11-28-2007, 11:11 PM
[size 1]The following is the text of a press release from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:
States and jurisdictions from Maine through South Carolina have scheduled their hearings to gather public comment on the Public Information Document
(PID) for Amendment 2 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Shad and River Herring. The dates, times and locations of the scheduled meetings follow:
Maine Department of Marine Resources<br />
January 2, 2008; 6:30 PM<br />
Ellsworth City Hall<br />
1 City Plaza<br />
Ellsworth, Maine<br />
Contact: Terry Stockwell at 207/624-6562
January 3, 2008; 6:00 PM<br />
University of Maine<br />
Machias Science Building<br />
Route 1<br />
Machias, Maine<br />
Contact: Terry Stockwell at 207/624-6562
January 10, 2008; 6:00 PM<br />
Lincoln County Communications Center<br />
Route 1<br />
Wiscasset, Maine<br />
Contact: Terry Stockwell at 207/624-6562
New Hampshire Fish and Game<br />
January 2, 2008; 7:00 PM<br />
Urban Forestry Center<br />
45 Elwyn Road<br />
Portsmouth, New Hampshire<br />
Contact: Cheri Patterson at 603/868-1095
Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries January 8, 2008; 6:30 PM Plymouth Harbor Radisson 180 Water Street Plymouth, Massachusetts<br />
Contact: Shannon Davis at 617/626-1621
Rhode Island Division of Fish and Wildlife December 17, 2007; 6:00 PM URI Narragansett Bay Campus Corless Auditorium South Ferry Road Narragansett, Rhode Island<br />
Contact: Phil Edwards at 401/789-7481
Connecticut Dept. of Environmental Protection December 11, 2007; 7:00 PM DEP Marine Headquarters Boating Education Center<br />
333 Ferry Road<br />
Old Lyme, Connecticut<br />
Contact: Eric Smith at 860/434-6043
New York Dept. of Environmental Conservation January 7, 2008; 7:00 PM<br />
21 South Putt Corners Road<br />
New Paltz, New York<br />
Contact: Andy Kahnle at 845/256-3072
New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife December 11, 2007; 7:00 PM Ocean County Administrative Building<br />
101 Hooper Avenue<br />
Public Hearing Room #119<br />
Toms River, New Jersey<br />
Contact: Tom McCloy at 609/292-7794
Delaware Dept. of Natural Resources and Environmental Control December 18, 2007; 7:00 PM Richardson and Robbins Building Auditorium<br />
89 Kings Highway<br />
Dover, Delaware<br />
Contact: Craig Shirey at 302/739-9914
Virginia Marine Resources Commission<br />
December 17, 2007; 6:00 PM<br />
2600 Washington Ave, 4th floor<br />
Newport News, Virginia<br />
Contact: Jack Travelstead at 757/247-2247
North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries December 19, 2007; 7:00 PM CMAST<br />
303 College Circle<br />
Morehead City, North Carolina<br />
Contact: Louis Daniel 252/726-7021
Potomac River Fisheries Commission<br />
December 20, 2007; 6:00 PM<br />
John Thomas Parran Hearing Room<br />
PRFC Building<br />
222 Taylor Street<br />
Colonial Beach, Virginia<br />
Contact: AC Carpenter at 804/224-7148
South Carolina Dept. of Natural Resources December 13, 2007; 7:00 PM Santee-Cooper Auditorium<br />
1 Riverwood Drive<br />
Monks Corner, South Carolina<br />
Contact: Bill Post at 843/953-9821
The PID and subsequent amendment are being developed in response to concerns regarding the status of river herring stocks. While many populations of blueback herring and alewife, collectively known as river herring, are in decline or remain depressed at stable levels, lack of fishery-dependent and independent data makes it difficult to ascertain the status of river herring stocks coastwide. Between 1985 and 2004, commercial landings of river herring dropped by 90% from 13.6 to 1.33 million pounds.
In 2006, Commission member states reported river herring landings of approximately 1.4 million pounds. In response to declining stocks within their own waters, four states-Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and North Carolina-have closed their river herring fisheries. River herring stocks are a multi-jurisdictional resource occurring in both rivers and coastal waters. The PID has been developed to address these concerns by seeking public comment on whether the management program is adequate to ensure survival and enhancement of depressed stocks or the maintenance of presently stable stocks.
Following the initial phase of information-gathering and public comment, the Commission will evaluate potential management alternatives and develop a draft amendment for public review. Following that review and public comment, the Commission will specify the management measures to be included in the final amendment. A tentative schedule for the completion of the Amendment 2 is included in PID.
