelled (even if the vessel is not selected to take an observer). If a vessel cancels a trip after being selected, the vessel would be assigned an observer on its next trip for which an observer is available.
source: Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council press release
Submit Article