NOAA Fisheries: Proposal To Increase Monkfish Catch

NOAA Fisheries today announced proposed measures to provide increased fishing opportunities for monkfish and groundfish fishermen to target monkfish in coastal waters from Maine to Massachusetts (i.e.,Monkfish Northern Management Area) in fishing year 2013. Monkfish are often landed while fishing for groundfish, particularly in this area. Click here for more information.

New Voluntary Speed Restriction Zone in Effect through Mar 31 to Protect Group of Right Whales

NOAA Fisheries announces that a voluntary vessel speed restriction zone (Dynamic Management Area - DMA) has been established in the vicinity of Nantucket Island to protect an aggregation of 20 right whales sighted in this area on February 26, 2013.

Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council Revises 2013 Black Sea Bass Catch Limits

Last week the Council approved an acceptable biological catch (ABC) limit of 5.5 million pounds for black sea bass for both 2013 and 2014. If approved by NMFS, the ABC would result in a recreational harvest limit of 2.26 million pounds and a commercial quota of 2.17 million pounds.

Bluefish- Proposed Rule for 2013 and 2014 Commercial Quota and Recreational Harvest Limit

Feb 20, 2013
The NMFS has published a proposed rule based on the Council's recommended Recreational Harvest Limit (RHL) of 14.069 million pounds and commercial quota of 9.076 million pounds for 2013 and an RHL of 14.069 million pounds and commercial quota of 8.674 million pounds in 2014.

SMAST Yellowtail Flounder Bycatch Avoidance Program

The scallop fishing fleet is working with SMAST to avoid bycatch of yellowtail flounder in areas of Georges Bank. The real-time communication system is used in Closed Area I, Closed Area II and the Nantucket Lightship for the 2012 fishing season.

Fleet Communication System Aims to Reduce Butterfish Bycatch

Cornell Cooperative Extension Marine Program has received funding from National Fish and Wildlife Foundation for initiating a fleet communication system as a method to abate butterfish and river herring/shad bycatch.

CFRF Offers Mid-Atlantic Fishermen Bycatch Avoidance Gear Modification Vouchers

The Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation is currently administering a voucher program for fishing vessel owners to obtain financial assistance to install one or both promising gear modifications onboard their vessels for use in small mesh fisheries (including squid, whiting, and scup) to avoid unwanted bycatch of winter flounder.

ACCSP Seeks Fishing Industry's Input on Electronic Reporting

The Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program (ACCSP) has brought together fishermen, dealers, and fisheries managers to evaluate electronic reporting on the Atlantic coast. The first part of this project is a survey to collect attitudes and opinions from Atlantic coast fishermen and dealers about the current state of electronic reporting.

Northeast Regional Administrator to Hold Public Listening Sessions

Members of the fishing industry and other stakeholders are invited to attend public listening sessions in North Carolina and Virginia with John Bullard, the NOAA Fisheries Regional Administrator for the Northeast Region.

Council Seeks Public Input on Deep Sea Coral Protection

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council has scheduled two scoping hearings for the public to provide comments on Amendment 16 to the Atlantic mackerel, squid, and butterfish fishery management plan.

Council to Hold Public Hearings on Special Management Zone Designation for Delaware Reefs

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold a series of public hearings next week to collect comments on Special Management Zone designation for Delaware reefs.

Council Passes Hurricane Sandy Resolution

During the most recent Council meeting, more than 40 members of the public turned out in person or online to ask questions and discuss the storm's impacts with Council members and National Marine Fisheries Service representatives. The next day, the Council unanimously approved a resolution of support for the federal fisheries disaster declaration in the Mid-Atlantic region following Hurricane Sandy (full text below). The resolution was introduced by Chairman Rick Robins and was passed unanimously by the full Council.

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