Public Invited to Participate in Developing New Options for Groundfish Management

November 14, 2006

Release from:
NOAA

The New England Fishery Management Council has announced its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement to assess the potential effects of alternative measures for managing the Northeast multispecies fishery. The Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP) manages cod, haddock, white hake, pollock, Acadian redfish, yellowtail flounder, winter flounder, witch flounder, American plaice, windowpane flounder, Atlantic halibut, and ocean pout. These species are managed as 19 individual stocks. Amendment 13 to the FMP, implemented in 2004, established rebuilding programs for 12 stocks. For most, the goal is to rebuild to a biomass that will support maximum sustainable yield by 2014. Management measures include limited and open access permit categories, limits on fishing time through days-at-sea allocations, gear requirements, closed areas, and retention limits.

Each groundfish stock will be assessed in 2008. This information will be used to determine what adjustments are necessary to continue rebuilding and to achieve optimum yield from the fishery. The Council may also consider other management systems that could replace or supplement the existing effort controls. Members of the public are encouraged to submit proposals for alternative management schemes during the scoping process. Public meetings will take place in Ellsworth, ME; Portland, ME; Portsmouth, NH; Gloucester, MA; Fairhaven, MA; South Kingstown, RI; Riverhead, NY; and New York City, NY during November and December.

The scoping document will be posted online at http://www.nefmc.org. Send comments to comments@nefmc.org by 5pm on December 29, 2006; please include "Groundfish Amendment 16 Scoping Comments" in the subject line.

For more information, read the Federal Register notice or contact the Council at (978) 465-0492.