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MAFMC Releases 2018 Flounder Stock Assessment Results
The November 2018 benchmark stock assessment found that the summer flounder stock is not overfished, and overfishing is not occurring. Among other changes, the assessment incorporated a revised, higher time series of recreational catch (harvest and discards) that contributed to increased biomass estimates. The higher biomass projections result in a proposed 49% increase in the commercial quota and recreational harvest limit (RHL) for 2019. Although the RHL will increase by 49%, the new revised estimates of recreational landings also increased. As a result, recreational measures cannot be liberalized in 2019.
2018 Stock Assessment Results
The assessment incorporated the revised time series of recreational catch from the Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP), which is 30% higher on average compared to the previous summer flounder estimates for 1981-2017. The MRIP estimate revisions account for changes in both the angler intercept survey and recreational effort survey methodologies. While fishing mortality rates were not strongly affected by incorporating these revisions, increased recreational catch resulted in increased estimates of stock size compared to past assessments.
As described in the assessment summary report, summer flounder spawning stock biomass was estimated at 78% of the revised biomass target in 2017 (not overfished), and the fishing mortality rate was estimated to be 25% below the revised overfishing threshold (not overfishing).
Recruitment of juvenile summer flounder to the fishery has been below-average since about 2011, although the driving factors behind this trend have not been identified. Bottom trawl survey data also indicates a recent trend of decreasing length and weight at age, which implies slower growth and delayed maturity. These factors affected the change in biological reference points used to determine stock status.
Proposed Changes to Catch and Landings Limits
Based on the assessment biomass projections, the Council and Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission recommended new commercial quotas and recreational harvest limits for 2019-2021. The proposed commercial quota (prior to deductions for past overages) is 11.53 million pounds, an approximate 49% increase from the current 2019 interim limit of 7.72 million pounds. The proposed recreational harvest limit is 7.69 million pounds, also a 49% increase from the current interim limit of 5.15 million pounds. Final implementation of these limits by NOAA Fisheries is expected in Spring 2019.
2019 Recreational Measures
As in other recent years, the recreational fishery in 2019 is proposed to be managed under regional conservation equivalency, with state measures remaining mostly unchanged. States may consider minor modifications to their measures if these measures will keep harvest at the same level as 2018.
Why can't recreational measures be liberalized in 2019 if the RHL is increasing? The completion of the stock assessment marks the full transition to using the revised estimates of recreational harvest in the management process. Each year, recent harvest must be evaluated relative to the following year's recreational harvest limit to determine how measures can be modified. Under the new MRIP methodology, the preliminary 2018 harvest for summer flounder was 7.17 million pounds, about 7% below the revised recreational harvest limit of 7.69 million pounds. Because the 2019 recreational harvest limit is within the coastwide percent standard error (PSE, a measure of precision) of the 2018 estimate, no liberalization is proposed in order to account for uncertainty in the recreational harvest estimate. In other words, the 2019 recreational harvest limit is increasing, but the estimates of recreational harvest have also substantially increased, leaving little room for changes in 2019.
What will happen with recreational measures going forward? Recreational measures for 2020 will be considered in December 2019. Whether and how measures could be modified will depend on harvest levels through late summer/early fall 2019, and how projected 2019 harvest compares to the 2020 RHL. Alternative methods for setting recreational measures may be considered in 2020, based on ongoing work by Council contractors and the Monitoring/Technical Committees.
NOAA Adjusts Bluefin Tuna Regs
NOAA Fisheries is adjusting the Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) daily retention limits that apply to vessels permitted in the Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Angling category and the HMS Charter/Headboat category (when fishing recreationally for BFT). The adjustments below are effective May 11, 2019.
Private, HMS Angling category-permitted vessels
2 school BFT (27 to <47”)
and
1 large school/small medium BFT (47 to <73”)
Charter boats with HMS Charter/Headboat category permits, when fishing recreationally
3 school BFT (27 to <47”)
and
1 large school/small medium BFT (47 to <73”)
Headboats with HMS Charter/Headboat category permits, when fishing recreationally
6 school BFT (27 to <47”)
and
2 large school/small medium BFT (47 to <73”)
Dredging starts near the Assawoman Canal Trail
DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation has announced that dredging is expected to last until spring on a lagoon adjacent to the Assawoman Canal in Delaware Seashore State Park. Preparation work for the dredging is underway at the site off Town Road near Route 26 in Ocean View. The project will enable launch access to the canal for canoes and kayaks.
During the construction period, the Town Road parking lot and trailhead will be temporarily closed on some construction days. The main portion of the Assawoman Canal Trail will remain open to walkers and cyclists.
Atlantic Striped Bass Benchmark Stock Assessment Finds Resource Overfished and Overfishing Occurring
The 2018 Atlantic Striped Bass Benchmark Stock Assessment indicates that striped bass are overfished and experiencing overfishing relative to the updated reference points defined in the assessment. Female spawning stock biomass (SSB) was estimated at 151 million pounds, below the threshold of 202 million pounds. Despite recent declines in SSB, the assessment indicated the stock is still significantly above the levels observed during the moratorium in the mid-1980s. Total fishing mortality (F) was estimated at 0.31, above the threshold of 0.24. The benchmark assessment and its single-stock statistical catch-at-age model was endorsed by the Peer Review Panel and accepted by the Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board for management use.
Based on these findings and the tripping of Amendment 6’s reference point management triggers relating to mortality and spawning stock biomass thresholds (e.g., F in 2017 is above the threshold level and SSB is below the threshold level), the Board initiated the development of a Draft Addendum to consider measures aimed to reduce mortality to the target level. The Technical Committee estimates it would require roughly a 17% reduction in total removals (commercial and recreational harvest, including dead releases) to reduce mortality to the target in 2020 relative to 2017 levels. The Draft Addendum will explore a range of management options, including minimum size and slot size limits for the recreational fishery in the Chesapeake Bay and along the coast, as well as a coastwide circle hook requirement when fishing with bait.
The Board also provided guidance on how to apply the necessary reductions to both the commercial and recreational sectors. The Draft Addendum will be presented to the Board for its consideration and approval for public comment in August. If approved, it will be released for public comment, with the Board considering its final approval in October for implementation in 2020. Additionally, the Board postponed a motion to initiate the development of an Amendment until its next meeting in August.
Atlantic striped bass experienced a period of strong recruitment (estimated as number of age-1 fish) from 1994-2004, followed by a period of lower recruitment from 2005-2011 (although not as low as the early 1980s, when the stock was considered collapsed). This period of low recruitment contributed to the decline in spawning stock biomass in recent years. Recruitment was high in 2012, 2015, and 2016 (corresponding to strong 2011, 2014, and 2015 year classes), but recruitment estimates were below the long-term average in 2013, 2014, and 2017. Recruitment in 2017 was estimated at 108.8 million age-1 fish, below the time series average of 140.9 million fish.
A more detailed description of the stock assessment results is available on the Commission’s website at http://www.asmfc.org/uploads/file/5cc89c2eAtlStripedBassStockAssessmentOverview.pdf. The 2018 Atlantic Striped Bass Benchmark Stock Assessment, Stock Assessment Summary and Peer Review Report can be obtained via the following links:
Full assessment report - https://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/publications/crd/crd1908/crd1908.pdf
For more information, contact Max Appelman, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at [email protected].
