NOAA Fisheries has published a proposed rule, as recommended by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, to establish limits on how much quota share or annual cage tags an individual or business can hold or control over the course of a fishing year.
This action proposes:
Caps on quota share of 35 percent for surfclam and 40 percent for ocean quahog.
Caps on annual cage tags of 65 percent for surfclam and 70 percent for ocean quahog over the course of the fishing year.
These caps would be monitored based on the total amount of ‘potential control’ an individual or business has over the course of the fishing year. ‘Potential Control’ would represent any allocation held directly, or held by all owners (in the case of businesses) or all immediate family members (in the case of individuals).
To adjust the maximum duration of multi-year specifications actions to match the stock assessment schedule.
The proposed caps are higher than the potential control of any current participant in the fishery. They were not designed to cause anyone to divest current holdings, but are intended to limit future consolidation in this fishery.
For more information, read the proposed rule in the Federal Register. The comment period is open through September 23, 2022. You may provide comments using the online portal.
Questions?
Fishermen: Contact Douglas Potts, Sustainable Fisheries, 978-281-9341
Media: Contact Andrea Gomez, Regional Office, 916-813-1097