U.S. Western North Atlantic Spiny Dogfish
R E S O L U T I O N
July 2001
Whereas the Northwest Atlantic Population of spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias) is overfished, the targeted mature females are depleted and recruitment has fallen to record low levels in recent years;
Whereas the National Marine Fisheries Service has implemented a federal Atlantic Spiny Dogfish Fishery Management Plan developed by the regional fishery management councils to rebuild the spawning stock over ten to twenty years;
Whereas complementary measures in state waters are essential to the success of the Federal Dogfish Management Plan;
Whereas the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) has yet to adopt coast-wide state dogfish conservation measures beyond several temporary emergency actions;
Whereas excessive state landings led to a 67% overage of the 2000 quota;
Whereas inconsistent measures stand to undermine the federal dogfish plan and risk further damage to the spiny dogfish population;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the American Elasmobranch Society urges the ASMFC to adopt and maintain spiny dogfish limits & measures that are at least as stringent as those contained within the federal dogfish management plan.
Northwest Atlantic Large Coastal Sharks
R E S O L U T I O N
July 2001
Whereas several populations of Northwest Atlantic Large Coastal Sharks are seriously overfished and depleted;
Whereas a significant commercial quota reduction and minimum sizes for large coastal sharks, deemed necessary by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) based on a 1998 population assessment, have been delayed for years pending settlement of a commercial fishing industry lawsuit;
Whereas the parties to the lawsuit agreed that if an independent scientific review upheld the conclusions of the 1998 large coastal shark population assessment, the large coastal shark fishery would remain closed for the remainder of 2001;
Whereas the independent review was not completed in a timely manner in accordance with the settlement agreement and the National Marine Fisheries Service failed to negotiate default measures for large coastal sharks in the event of such a delay;
Whereas failure to complete the review according to terms has resulted in a waste of agency resources, the reopening of the 2001 large coastal shark fishery contrary to scientific advice, continued overfishing contrary to the Sustainable Fisheries Act, a postponement of the overdue update of the large coastal shark assessment and delays in needed shark management measures in state waters; and
Whereas, there is currently no assurance that the assessment dispute will be resolved in time for the opening of the 2002 large coastal shark fishery;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the American Elasmobranch Society calls upon the National Marine Fisheries Service to expedite renegotiation and implementation of an agreement to settle disputes related to the large coastal shark fishery; such an agreement must include deadlines and default measures to ensure that the 2002 large coastal shark fishery does not open until the independent scientific review is complete.