State Letter on Herring and Tog

[finchaser]

-----Original Message-----
From: FWLISTS FWLISTS <FWLISTS@dep.state.nj.us>
To: njfreshwaterfishing <njfreshwaterfishing@listserv.state.nj.us>; njmarinefishing <njmarinefishing@listserv.state.nj.us>; njoutdoors <njoutdoors@listserv.state.nj.us>
Sent: Wed, Feb 1, 2012 1:57 pm
Subject: River Herring and Tautog Regulation Changes

The NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife is informing recreational saltwater anglers and commercial fishermen of recent regulatory changes for river herring and tautog fisheries. These actions were taken to comply with Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) management plans for river herring and tautog.Effective immediately, no person shall take, possess, land, purchase, sell or offer for sale any river herring (alewife and blueback) in the marine waters of the State. Only commercial vessels fishing exclusively in Federal waters while operating a valid Federal permit for Atlantic mackerel and/or Atlantic herring may possess river herring, up to a maximum of five percent by weight of all species possessed.These regulations were put in place due to concerns about the significant coastwide decline of river herring stocks. For more information regarding the changes, including season, limit and size information, visit http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/news/2012/herring-tog_regchange.htm on the division's website. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -This message has been sent to you as a subscriber to the njmarinefishingautomated mailing list by the NJ DEP Division of Fish and Wildlife.To unsubscribe from this list, please go to:http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/lstunsub.htmIf you need assistance please email njfishandwildlife@dep.state.nj.us.

[jigfreak]

They keep chipping away at the limits, prety soon we will have nothing to fish for but bass and bluefish.

[cowherder]

If they do this, how long do you think it will take for the herring to come back to normal levels, finchaser?

[finchaser]

I'll be dead and you may be on your way out.If they put them on the endangered list at least 10 years

[DarkSkies]

This is the final results of the MAMFC meetings......sent by Fin, thanks!





Mid-Atlantic Council Recommends Measures to Protect River Herring and Shad

Council Approves Amendment 14 and Initiates Amendment 15


At last week’s meeting in New York City, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council recommended measures to improve catch monitoring and reduce bycatch of river herrings (blueback and alewife) and shads (American and hickory) in the Atlantic mackerel and longfin squid fisheries. These recommendations, if approved by The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), will be implemented via Amendment 14 to the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan.

River herrings and shads are among a number of important forage species in the Northeast region. Although they are not managed as directed fisheries, river herrings and shads are caught as incidental catch (bycatch) by trawlers fishing for mackerel and squid.

Concerns about bycatch of these species have escalated in recent months after an Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) stock assessment indicated that 92% of the 24 assessed river herring stocks were depleted. The Council initiated Amendment 14 in response to a request from the ASMFC to improve monitoring and reduce river herring interactions as part of a coordinated effort to address sources of river herring mortality.

The recommended measures for Amendment 14 include a catch cap for river herrings and shads in the mackerel fishery beginning in 2014 and increased vessel and dealer reporting requirements. The Council recommended that NMFS increase observer coverage in the mackerel fishery and require 100% coverage on mid-water trawlers. A portion of the costs associated with these new requirements would be paid by fishery participants. More rigorous reporting and monitoring requirements are expected to result in more accurate and complete data on river herring and shad catches.

The Council discussed the feasibility of adding river herrings and/or shads as directly managed fisheries in Amendment 14, and they determined that a follow-up Amendment (15) would allow for a more complete consideration of the issue. Amendment 15 could include provisions for setting Annual Catch Limits, identifying Essential Fish Habitat, and establishing joint management with management partners such as the New England Fishery Management Council and/or the ASMFC.

“The Council recommended a strong monitoring program that will substantially improve our understanding of river herring and shad interactions in these small-mesh trawl fisheries,” said Council Chairman Rick Robins. “A catch cap will enable the Council to directly limit river herring and shad bycatch in these fisheries, and it will encourage the fleet to utilize bycatch avoidance programs to target mackerel and longfin squid in areas with lower rates of river herring and shad interactions.”

**This press release will be available on our website in a downloadable PDF format in the coming days. Please visit: http://www.mafmc.org/press

[finchaser]

more political bullsh_t:2flip: