State meetings on Summer Flounder FMP

[NCangler]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, MAY 26, 2005
PRESS CONTACT, TINA BERGER (202)289-6400

States Schedule Public Meetings to Gather Comment on Draft Addendum XVII to
the Summer Flounder FMP

Washington, DC – The Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass
Management Board approved Draft Addendum XVII to the Summer Flounder
Fishery Management Plan for public comment and review. The Draft Addendum
proposes a program that allows the Board to subdivide the recreational
coastwide allocation into regions as an option under conservation
equivalency. It also initiates a public dialog to discuss the ability to
average multiple years of data as well as multiple years of landings to
establish recreational management programs.

Atlantic coastal states from Massachusetts through North Carolina have
scheduled the dates and times of their public meetings to gather comment.
The specific details of those meetings follow:

Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries
July 5, 2005; 7:00PM
Plymouth Harbor Radisson
180 Water Street
Plymouth, MA 02360
Contact: Melanie Griffin at 617-626-1528

Rhode Island Division of Fish and Wildlife
June 28, 2005; 6:00PM
URI Narragansett Bay Campus
Corless Auditorium
South Ferry Road
Narragansett, Rhode Island
Contact: Brian Murphy at (401) 423-1941

Connecticut Dept. of Environmental Protection
July 7, 2005; 7:00PM
Marine Headquarters Office Education Center
333 Ferry Road
Old Lyme, Connecticut
Contact: Dave Simpson at (860) 434-6043

New York Dept. of Environmental Conservation
July 12, 2005; 7:00PM
205 North Belle Mead Road, Suite 1
East Setauket, New York
Contact: Gordon Colvin at (631) 444-0430

New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife
June 29, 2005; 6:30PM
Atlantic County Library Galloway Township
306 East Jimmie Leeds Road
Absecon, New Jersey
Contact: Bruce Freeman at (609) 292-2083

Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife
July 13, 2005; 7:30PM
Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control
Richardson and Robbins Building Auditorium
89 Kings Highway
Dover, Delaware
Contact: Rick Cole at (302) 739-4782

Maryland Department of Natural Resources
July 7, 2005; 6:30PM
Ocean Pines Library
Worcester County Library
11107 Cathell Road
Ocean Pines, Maryland
Contact: Howard J. King, III at (410) 260-8281

Virginia Marine Resources Commission
July 13, 2005; 6:00PM
2600 Washington Avenue
Fourth Floor Conference Room
Newport News, Virginia
Contact: Jack Travelstead at (757) 247-2247

North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries
July 14, 2005; 7:00 PM
Classroom 1, Crystal Coast Civic Center
3505 Arendell Street
Morehead City, North Carolina
Contact: Preston Pate at (252) 726-7021

The management options within Addendum XVII respond to concerns expressed
by fishermen and managers regarding the potential variability of data from
the Marine Recreational Fishery Statistics Survey (MRFSS) when used on a
state-by-state basis. By adopting regional or coastwide management
approaches, MRFSS coverage area increases while data variability decreases,
thereby enhancing the credibility of both the data and the management
program. The Addendum also initiates a public dialog to discuss the
ability to average multiple years of data and multiple years of landings to
establish recreational management programs.

When state-specific conservation equivalent measures are adopted, water
bodies used by fishermen from several states (such as the Long Island
Sound) may have multiple or conflicting regulations. These differing
regulations create confusion for fishermen fishing in that area. Regional
approaches to summer flounder recreational management could potentially
minimize differences in adjacent states fishing on the same water body.

The Board will meet in August 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 Addendum either by attending
public hearings or providing written comments. Copies 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 5:00 PM on July 20, 2005 and should be
forwarded to Toni Kerns, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at 1444 ‘Eye’
Street, NW, Sixth Floor, Washington, DC 20005; (202) 289-6051 (fax) or
tkerns@asmfc.org. For more information, please contact Toni Kerns at (202)
289-6400 or tkerns@asmfc.org.

PR05-12
*************************
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.