CONTACT: Gordon Helm FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2/21/97
To rebuild the overfished stock of Atlantic coast weakfish to healthy levels, the National Marine Fisheries Service proposes to regulate the harvest of weakfish in federal waters from Maine to Florida, the Commerce Department announced today.
The fisheries service, an agency of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is seeking comments on the proposal at three public hearings along the East Coast in March.
According to fisheries service officials, biological indicators show that the weakfish stock is severely overfished. Therefore, the fisheries service is proposing to implement the following measures in federal waters:
- 12 inch minimum size limit;
- mesh sizes compatible with the size limit;
- bycatch possession limit of 150 pounds for smaller mesh sizes;
- no flynetting south of Cape Hatteras;
- commercial landings of weakfish only in certain states
(Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey,
Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Florida).
Commercial and recreational fishermen target weakfish in East Coast waters from Massachusetts to Florida. Fishermen catch about eight million pounds of weakfish annually, but marine fisheries scientists believe millions more could be taken if weakfish stocks are managed to a healthy state.
These regulations are expected to begin the process of rebuilding the stock in coordination with other measures implemented under the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's (ASMFC) Weakfish Fishery Management Plan.
The National Marine Fisheries Service is responsible for managing Atlantic coast weakfish in federal waters, while the ASMFC, consisting of 15 East Coast states plus the District of Columbia and the Potomac River Fisheries Commission, is responsible for managing weakfish in state waters.
The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council has the lead in developing a federal weakfish fishery management plan, but has been unable to do so because of workload constraints. In the absence of a federal fishery management plan, the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act allows the Secretary of Commerce to implement regulations in federal waters that complement the ASMFC weakfish plan in state waters. The ASMFC fishery management plan already requires Atlantic coast states to implement measures similar to those proposed for federal waters, and has requested supportive action by the Department of Commerce in federal waters.
The fisheries service, in cooperation with ASMFC and the states, will hold three public hearings along the Atlantic coast in March to gather public comment.
Additionally, the fisheries service is asking for public comments on a draft environmental impact statement for weakfish that examines the condition of the stock and various regulatory alternatives. The draft impact statement will serve as background information for the proposed rule. Copies of the impact statement and proposed rule may be obtained by calling Tom Meyer of the National Marine Fisheries Service at (301) 427-2014.
Written comments must be received by March 17, 1997, at: The Office of Intergovernmental and Recreational Fisheries, Suite 425, 8484 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, Md. 20910.
The public hearing schedule is:
March 4 --- 7:00 p.m.
Cape May Court House, N.J.
New Jersey Marine Advisory Service Extension Educational Center
Dennisville Road, Route 657
March 10 --- 7:30 p.m.
Dover, Del.
Dept. of Natural Resources & Environmental Control Auditorium
89 Kings Highway
March 6 --- 7:00 p.m.
Manteo, N.C.
North Carolina Aquarium
Airport Road
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