Fishermen and other interested groups are encouraged to provide input on the PID, either through attending public hearings or providing written comments.<br />
Copies can be obtained by contacting the Commission at (202) 289-6400 or via the Commission's website at www.asmfc.org under Breaking News. Public comment will be accepted until 5:00 PM on January 28, 2007 and should be forwarded to Erika Robbins, Fisheries Management Plan, 1444 'Eye' Street, NW, Sixth Floor, Washington, DC 20005; (202) 289-6051 (FAX) or at comments@asmfc.org (Subject line: River Herring). For more information, please contact Erika Robbins at (202) 289-6400.<br />
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States and jurisdictions from Maine through South Carolina have scheduled their hearings to gather public comment on the Public Information Document
(PID) for Amendment 2 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Shad and River Herring. The dates, times and locations of the scheduled meetings follow:
Maine Department of Marine Resources<br />
January 2, 2008; 6:30 PM<br />
Ellsworth City Hall<br />
1 City Plaza<br />
Ellsworth, Maine<br />
Contact: Terry Stockwell at 207/624-6562
January 3, 2008; 6:00 PM<br />
University of Maine<br />
Machias Science Building<br />
Route 1<br />
Machias, Maine<br />
Contact: Terry Stockwell at 207/624-6562
January 10, 2008; 6:00 PM<br />
Lincoln County Communications Center<br />
Route 1<br />
Wiscasset, Maine<br />
Contact: Terry Stockwell at 207/624-6562
New Hampshire Fish and Game<br />
January 2, 2008; 7:00 PM<br />
Urban Forestry Center<br />
45 Elwyn Road<br />
Portsmouth, New Hampshire<br />
Contact: Cheri Patterson at 603/868-1095
Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries January 8, 2008; 6:30 PM Plymouth Harbor Radisson 180 Water Street Plymouth, Massachusetts<br />
Contact: Shannon Davis at 617/626-1621
Rhode Island Division of Fish and Wildlife December 17, 2007; 6:00 PM URI Narragansett Bay Campus Corless Auditorium South Ferry Road Narragansett, Rhode Island<br />
Contact: Phil Edwards at 401/789-7481
Connecticut Dept. of Environmental Protection December 11, 2007; 7:00 PM DEP Marine Headquarters Boating Education Center<br />
333 Ferry Road<br />
Old Lyme, Connecticut<br />
Contact: Eric Smith at 860/434-6043
New York Dept. of Environmental Conservation January 7, 2008; 7:00 PM<br />
21 South Putt Corners Road<br />
New Paltz, New York<br />
Contact: Andy Kahnle at 845/256-3072
New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife December 11, 2007; 7:00 PM Ocean County Administrative Building<br />
101 Hooper Avenue<br />
Public Hearing Room #119<br />
Toms River, New Jersey<br />
Contact: Tom McCloy at 609/292-7794
Delaware Dept. of Natural Resources and Environmental Control December 18, 2007; 7:00 PM Richardson and Robbins Building Auditorium<br />
89 Kings Highway<br />
Dover, Delaware<br />
Contact: Craig Shirey at 302/739-9914
Virginia Marine Resources Commission<br />
December 17, 2007; 6:00 PM<br />
2600 Washington Ave, 4th floor<br />
Newport News, Virginia<br />
Contact: Jack Travelstead at 757/247-2247
North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries December 19, 2007; 7:00 PM CMAST<br />
303 College Circle<br />
Morehead City, North Carolina<br />
Contact: Louis Daniel 252/726-7021
Potomac River Fisheries Commission<br />
December 20, 2007; 6:00 PM<br />
John Thomas Parran Hearing Room<br />
PRFC Building<br />
222 Taylor Street<br />
Colonial Beach, Virginia<br />
Contact: AC Carpenter at 804/224-7148
South Carolina Dept. of Natural Resources December 13, 2007; 7:00 PM Santee-Cooper Auditorium<br />
1 Riverwood Drive<br />
Monks Corner, South Carolina<br />
Contact: Bill Post at 843/953-9821
The PID and subsequent amendment are being developed in response to concerns regarding the status of river herring stocks. While many populations of blueback herring and alewife, collectively known as river herring, are in decline or remain depressed at stable levels, lack of fishery-dependent and independent data makes it difficult to ascertain the status of river herring stocks coastwide. Between 1985 and 2004, commercial landings of river herring dropped by 90% from 13.6 to 1.33 million pounds.
In 2006, Commission member states reported river herring landings of approximately 1.4 million pounds. In response to declining stocks within their own waters, four states-Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and North Carolina-have closed their river herring fisheries. River herring stocks are a multi-jurisdictional resource occurring in both rivers and coastal waters. The PID has been developed to address these concerns by seeking public comment on whether the management program is adequate to ensure survival and enhancement of depressed stocks or the maintenance of presently stable stocks.
Following the initial phase of information-gathering and public comment, the Commission will evaluate potential management alternatives and develop a draft amendment for public review. Following that review and public comment, the Commission will specify the management measures to be included in the final amendment. A tentative schedule for the completion of the Amendment 2 is included in PID.
Fishermen and other interested groups are encouraged to provide input on the PID, either through attending public hearings or providing written comments.<br />
Copies can be obtained by contacting the Commission at (202) 289-6400 or via the Commission's website at www.asmfc.org under Breaking News. Public comment will be accepted until 5:00 PM on January 28, 2007 and should be forwarded to Erika Robbins, Fisheries Management Plan, 1444 'Eye' Street, NW, Sixth Floor, Washington, DC 20005; (202) 289-6051 (FAX) or at comments@asmfc.org (Subject line: River Herring). For more information, please contact Erika Robbins at (202) 289-6400.<br />
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