njdiver1
Contributor
Get ready for a possible three months straight of no taking of lobster sometime in 2018.
A Draft Addendum published Tuesday, by the American Lobster Board of the Atlantic States Fisheries Management Commission, lists it as an option to help the Southern New England (Cape Cod to Cape Hatteras) American Lobster recover from a more than decade long decline in recruitment (young lobster) that has decimated the industry, especially in Long Island Sound. Along with tightening the size limits and possibly the amount of traps allowed, the closure is proposed "to address the depleted condition of the Southern New England (SNE) stock while preserving a functional portion of the SNE lobster fishery. The document presents a suite of management measures to increase egg production and lower fishing mortality through a combination of management tools including gauge size changes, season closures, and trap reductions." There are options for the recreational fishery as well as an opportunity to comment on the Draft. A copy of the Draft Addendum is available here:
http://www.asmfc.org/files/PublicInput/AmLobsterDraftAddendumXXV_PublicComment.pdf
To comment:
"Fishermen and interested stakeholders are encouraged to provide input on the Draft Addendum either by attending state public hearings or providing written comment. The Draft Addendum can be obtained at http://www.asmfc.org/files/PublicInput/AmLobsterDraftAddendumXXV_PublicComment.pdf or via the Commission’s website, www.asmfc.org, under Public Input. Public comment will be accepted until 5 PM (EST) on April 7, 2017 and should be forwarded to Megan Ware, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, 1050 N. Highland St, Suite 200 A‐N, Arlington, VA 22201; 703.842.0741 (FAX) or at mware@asmfc.org (Subject line: Draft Addendum XXV)."
A Draft Addendum published Tuesday, by the American Lobster Board of the Atlantic States Fisheries Management Commission, lists it as an option to help the Southern New England (Cape Cod to Cape Hatteras) American Lobster recover from a more than decade long decline in recruitment (young lobster) that has decimated the industry, especially in Long Island Sound. Along with tightening the size limits and possibly the amount of traps allowed, the closure is proposed "to address the depleted condition of the Southern New England (SNE) stock while preserving a functional portion of the SNE lobster fishery. The document presents a suite of management measures to increase egg production and lower fishing mortality through a combination of management tools including gauge size changes, season closures, and trap reductions." There are options for the recreational fishery as well as an opportunity to comment on the Draft. A copy of the Draft Addendum is available here:
http://www.asmfc.org/files/PublicInput/AmLobsterDraftAddendumXXV_PublicComment.pdf
To comment:
"Fishermen and interested stakeholders are encouraged to provide input on the Draft Addendum either by attending state public hearings or providing written comment. The Draft Addendum can be obtained at http://www.asmfc.org/files/PublicInput/AmLobsterDraftAddendumXXV_PublicComment.pdf or via the Commission’s website, www.asmfc.org, under Public Input. Public comment will be accepted until 5 PM (EST) on April 7, 2017 and should be forwarded to Megan Ware, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, 1050 N. Highland St, Suite 200 A‐N, Arlington, VA 22201; 703.842.0741 (FAX) or at mware@asmfc.org (Subject line: Draft Addendum XXV)."
