Arlington, VA – The Atlantic coastal states of Maine through Virginia have scheduled hearings to gather public input on Draft Addendum II to Amendment 7 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Striped Bass, which considers management measures designed to support stock rebuilding by reducing fishing mortality to the target in 2024. Some hearings will be conducted in-person, and some hearings will be conducted via webinar, or in a hybrid format. Additional details on participating in the webinars can be found later in this release.
The public hearing details follow:
Date and Hearing Format
State/Agency
Contact
Wednesday, November 15
Webinar Hearing
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
New Jersey Dept. of Environmental Protection & Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission
The webinar registration link is available here, and additional webinar instructions are below.
Joe Cimino (NJ)
609.748.2063
814.359.5115
Thursday, November 16
In-person Hearing
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Connecticut Dept. of Energy & Environmental Protection
Hearing Location:
CT DEEP Marine Headquarters
Boating Education Center (“Back Building”)
333 Ferry Road, Old Lyme CT 06371
860.447.4322
Tuesday, November 28
Hybrid Hearing
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife
Note: This is a hybrid meeting (both in-person and virtual). The webinar registration link is available here, and additional webinar instructions are below.
Hearing Location:
Kent County Conservation District
1679 S. Dupont Hwy, Dover, DE 19901
John Clark302.739.9108
Thursday, November 30
In-person Hearing
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Rhode Island Dept. of Environmental Management
Hearing Location:
University of Rhode Island Bay Campus
Corless Auditorium
215 South Ferry Road, Narraganset, RI 02882
Jason McNamee401.222.4700
x2772414
Monday, December 4
In-person Hearing
6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation
Hearing Location:
NYSDEC Division of Marine Resources
123 Kings Park Blvd (inside Nissequogue River State Park), Kings Park, NY 11754
Note: NYSDEC will provide a listen-only livestream link to be posted on the NYSDEC calendar.
John Maniscalco631.444.0437
Tuesday, December 5
In-person Hearing
6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries
Hearing Location:
Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Admiral’s Hall
101 Academy Dr., Buzzards Bay, MA 02532
Michael Armstrong978.619.0012
Wednesday, December 6
In-person Hearing
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Maryland Dept. of Natural Resources
Hearing Location:
Calvary United Methodist Church, Basement Room
301 Rowe Blvd, Annapolis, MD 21401
Michael Luisi443.758.6547
Thursday, December 7
In-person Hearing
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Virginia Marine Resources Commission
Hearing Location:
Virginia Marine Resources Commission
380 Fenwick Rd, Building 96
Fort Monroe, VA, 23651
757.247.2236
Monday, December 11
Hybrid Hearing
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
New Hampshire Fish and Game Dept.
Note: This is a hybrid meeting (both in-person and virtual). The webinar registration link is available here, and additional webinar instructions are below.
Hearing Location:
Urban Forestry Center
45 Elwyn Road, Portsmouth, NH 03801
Cheri Patterson603.868.1095
Tuesday, December 12
Webinar Hearing
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Potomac River Fisheries Commission &
District of Columbia Dept. of Energy and Environment
The webinar registration link is available here, and additional webinar details are below.
Ingrid Braun-Ricks(PRFC) 804.750.3824
Daniel Ryan (DC) 202.597.1244
Thursday, December 14
Hybrid Hearing
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Maine Dept. of Marine Resources
Note: This is a hybrid meeting (both in-person and virtual). The virtual Microsoft Teams link is here, and additional instructions are below.
Hearing Location:
Maine DMR Office – Augusta
Room 118, Marquardt Building
32 Blossom Lane, Augusta, ME 04330
207.446.0932
Monday, December 18
In-person Hearing
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation
Hearing Location:
NYSDEC Region 3 Headquarters
21 South Putt Corners Road, New Paltz, NY 12561
Note: NYSDEC will provide a listen-only livestream link to be posted on the NYSDEC calendar.
Jessica Best
845.256.3009
The Board initiated Draft Addendum II in May 2023 in response to the low probability of meeting the 2029 stock rebuilding deadline if the unexpectedly high 2022 fishing mortality rate continues. The Draft Addendum builds upon the 2023 emergency action by considering management measures intended to reduce fishing mortality to the target level in 2024. For the recreational fishery, the Draft Addendum proposes recreational bag and size limit options for the ocean and Chesapeake Bay regions, including options with different limits for the for-hire modes. To address concerns about recreational filleting allowances and compliance with recreational size limits, the Draft Addendum includes an option that could establish minimum requirements for states that authorize at-sea/shore-side filleting of striped bass. For the commercial fishery, the Draft Addendum proposes a quota reduction option. The Draft Addendum also proposes an option that would enable the Board to respond to the results of the stock assessment updates more quickly, via Board action, if the stock is not projected to rebuild by 2029.
For all virtual or hybrid hearings (except for Maine), please note that in order to comment during virtual webinar hearings you will need to use your computer or download the GoToWebinar app for your phone. Those joining by phone only will be limited to listening to the presentation and will not be able to provide input. In those cases, you can send your comments to staff via email or U.S. mail at any time during the public comment period. To attend the webinar in listen only mode, dial 631.992.3221 and enter access code 895-407-507.
For all virtual or hybrid hearings (except for Maine), please click HERE and select the hearing(s) you plan to attend from the dropdown menu to register for a public hearing webinar. Hearings will be held via GoToWebinar, and you can join the webinar from your computer, tablet or smartphone. If you are new to GoToWebinar, you can download the software by (clicking here) or via the App store under GoToWebinar. We recommend you register for the hearing well in advance of the hearing since GoToWebinar will provide you with a link to test your device’s compatibility with the webinar. If you find your device is not compatible, please contact the Commission at info@asmfc.org (subject line: GoToWebinar help) and we will try to get you connected. We also strongly encourage participants to use the computer voice over internet protocol (VoIP) so you can ask questions and provide input at the hearing.
For virtual participation at the hybrid Maine public hearing, the Microsoft teams meeting link is available here. The Meeting ID is 249 648 735 389 and the Passcode is UXEtrQ. For audio only, you can call 207.209.4724 with conference ID 397 100 101.
For the listen-only livestream of the New York public hearings, the livestream links will be posted to the NYSDEC calendar at https://www.dec.ny.gov/calendar/.
The Draft Addendum is available at https://asmfc.org/files/PublicInput/AtlStripedBassDraftAddendumII_PublicComment_Oct2023.pdf or via the Commission’s website at http://www.asmfc.org/about-us/public-input. All those interested in the management of Atlantic striped bass are encouraged to provide input either by participating in public hearings, which may be conducted via webinar, or providing written comment. Public comment will be accepted until 11:59 PM (EST) on December 22, 2023 and should be sent to Emilie Franke, FMP Coordinator, at 1050 N. Highland St., Suite 200 A-N, Arlington, Virginia 22201; or at comments@asmfc.org (Subject line: Striped Bass Draft Addendum II).
If your organization is planning to release an action alert in response to the Draft Amendment, please contact Emilie Franke at efranke@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740, so she can work with you to develop a unique subject line to enable us to better organize and summarize incoming comments for Board review.
