Category Archives: Legislation and Regulation

Striped Bass Fishing Regulations: Current Proposal from ASMFC

Conservation, Events, Legislation and Regulation

Learn about the issue

Give your Opinion: Public comments due by Dec. 22, 2023

An Explanation of the Proposal

Links to background information:
Addendum Text from ASMFC
Meeting Dates and Directions on Submitting Comments

Our Club Response

PLUM ISLAND SURFCASTERS
Established 1957

Emilie Franke
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
1050 N. Highland Street, Suite 200 A-N
Arlington, VA  22201

Dear Emilie,

Please find the following comments representing the membership of the Plum Island Surfcasters (PISC), a 500-member North Shore Massachusetts fishing club, input on Amendment 7 Addendum 2. The PISC is a non-profit sportfishing club committed to developing best practices in good sportsmanship, education, techniques, and conservation for future generations.

The membership of the Plum Island Surfcaster believes the striped bass stock condition is much worse than is being projected in this addendum. Since we are located toward the Northern reach of the striped bass ocean fishery, we are first to see more acute changes in the population. Many of our members that maintain detailed fishing logs have seen a 60 to 75% reduction in their catch over the past five years. 

The Plum Island Surfcasters membership support the following Addendum 2 options:

3.1.1 Ocean Recreational Fishery Options. The membership supports Option B, 1 fish at 28” to 31” with 2022 season (all modes).

While many of our members do use for hire services, we feel that all recreational anglers should operate under the same guidelines related to the size and fish limits. We also believe that it is imperative that we protect the 2015-year class and maintain the current 28” to 31” size limit. 

3.1.2 Chesapeake Bay Recreational Fishery Options. The membership supports Option B2 at 1 fish at 19” to 24”.

Option B2 was selected since it meets the desired 14.5 % reduction while holding all recreational anglers to the same size and fish limit.

3.1.3 For-Hire Management Clarification. The membership supports Option B.

While the membership believes all recreational anglers should operate under the same regulations and do not support Options C1 or C2, if either of these options are selected then Option B should be used.

3.1.4 Recreational Filleting Allowance Requirements. The membership supports Option B.

Option B gives law enforcement the ability to ensure compliance with regulations.

3.2.1 Commercial Quota Reduction Options. The membership supports Option B.

Our membership supports a quota reduction of 14.5%. This would bring the commercial quota reduction into alignment with the recreational reduction expected percentages. This is especially needed since some of the states have commercial size limits that are focused on the primary spawning stock. 

3.3 Response to Stock Assessment. The membership supports Option B

Our membership supports giving the Board the ability to quickly address stock assessment data that indicates the stock is not projected to meet rebuild probability. This option should be limited to only address assessment data that indicates the stock will not meet rebuild probability.

In addition to the club commentary letter on Addendum II it is heavily encouraged that every member sends their own commentary.  A strong and clear chorus championing conservation and a long-term focus on the health of our shared resource is vitally important.

Please do not copy and paste our letter as your comments. If there is no personal message from you, it will be ignored. Please rephrase in your own words and include a personal reflection on the need for protection of the striped bass breeding stock.

You cannot talk your way into catching fish during the season, but your action or silence on this issue will be weighed by the ASMFC board members when they make their decision.  The results of this decision will echo for many seasons to come.

Commentary can be sent either via email or mailed letter.  Commentary should indicate your opinions on the major topics of the addendum and your support for the best interest of the Striped Bass population.  Please try to make your letter unique to your own experience, given that form letters are not always considered with the same weight as a personally drafted one.

Deadline:
Friday, December 22, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. (EST)

Methods of Contact:

Email:
 comments@asmfc.org
(Subject: Striped Bass Draft Addendum II)

Mail:
Emilie Franke
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
1050 N. Highland Street, Suite 200 A-N
Arlington VA. 22201

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MA Division of Marine Fisheries Seeks Comment on Groundfish Regulations

Conservation, Legislation and Regulation

This is reprinted from the MA Marine Fisheries Website.

Public Comment Sought on Proposed Action to Temporarily Lift the State-Waters Groundfish Closure for April 2021

Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries sent this bulletin at 02/19/2021 08:54 AM EST

