In case you missed it, the ASMFC’s Striped Bass Board met last week. The PID considers the following management topics: (1) fishery goals and objectives; (2) biological reference points; (3) management triggers; (4) stock rebuilding targets and schedule; (5) regional management; (6) management program equivalency (conservation equivalency); (7) recreational release mortality; (8) recreational accountability; (9) coastal commercial quota allocation; and (10) other issues raised in public comments. Wednesday, March 24, 2021from 6:00 – 8:00 PM. Information: Email: efranke@asmfc.org Description. The ASMFC’s Striped Bass Management Board (Board) opened the discussion at 1:45 p.m. with a variety of agenda items before finally settling into the discussion on … From 2015-2019, annual harvest decreased to an estimated 2.8 million fish due to the implementation of more restrictive regulations via Addendum IV, changes in effort and changes in size and distribution of the population through time. Increased fishing pressure in the 1970s, coupled with degradation and loss of habitat, led to stock collapse and stimulated the development of a cooperative interstate fisheries management plan (FMP). Want to stay up-to-date on all news and happenings in your region and across the Chesapeake watershed? Since striped bass are now declared overfished, ASMFC has never recovered and maintained a stock in its 77-year history. Currently, striped bass is managed through Amendment 6 to the FMP (2003). Join our digital community. Today the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Council (ASMFC) approved the guidance for state implementation of circle hook measures for the recreational fishery, “Circle hooks are required when fishing for striped bass with bait, which is defined as any marine or aquatic organism live or dead, whole or parts thereof. It is hoped that these plans result in the decisive action that is needed restore this important resource along the Atlantic Coast and in the Chesapeake Bay. From 2004 to 2014, commercial landings averaged 6.8 million pounds (1 million fish) per year. The purpose of this meeting is to review public comments received on the Striped Bass Amendment 7 Public Information Document (PID) and to discuss AP recommendations to the Striped Bass Board on which issues to include in Draft Amendment 7. Atlantic striped bass (Morone saxatilis) are an estuarine species that can be found from Florida to Canada, although the stocks that the Commission manages range from Maine to North Carolina. ASMFC Atlantic Striped Bass Board Initiates Amendment 7 to Address Longstanding Fishery Management Issues. The accepted model is a forward projecting statistical catch-at-age model, which uses catch-at-age data and fishery-dependent data and fishery-independent survey indices to estimate annual population size, fishing mortality, and recruitment. This is an action that aims to end overfishing by returning fishing mortality (F) to the target levels within one year, as prescribed by the current management plan. Donations are tax-deductable as allowed by law. The spring of 2020 will be a black hole for data on striped bass. Your donation helps the Chesapeake Bay Foundation maintain our momentum toward a restored Bay, rivers, and streams for today and generations to come. The mechanism was triggered with the recruitment of the 1989 year class and led to the implementation of Amendment 4 (1989), which aimed to rebuild the resource rather than maximize yield. The purpose of the PID is to solicit stakeholder input on prioritizing the importance of each topic for continued development and potential inclusion in the Draft Amendment. The results of the 2018 Benchmark Stock Assessment in particular led the Board to discuss a number of prominent issues facing striped bass management. Ends April 13, 2021 5:00 pm. ASMFC Atlantic Striped Bass Board Approves Addendum VI. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), which has legal authority to coordinate and enforce each jurisdiction’s local management plans, seeks to develop a new coastwide plan, to be known as Amendment 7. The independent F target allowed these jurisdictions to implement separate seasons, harvest caps, and size and bag limits as long as they remained under that target. Striped bass currently meet both these criteria. The measures are designed to achieve at least an 18% reduction in total removals at the coastwide level. In 2017, estimated at 108.8 million age-1 fish in 2017 which is below the time series average of 140.9 million fish. The assessment also indicated a period of strong recruitment (numbers of age-1 fish entering the population) from 1994-2004, following by a period of low recruitment from 2005-2011 which likely contributed to the decline in SSB in recent years. On a regular basis, female spawning stock biomass (SSB) and fishing mortality rate (F) are estimated and compared to target and