Saltwater Fishing & Boating Newsletter

Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Public Hearing

The Atlantic State Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) will be having a meeting to discuss the following proposed measures to the Summer Flounder, Scup, Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan.

Draft Addendum XXXI (PDF) will implement the following measures:

• Recreational conservation equivalency for black sea bass
• Transit provisions for summer flounder, scup, black sea bass
• Slot limits for summer flounder and black sea bass

The proposed actions will not implement these measures in 2019 but will allow these management tools to be used in future years.

Draft Addendum XXXII (PDF) will develop a new action for the 2019 recreational fishery to address the changes in black sea bass abundance and distribution that consider management based on the distribution of the resources, along with any other options recommended by the Management Board.

ASMFC Public Hearing on Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass
Tuesday, November 27, 2018
DEC Marine Resources Headquarters
205 N. Belle Mead Road, East Setauket, NY 11733 (Google Maps)

Commercial Quota Distribution Annual Meeting

NYSDEC is holding a meeting to discuss the 2019 commercial quota distribution options for bluefish, scup, fluke and black sea bass, on Monday, December 3, 2018 at 6:30 p.m.. The meeting will be held at the Division of Marine Resources Headquarters, 205 North Belle Mead Road, Suite 1, East Setauket, New York, 11733.

New York State’s commercial quota distribution plans are developed based on the individual state quota allocations received from NOAA Fisheries and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) for each species. DEC encourages all commercial license holders and stakeholders to attend and provide input on quota use at this meeting. DEC will use this input to develop distribution plans that fully utilize available quota for maximum benefit and minimize the likelihood of fishery closures.

To learn more about quota distribution plans, visit Commercial Fishing.

REMINDER to Renew 2019 Commercial Fishing Permits & Licenses

NYSDEC Marine Permit Office (MPO) will begin renewing 2019 commercial fishing licenses and permits on Thursday, November 15, 2018.

The last day to renew your 2018 limited entry permits is Monday, December 31, 2018. Limited entry licenses and permits include: food fishing license, crab permit, whelk license, and lobster permit.

Please remember that the MPO will be closed on December 25, 2018 (Christmas Day) and January 1, 2019 (New Year’s Day). Please plan accordingly to successfully renew your permit or license by December 31, 2018.

South Shore Estuary Reserve Council Award Ceremony

The South Shore Estuary Reserve (SSER) Council has recently awarded Stewardship and Career Milestone Awards to local stakeholders that have played a major role in protecting the highly productive estuarine habitat of the South Shore Estuary Reserve, which extends 75 miles east from the Nassau County/New York City line to the Village of Southampton in Suffolk County.

Charles deQuillfeldt, retired DEC Unit Leader in the Bureau of Marine Habitat, Division of Marine Resources, was the recipient of the Career Milestone award for his 30 plus years working with and supporting the South Shore Estuary Reserve. The award recipients received a photo or artwork from a local photographer/artist.

To learn more, visit the South Shore Estuary Reserve website.

Important Dates

Meetings

Marine Resources Advisory Council
Tuesday, November 13, 2018
DEC Marine Resources Headquarters
205 N. Belle Mead Road, East Setauket, NY 11733

ASMFC Public Hearing on Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass
Tuesday, November 27, 2018
DEC Marine Resources Headquarters
205 N. Belle Mead Road, East Setauket, NY 11733

Commercial Quota Distribution Meeting
Monday, December 3, 2018, 6:30 p.m.
DEC Marine Resources Headquarters
205 N. Belle Mead Road, East Setauket, NY 11733

The State of the Science Workshop on Wildlife and Offshore Wind Energy Development

The first State of the Science Workshop, hosted by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), is bringing together stakeholders engaged with environmental and wildlife research relevant to offshore wind energy development.

When:

• Tuesday, November 13, 2018, 10 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.
  (includes evening poster session, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.)
• Wednesday, November 14, 2018, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Where:
The Inn at Fox Hollow, 7755 Jericho Turnpike, Woodbury, New York (Google Maps)

For the meeting agenda, registration information, and travel/lodging information, visit the workshop website at: www.briloon.org/offshorewindny/workshop