ASMFC Lobster Board approves increased harvester reporting

ARLINGTON, VA – At its Feb. 6-8 Winter Meeting, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) American Lobster Management Board approved major changes to the types and kinds of harvest reporting required under the combined Addendum XXVI to the American Lobster Fishery Management Plan and Addendum III to the Jonah Crab Fishery Management Plan.

The combined addendum was initiated in last October to address concerns about spatial and biological data collection.

The previous level of data was insufficient to respond to management issues, as not all harvesters had to report on trips. The type of data provided also varied by state, and between offshore and inshore.

And data was collected at different spatial levels, making it difficult to combine data sets.

After a thorough discussion, the lobster board unanimously approved three measures that address the percentage of harvesters reporting, the spatial resolution for reporting, and the type of data collected.

Expanding the data collected to include gear configuration was passed quickly by consent.  Now, the number of traps per haul, and number of buoy lines, will be required coastwise…

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