threshold levels (i.e., biological reference points) in order to assess the status of the stock. The current CE measures being proposed by several states are essentially manipulated data to circumvent the mandates of the Striped Bass Management Board. Striped bass are facing a watershed moment—the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), the regional organization responsible for assessing and managing fish stocks, is proposing changes to the fish’s management. Specifically, the Addendum reduces all state commercial quotas by 18%, and implements a 1-fish bag limit and a 28” to less than 35” recreational slot limit for ocean fisheries and a 1-fish bag limit and an 18” minimum size limit for Chesapeake Bay recreational fisheries. Mature females (age six and older) produce large quantities of eggs, which are fertilized by mature males (age two and older) as they are released into riverine spawning areas. It is highly likely, after a good 20 years of advocacy by anglers and environmental groups, that we’ll see menhaden managed in the context of its value as a prey species, by as early as the 2021 fishing year, if things go okay. Some states elected for an even more conservative approach and imposed a total moratorium to protect the 1982 year class. Addendum IV was also initiated in response to a steady decline in SSB since 2004 and F being above target. In February 2021, the Board considered a study proposal from Maine and Massachusetts that would collect information on the tube rig fishery and would require a two-year exemption to the circle hook requirements for the tube rig gear. Starts April 13, 2021 3:00 pm. Amendment 3 (1985) was the first plan under the Striped Bass Act to include mandatory conservation measures. That is beyond the ASMFC’s charter, and so the following recommendations reflect what we believe to be steps that are both reasonable and aggressive, carving the surest path to rebuilding healthy, abundant Striped Bass stocks, based on the goals of the ASMFC as stated in … Young anglers with an Atlantic striped bass. The PID asks for the public to weigh in on a variety of topics including the biological … Recruitment was high in 2012, 2015, and 2016. The Amendment introduced a new set of biological reference points based on female SSB, and a suite of management triggers based on the reference points. Amendment 6 (2003) to the ASMFC FMP replaced all previous ASMFC management documents for striped bass. Striped bass stocks were effectively saved by the Striped Bass Management Board—a component of ASMFC—in the 1980s; however, this was the only example of a successful ASMFC fish stock restoration effort. At the time, the Chesapeake Bay and A/R regulatory programs were different than the coastal migratory program because these portions of the stock were predicated on a more conservative F target than the coastal migratory stock. Chesapeake Bay Mag, Public Comment to Shape Future of Rockfish Harvest. A long-lived species (at least up to 30 years of age), striped bass typically spend the majority of their adult life in coastal estuaries or the ocean, migrating north and south seasonally and ascending to rivers to spawn in the spring. The Atlantic coast-wide harvest of striped bass is managed by ASMFC. ASMFC will attempt to form a striped bass work group to discuss potential management changes for the species. The 2018 Atlantic striped bass benchmark stock assessment was accepted by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) striped bass board (Board) for management use in May of 2019. According to Amendment 6, “if fishing mortality exceeds the threshold and biomass (SSB) is below the threshold level, the Management Board must act to reduce fishing mortality to the desired target level or lower” and ‘rebuild the SSB to the target level’ within 10 years. some thoughts on striped bass and asmfc's draft addendum vi The draft of Addendum VI to Amendment 6 to the Interstate Management Plan for Atlantic Striped Bass that was approved by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board on August 8 is now available for public comment. The Board approved the study proposal and approved a coastwide delayed implementation of the circle hook requirement for tube rig gear through 2022. It seems as though the TC agrees with us on some level. 51,000 … This committee will report back to the Board in March 2021. New Castle, NH )Oct,31 2019) – The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board approved Addendum VI to Amendment 6 of the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Striped Bass. In May 2019, the Board accepted the 2018 Benchmark Stock Assessment and Peer Review Report for management use. The Amendment implemented measures to protect the 1982 year class, the first modestly-sized cohort for nearly a decade. The 1995 estimate of female SSB is currently used as the SSB threshold because many stock characteristics, such as an expanded age structure, were reached by this year, and this is also the year the stock was declared recovered. