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+--- Thread: ASMFC Releases Draft Addendum VII to the American Lobster Plan for Public Comment (/showthread.php?tid=219364)
ASMFC Releases Draft Addendum VII to the American Lobster Plan for Public Comment - Hutch00 - 09-17-2005
The following is a news release from the Atlantic States Marine
Fisheries Commission concerning the Interstate Fishery Management Plan
for American Lobster. There will be public meetings in Massachusetts,
Connecticut and Rhode Island, and written comments will be accepted
until October 12, 2005.
For more information, read the text of the release below or visit
http://www.asmfc.org/ .
ASMFC Releases Draft Addendum VII to the American Lobster Plan for
Public
Comment
Addendum Proposes New Effort Control Plan for Area 2
The Commission's American Lobster Management Board has approved Draft
Addendum VII to Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan
for
American Lobster for public review and comment. The Draft Addendum
proposes
the establishment of a multi-jurisdictional effort control program for
Lobster Conservation Management Area 2 (state and federal waters off
of
Massachusetts and Rhode Island). The Draft Addendum proposes capping
effort
(traps fished) at or near recent levels and allows adjustments in trap
levels based on future stock conditions.
In 2003, based on concerns regarding stock decline in Area 2, the
Lobster
Board took emergency action to accelerate gauge size increases for
that
area and initiate the development of an effort control program.
Addendum
IV, adopted in December 2003, established the first Area 2 effort
control
plan. However, this plan was not implemented due to the inability of
several jurisdictions to execute portions of the plan. The proposed
effort
control plan contained in Draft Addendum VII intends to replace the
prior
plan. It proposes capping the number of traps at or near recent
levels,
thereby, capturing the attrition from the fishery caused by stock
decline
and preventing a return of overall fishing levels to the historic highs
of
the late 1990s. Draft Addendum VII is the product of the collective
efforts of the Area 2 LCMT fishermen and all jurisdictions with Area 2
permit holders (Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York,
New
Jersey).
Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut have scheduled the dates
and
times of their public hearings; the details follow.
Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries
October 3, 2005; 6:30 PM - 10:00 PM
New Bedford Days Inn
500 Hathaway Road
New Bedford, Massachusetts
Contact: Dan McKiernan at (617) 626-1536
Rhode Island Dept. of Environmental Management
September 28, 2005; 6:00 PM
University of Rhode Island, Narragansett Bay Campus
Corless Auditorium
South Ferry Road
Narragansett, Rhode Island
Contact: Tom Angell at (401) 423-1925
Connecticut Dept. of Environmental Protection
October 5, 2005; 7:00 PM
Marine Headquarters
333 Ferry Road
Old Lyme, Connecticut
Contact: Mark Alexander at (860) 434-6043
The Board will meet in early November to review public comment on the
Draft
Addendum and consider its final approval. Fishermen and other
interested
groups are encouraged to provide input on the Draft Addendum either by
attending public hearings or providing written comments. Copies of the
Draft Addendum can be obtained via the Commission's website at
www.asmfc.org under Breaking News or by contacting the Commission at
(202)
289-6400. Public comment will be accepted until 5 PM on October 12,
2005
and should be forwarded to Toni Kerns, American Lobster Fishery
Management
Plan Coordinator, at 1444 'Eye' Street, NW, Sixth Floor, Washington,
DC
20005; (202)289-6051 (fax) or comments@asmfc.org (Subject line:
lobster).
For more information, please contact Toni Kerns at (202)289-6400 or
tkerns@asmfc.org.
###
PR05-20
*************************
Tina Berger
Public Affairs Specialist
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
1444 I Street. NW, Sixth Floor
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: (202)289-6400
FAX: (202)289-6051
Email: tberger@asmfc.org
www.asmfc.org
ASMFC Vision: Healthy, self-sustaining populations of all Atlantic
coast
fish species or successful restoration well in progress by the year
2015.
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