ASMFC Public Hearings on Striped Bass Draft Addendum II
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) is seeking public comment on Draft Addendum II to Amendment 7 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Striped Bass, which considers management measures designed to support stock rebuilding by reducing fishing mortality to the target in 2024. The Atlantic coastal states of Maine through Virginia have scheduled hearings to gather public input, including hearings in Massachusetts on December 5 in Bourne and December 19 in Gloucester. Additionally, if you are unable to participate in these Massachusetts hearings, you are welcome to participate in any of the virtual or hybrid hearings. The full schedule of public hearings, including webinar instructions for virtual meetings, is available on the ASMFC website, under Public Input: https://asmfc.org/about-us/public-input.
Massachusetts Hearing Schedule:
Tuesday, December 5 - 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Massachusetts Maritime Academy Admiral’s Hall
101 Academy Drive, Buzzards Bay, MA 02532
Tuesday, December 19 - 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries
North Shore Field Station
30 Emerson Ave, Gloucester, MA 01930
State Contact: Michael Armstrong, michael.armstrong@mass.gov or 978.619.0012
Draft Addendum II:
The Draft Addendum (view PDF) is available via the Commission’s website at https://asmfc.org/about-us/public-input.
The Board initiated Draft Addendum II in May 2023 in response to the low probability of meeting the 2029 stock rebuilding deadline if the unexpectedly high 2022 fishing mortality rate continues. The Draft Addendum builds upon the 2023 emergency action by considering management measures intended to reduce fishing mortality to the target level in 2024. For the recreational fishery, the Draft Addendum proposes recreational bag and size limit options for the ocean and Chesapeake Bay regions, including options with different limits for the for-hire modes. To address concerns about recreational filleting allowances and compliance with recreational size limits, the Draft Addendum includes an option that could establish minimum requirements for states that authorize at-sea/shore-side filleting of striped bass. For the commercial fishery, the Draft Addendum proposes a quota reduction option. The Draft Addendum also proposes an option that would enable the Board to respond to the results of the stock assessment updates more quickly, via Board action, if the stock is not projected to rebuild by 2029.
Hearing Presentation Recording:
For those who cannot attend any in-person or virtual hearings, the Commission will also post a recording of the hearing presentation on the Commission’s YouTube channel so that stakeholders may watch the presentation and submit comment at any time during the comment process. This recording will be available by mid-November.
Submitting Comments:
All those interested in the management of Atlantic striped bass are encouraged to provide input either by participating in public hearings, which may be conducted via webinar, or providing written comment. Public comment will be accepted until 11:59 PM (EST) on December 22, 2023 and should be sent to Emilie Franke, FMP Coordinator, at 1050 N. Highland St., Suite 200 A-N, Arlington, Virginia 22201; or at comments@asmfc.org (Subject line: Striped Bass Draft Addendum II).
If your organization is planning to release an action alert in response to the Draft Addendum, please contact Emilie Franke at efranke@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740, so she can work with you to develop a unique subject line to enable us to better organize and summarize incoming comments for Board review.
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