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) manages the coastal migratory striped bass stock, which inhabits all coastal and estuarine areas from Maine through Virginia, and the coastal areas of North Carolina. You gotta love this group. It is hard to interview returning anglers and achieve social distancing. F in 2017 was estimated at 0.31, which is above the F threshold of 0.24. Addendum IV also formally defers management of the A/R stock to the State of North Carolina, under the auspices of the Commission, since the A/R stock was deemed to contribute minimally to the coastal migratory population. The mandatory circle hook requirements were implemented January 1, 2021. This shall not apply to any artificial lure with bait attached.” Striped Bass Work Group. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission) has scheduled a public hearingvirtual for Connecticut on . The short version is that back in November, the Menhaden Management Board reduced the Chesapeake Bay reduction-fishery quota (the “Bay cap”) from 87,000 metric tons to 51,000 metric tons, a precautionary measure to ensure there wasn’t a big escalation of fishing pressure in a critical nursery area not only for menhaden, but for striped bass and a host of other things that eat them. The associated F threshold and target are calculated to achieve the respective SSB reference points in the long term. The majority of the coastal migratory stock originates in the Chesapeake Bay spawning areas, with significant contributions from the spawning grounds of the Hudson and Delaware Rivers. The ocean quota is based on average landings during the 1970s and the Chesapeake Bay quota changed annually under a harvest control rule until implementation of a static quota in 2015 through Addendum IV. They remain in coastal sounds and estuaries for two to four years and then join the coastal migratory population in the Atlantic Ocean. For centuries, Atlantic striped bass have supported valuable commercial and recreational fisheries on the Atlantic coast. MAFMC and ASMFC to Hold Public Hearings for Bluefish Allocation and Rebuilding Amendment. The Commission’s inability to grasp that striper stocks are in trouble, and that they are charged with recovering that stock, is almost staggering in its perfection. Consequently, the Board initiated the development of Amendment 7 in August 2020. The Addendum maintains flexibility for states to pursue alternative regulations through conservation equivalency (CE). Good news with menhaden, but it’s likely the Commission will fall short on striped bass Menhaden. States implemented final Addendum VI measures by April 1, 2020. This is the most important part of the meeting. Important wintering grounds for the mixed stocks are located from offshore New Jersey to North Carolina. According to the assessment, female spawning stock biomass (SSB) in 2017 was estimated at 151 million pounds, a value below both the target and threshold levels, 252 million pounds and 202 million … The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission has released its Public Information Document (PID) for Amendment 7 of the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Striped Bass.This is a call for your comments, observations, recommendations, issues you may have with the condition of the striped bass population, our rules … The Commission’s Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board approved Addendum VI to Amendment 6 of the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Striped Bass. Now, and as it was prior to Amendment 5, the Atlantic striped bass complex (excluding the A/R stock) is managed and modeled as a single stock with one set of SSB and F reference points.
From 2007 to 2012, a series of three Addenda to Amendment 6 were implemented. Even so, that sort of harvest-oriented thinking has dominated the striped bass debate at ASMFC, to the point that the Management Board has given substantial consideration to creating a new amendment to the management plan that would lower the biomass target and threshold and allow higher levels of landings, even though that would increase the long-term risk to the spawning stock. In February 2020, the Board approved state management options for 2020 on a state-by-state basis (some through implementation plans and others through conservation equivalency). ASMFC Public Hearing on the Striped Bass Draft Amendment 7 Public Information Document: March 24, 2021, 6:00 – 8:00 PM. (ARLINGTON, VA)—Yesterday, the Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) reviewed and approved conservation equivalency (CE) proposals for striped bass management designed to reduce harvest by 18 percent along the Atlantic Coast.. On February 3, 2021, the ASMFC met online for 5 hours on Wednesday, and The Fisherman’s