DMF Advisory #2 v3 February 19, 2021 Public Comment Sought on Proposed Action to Temporarily Lift the State-Waters Groundfish Closure for April 2021 DMF is seeking public comment on lifting the conditional April groundfish closure for 2021. This annual closure was developed in 2019 to address allocative concerns that landings from the state waters-only groundfish fishery may impact access to federal groundfish quotas. By regulation, those state waters between 42°00’N (Plymouth) and 42°30’N (Marblehead) west of 70°30’ W are closed to commercial groundfish fishing in April. However, the closure may be lifted on an annual basis if DMF projects the action will not result in an exceedance of the annual federally allocated state-waters subcomponent for regulated groundfish stocks or will not compromise federal conservation objectives. DMF has analyzed landings data for the current fishing year (May 1 – April 30) and intends to  lift the conditional April groundfish closure this year. Landings for the current fishing year are well below the federally allocated sub-components, likely driven by COVID related impacts on fishery effort last spring and summer. Accordingly, it is unlikely that an April opening will result in an exceedance of the state waters sub-components or of overall annual catch limits. Further information on this analysis may be found in DMF’s February 12, 2021 memorandum to the Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission. DMF will accept written public comment on this proposal through 5PM on Friday, March 5, 2021. Written comment may be submitted to by e-mail to marine.fish@mass.gov or by post sent to 251 Causeway Street, Suite 400, Boston, MA 02114. The Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission will consider adopting this action at their March 18, 2021 business meeting.   For more information regarding the management of marine fisheries in the Commonwealth please visit our website: www.mass.gov/marinefisheries   groundfish closure
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Striped Bass Stock Assessment Public Hearings: Oct. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd

Conservation, Fishing, Legislation and Regulation

Come out to voice your opinion.  Recreational fishermen will be overlooked if they are not as vocal as the commercial fishermen.

October 1, 2019  at 7pm
Urban Forestry Center
45 Elwin Road
Portsmouth, N H
October 2, 2019 at 6 pm
Crowne Plaza Woburn
15 Middlesex Canal Park Drive
Woburn, MA
October 3, 2019 at 6pm
MA Maritime Academy, Admiral’s Hall
101 Academy Drive
Buzzards Bay, MA

To submit comments online:

Email: comments@asmfc.org
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Subject: Striped Bass Draft Addendum VI) 1050 North Highland Street Suite 200A-N, Arlington, VA 22201
Phone: (703) 842-0740
Fax: (703) 842-0741

DMF Contact:  Dr. Michael Armstrong  (978)282-0308, ext. 109

See the document for public comment here.  A few issues particularly relevant to recreational fishing (and PISC) are discussed below.

A statement from the document linked above:  the role of Recreational Catch & Release Fishing on Striped Bass Mortality:

Roughly 90% of annual Atlantic striped bass recreational catch is released alive, of which 9% are estimated to die as a result of being caught (referred to as “release mortality” or “dead releases”). Catch and release fishing has been perceived to have a minimal impact on the population, however a large component of annual striped bass mortality is attributed to release mortality – accounting for roughly 48% of total removals in 2017 (49% in 2018). The current recreational striped bass management program uses bag limits and size limits to limit the number of fish that are harvested. However, these measures are not designed to reduce fishing effort and subsequent release mortality. While the proposed measures herein result in lower overall removals, the majority of them also increase dead releases. In order to address dead releases, effort controls that are better designed to reduce the number of fishing trips that encounter striped bass should be considered (e.g., closed seasons).

Please attend and voice your opinion as to how to protect striped bass from overfishing.  The goal is to reduce overall catch + release mortality (both commercial and recreational) by roughly 20%.  This will be accomplished by changes to allowable keeper sizes.  One of the following options will be chosen.  Be present to voice your opinion about these choices.

Option 1:  No changes to recreational size limits or reductions in commercial catch quotas

Option 3:  No commercial fishing quota reductions and more recreational fishing limits.

Option2:  Choose among several suboptions as detailed below.

There will likely also be discussion of circle hooks and other gear restrictions.  Also note the reference to “closed seasons” in the excerpt above.

Come out to voice your opinion.  Recreational fishermen will be overlooked if they are not as vocal as the commercial fishermen.

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Legislation to Protect the Merrimack River from Sewage Pollution

Conservation, Legislation and Regulation, Merrimack River Watershed Council, Water Safety

According to the Merrimack River Watershed Council (MRWC) :  Last year, over 750 million gallons of CSO (raw sewage) water was released into the Merrimack — the largest amount since 2011.

The MRWC has informed us of several pieces of proposed legislation in Massachusetts to avoid future sewage releases into the Merrimack River.  Some of the proposed changes are simple and cheap, others are more expensive or time-consuming.

  • Require public notification of sewage releases during big storms
  • Require visible flags indicating water quality in public access points (like boat ramps)
  • Require backup generators at sewage treatment facilities (to prevent sewage releases due to electric power disruption)
  • Set up a commission to review the health of the Merrimack River and propose solutions

There are four sewage treatment plants in Massachusetts (Haverhill, Lawrence, Lowell and Fitchburg) that would be covered by this legislation.   Two sewage treatment plants in New Hampshire (Nashua and Manchester) are also problematic.  Unfortunately, there are currently no bills in the New Hampshire legislature to address the problems in Nashua and Manchester.

We encourage all club members to contact their senators and representatives and ask their support of this legislation.

You can read details of the proposed legislation at the MRWC site.

 

Founded in 1976, Merrimack River Watershed Council (MRWC) is dedicated to promoting a clean and accessible Merrimack River and watershed. As “the voice of the Merrimack,” the Council’s mission is to protect, improve, and conserve the Merrimack River watershed for people and wildlife through education, recreation, advocacy, and science.Facebooktwitterlinkedin