The official striped bass discussion begins on August 26th in Connecticut, with public hearings scheduled all along the Atlantic Coast!

In October 2013, the Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board initiated an addendum to the Amendment 6 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Striped Bass to consider new biological reference points and management options to reduce fishing mortality to a level that is at or below the new target reference point.

The draft addendum presents background on the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (ASMFC) management of striped bass, the addendum process and timeline, a statement of the problem, and proposed management options.  You can view the document in its entirety at http://www.asmfc.org/files/PublicInput/StripedBassDraftAddendumIV_PublicComment.pdf

The Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) encourages all saltwater anglers and recreational fishing industry leaders who are interested in the striped bass fishery to participate in one of the upcoming public hearings which have been scheduled along the Atlantic Coast beginning tonight at Connecticut marine headquarters in Old Lyme.

ASMFC is planning to review all public comment and consider final approval of various options and addendums at their October meetings, with any changes to the commercial and recreational harvest of striped bass expected to be in place starting in 2015.  Preliminary options on the recreational side include size and/or bag limit reductions which could result in harvest reductions of anywhere from 28% to 31% or greater.

Connecticut:
August 26, 2014
7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Marine Headquarters
Boating Education Center
333 Ferry Road
Old Lyme, CT.
deep.marine@ct.gov

New Hampshire:
August 27, 2014
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Urban Forestry Center
45 Elwyn Road
Portsmouth, NH
Douglas.Grout@wildlife.nh.gov

Massachusetts:
September 2, 2014
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Nantucket Community Room
4 Fairgrounds Road
Nantucket, Massachusetts
jared.silva@state.ma.us

Massachusetts:
September 2, 2014
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Massachusetts Maritime Academy
Admiral’s Hall
101 Academy Drive
Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts
jared.silva@state.ma.us

Massachusetts:
September 3, 2014
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
MA DMF
Annisquam River Station
30 Emerson Avenue
Gloucester, Massachusetts
jared.silva@state.ma.us

New Jersey:
September 4, 2014
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Galloway Twp. Branch of the Atlantic Co. Library
306 East Jimmie Leeds Road
Galloway, New Jersey
russ.allen@dep.nj.gov

Massachusetts:
September 4, 2014
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Viking Club
410 Quincy Avenue (Route 53)
Braintree, Massachusetts
jared.silva@state.ma.us

Maine:
September 4, 2014
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Orion Performing Arts Center, MSAD#75
Mt. Ararat Middle School
66 Republic Avenue
Topsham, Maine
Terry.Stockwell@maine.gov

New Jersey:
September 9, 2014
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Ridgefield Park Elks Lodge #1506
Corner of Spruce Avenue and Cedar Street
Ridgefield Park, New Jersey
russ.allen@dep.nj.gov

Delaware:
September 11, 2014
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
DNREC Auditorium
89 Kings Highway
Dover, Delaware
john.clark@state.de.us

New Jersey:
September 15, 2014
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Toms River Town Hall
L. M. Hirshblond Room
33 Washington Street
Toms River, New Jersey
russ.allen@dep.nj.gov

New York:
September 16, 2014
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Stony Brook University Wang Center
Room 201
Stony Brook, New York
Carol Hoffman at 631.444.0476
carol.hoffman@dec.ny.gov

Rhode Island:
September 17, 2014
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
University of Rhode Island
Corless Auditorium
South Ferry Road
Narragansett, Rhode Island
nicole.lengyel@dem.ri.gov

Pennsylvania:
September 17, 2014
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Silver Lake Nature Center
1206 Bath Road
Bristol, Pennsylvania
elevis@pa.gov

Virginia:
September 22, 2014
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Virginia Marine Resources Commission
2600 Washington Avenue, 4th Floor
Newport News, Virginia
rob.oreilly@mrc.virginia.gov

Potomac River Fisheries:
September 23, 2014
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Potomac River Fisheries Commission
222 Taylor Street
Colonial Beach, VA
martingary.prfc@verizon.net

New York:
September 23, 2014
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
NYSDEC Region 3 Office
21 South Putt Corners Road
New Paltz, New York
Kathy.Hattala@dec.ny.gov

Maryland:
September 25, 2014
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Cadby Theater,
Kent Humanities Building
Chesapeake College
1000 College Circle
Wye Mills, MD
mluisi@dnr.state.md.us

North Carolina:
September 29, 2014
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Dare County Government Complex
954 Marshall C. Collins Drive
Manteo, North Carolina
michelle.duval@ncdenr.gov

The public is encouraged to submit comments regarding this document at any time during the addendum process. The final date comments will be accepted is 5pm on September 30, 2014.  Comments may be submitted by mail, email, or fax. If you have any questions or would like to submit comment, please use the contact information below.

Mike Waine (mwaine@asmfc.org)

Fishery Management Plan Coordinator

Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Subject: Draft Addendum IV)

 1050 North Highland Street Suite 200A-N Phone: (703) 842-0740

 Arlington, VA 22201 Fax: (703) 842-0741