Toby Lapinski and Jim Hutchinson, Jr. each sat through the entire discussion that was focused on striped bass management measure. The recreational fishery is managed by bag limits, minimum size or slot size limits, and closed seasons to restrict harvest. Of the total recreational harvest in 2019, Maryland landed the largest proportion in number of fish (36%), followed by New York (23%), New Jersey (19%), and Massachusetts (9%). The first Interstate FMP for Atlantic Striped Bass (1981) and Amendments 1 and 2 (1984) only provided recommendations on how to sustainably manage the resource. From 2015-2019, commercial landings decreased to an average of 4.7 million pounds (619,000 fish) due to implementation of Addendum IV. The female SSB target is equal to 125% female SSB threshold. Location Webinar. Commercial landings are consistently dominated by Chesapeake Bay fisheries, accounting for approximately 60% of total commercial landings by weight since 1990 (80% in terms of numbers of fish). The 2020 State of the Bay Report makes it clear that the Bay needs our support now more than ever. The benchmark assessment found the stock to be overfished since 2013 and experiencing overfishing. These addenda addressed a range of issues, including implementation of a bycatch monitoring program, modifying the definition of recruitment failure, and implementation of a mandatory commercial harvest tagging program. The Striped Bass Management Board has approved Draft Addendum VI to Amendment 6 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Striped Bass for public comment. ASMFC Atlantic Striped Bass Board Approves Mandatory Commercial Tagging Program through Addendum III (August 2012) ASMFC Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board Initiates Addendum to Address Illegal Striped Bass Harvest (February 2012) Atlantic Striped Bass Assessment Update finds Resource Not Overfished and Overfishing Not Occurring (November 2011) According to the ASMFC, the changes in the management plan that has governed striped bass for decades responds to results of the 2013 Atlantic striped bass … In 2019, total recreational catch was estimated at 30.9 million fish. ASMFC Seeks Striped Bass Advice. The Amendment contained a mechanism to relax fishery regulations based on a juvenile abundance index. A full schedule of public hearings is available at www.asmfc.org. In another step towards rebuilding the striped bass population, an Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) panel today voted to begin the next update to the striped bass fishery management plan by approving the Public Information Document for Amendment 7 (PID) for public comment. Of that, 2.2 million were harvested and 28.8 million fish were released alive resulting in a release mortality estimate of 2.59 million fish. In 1995, with adoption of Amendment 5, the Commission declared Atlantic coastal striped bass stocks fully recovered. The commercial fishery is managed by a quota system resulting in relatively stable landings since 2004. There are two regional quotas; one for Chesapeake Bay and one for the ocean, which includes bays, inland rivers, and estuaries. Phone: 703-842-0740 Fax: 703-842-0741 info@asmfc.org 1050 N. Highland Street, Suite 200 A-N, Arlington, VA 22201, 2021 Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission | All rights reserved. Since then, the status and understanding of the striped bass stock and fishery has changed considerably which raises concern that the current management program no longer reflects current fishery needs and priorities. However, prior to passage of the Atlantic Striped Bass Conservation Act (Striped Bass Act, 1984), the precursor to the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act (1993), the Commission did not have the management authority that it does today. The Board also created an ad hoc committee to develop a definition of bait and identify methods of fishing that would require the use of circle hooks as well as how to handle incidental catch. Estuarine striped bass stocks in North Carolina are managed as at www.asmfc.org under Breaking News. As a result, Addendum VI was initiated to end overfishing, and bring F to the target level in 2020. The fishery for striped bass is managed by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), which assumes a single stock from Maine to North Carolina for management purposes. | Website designed by TM Design Inc. | Powered by New North, Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership, Striped Bass Work Group Report: Issues for Possible Inclusion in the Next Management Action, Atlantic Striped Bass Research Priorities, Technical Committee, Kevin Sullivan, Chair, Addendum III: Measures to Address Illegal Striped Bass Harvest (August 2012), Addendum II: Definition of Recruitment Failure (November 2010), Amendment 6 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Striped Bass (February 2003), Source Document to Amendment 5 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Striped Bass (January 1998), Amendment 5 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Striped Bass (March 1995), Supplement to Striped Bass FMP - Amendment 4 (October 1989), Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Striped Bass (October 1985), Fishery Management Plan for Striped Bass (October 1981), Summary Report of the 2019 Benchmark Stock Assessment for Atlantic Striped Bass (Apr 2019), Atlantic Striped Bass Stock Assessment Overview (Apr 2019), 2016 Atlantic Striped Bass Stock Assessment Update (Oct 2016), 2015 Atlantic Striped Bass Stock Assessment Update (Oct 2015), 2013 Update of the Striped Bass Stock Assessment using Final 2012 Data (Dec 2013), 2013 Atlantic Striped Bass Benchmark Stock Assessment (Dec 2013), 2011 Striped Bass Stock Assessment Update (Jan 2011), 2009 Stock Assessment Report for Atlantic Striped Bass (Jan 2009), Atlantic Striped Bass Assessment Summary Report (Jan 2008), Atlantic Striped Bass Assessment Report (Jan 2008), Atlantic Striped Bass Assessment Report Appendices (Jan 2008), 2005 Stock Assessment Report for Atlantic Striped Bass (Jan 2005), 2004 Stock Assessment report for Atlantic Striped Bass (Jan 2004), 2003 Stock Assessment & Advisory Report for Atlantic Striped Bass (Jan 2003), 2002 Atlantic Striped Bass Advisory Report (Jan 2002), 2001 Stock Assessment Report for Atlantic Striped Bass (Jan 2001), 2000 Advisory and Summary Report on the Status of Atlantic Striped Bass (Jan 2000), Proceedings of the 1993 Striped Bass Stock Assessment Workshop (Dec 1993), Technical Committee Meeting Summaries & Reports, ASMFC Atlantic Striped Bass Board to Meet Via Webinar on March 16 from 1 – 3 PM, States Schedule Public Hearings on Atlantic Striped Bass Draft Amendment 7 Public Information Document, Atlantic Striped Bass Board Approves Draft Amendment 7 PID for Public Comment, ASMFC Atlantic Striped Bass Board Initiates Amendment 7 to Address Longstanding Fishery Management Issues, ASMFC Atlantic Striped Bass Board Approves Addendum VI, States Schedule Public Hearings on Atlantic Striped Bass Draft Addendum VI, Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board Approves Draft Addendum VI for Public Comment, Atlantic Striped Bass Benchmark Stock Assessment Finds Resource Overfished and Overfishing Occurring: Board Initiates Addendum to Reduce Total Fishing Mortality, Meeting Changes in Response to Hurricane Florence, Atlantic Striped Bass Benchmark Stock Assessment Workshop Scheduled for September 11-14, in Arlington, VA, Atlantic Striped Bass Benchmark Stock Assessment Modeling Workshop Scheduled for May 15-17, 2018 in Providence, RI, Atlantic Striped Bass Stock Assessment Data Workshop Scheduled for September 26-29, 2017 in Arlington, VA, ASMFC Atlantic Striped Bass Board Withdraws Draft Addendum V & Maintains Current Measures until Completion of 2018 Benchmark Stock Assessment, ASMFC Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board Initiates Development of Draft Addendum V to Liberalize Management Measures, Alantic Striped Bass Fishing in the EEZ: Restrictions Support Sustainability of Species, ASMFC Atlantic Striped Bass Board Approves State Implementation Plans to Reduce Harvest, ASMFC Atlantic Striped Bass Board Approves Addendum IV for Implementation in 2015, Atlantic Coastal States Schedule Public Hearings on Striped Bass Draft Addendum IV, ASMFC Atlantic Striped Bass Board Approves Draft Addendum IV for Public Comment, ASMFC Atlantic Striped Bass Draft Addendum Development Continues, Atlantic Striped Bass Benchmark Assessment Finds Resource Not Overfished and Overfishing Not Occurring Board Initiates Draft Addenda to Adopt New Reference Points & Considers Management Measures to Address Declines in Spawning Stock Biomass, ASMFC Atlantic Striped Bass Board Approves Mandatory Commercial Tagging Program through Addendum III, ASMFC Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board Initiates Addendum to Address Illegal Striped Bass Harvest, Atlantic Striped Bass Assessment Update finds Resource Not Overfished and Overfishing Not Occurring, ASMFC Atlantic Striped Bass Board Initiates Addendum to Reduce Fishing Mortality, ASMFC Striped Bass Board Approves Addendum II, Atlantic Striped Bass Assessment Update Finds Resource Not Overfished and Overfishing Not Occurring, Updated Biological Reference points for Atlantic Striped Bass Confirm Previously Released Stock Status, Striped Bass Stock Assessment Indicates Healthy Stock, ASMFC Striped Bass Board Approves Addendum I: Addendum Establishes Bycatch Data Collection Program, ASMFC Striped Bass Board Approves RI and MD Proposals, Striped Bass Stock Assessment Indicates Healthy Stock: Total Abundance, Female Spawning Stock Biomass and Recruitment Remain High, ASMFC Forwards New Jersey Noncompliance Findings to Secretaries of Commerce and the Interior for Action.