3:49:08 PM: River herring management board beginning at #asmfc12. Stock assessment report starting now.
3:52:57 PM: Stock assessment overview, river herring: A lot of holes in the data coastwide. Most of places where there’s good data occur in the NE area
3:53:17 PM: Historically, river herring has had a low management priority #asmfc12
3:53:41 PM: Reported U.S. landings, over last decade, river herring landings have decreased more than 93 percent from their peak in the 60s.
3:54:12 PM: Peak in landings occurred in 1970s a large portion of them due to international fleets #riverherring
3:56:15 PM: In 2005 mid water trawl fleets included in total annual incidental catch estimates #riverherring. Coming to you live from #asmfc12
4:08:19 PM: “In-river” exploitation rates of #riverherring declined in recentyrs. In Maine there is no moratorium, but exploitation not as high as itwas
4:09:26 PM: There is uncertainty in #riverherring natural mortality, meaning scientists don’t know how many are eaten or killed in environment
4:10:09 PM: But total mortality was high for all #riverherring stocks examined by the technical committee. All stocks above the “benchmark” #asmfc12
4:14:33 PM: River herring have declined coastwide. Shown in declining comm landings, declining length/size in rivers indicating increased mortality.
4:15:07 PM: Many fishery independent surveys didn’t start until after 1st big river herring decline in fishery. Most info is based on commercial fishery
4:15:57 PM: Coastwide “meta-complex” of river herring on the US Atlantic coast is depleted to near historic lows. #foragefish
4:16:50 PM: Technical (scientific) committee recommendation to the #asmfc12: Management actions to reduce total mortality are needed for river herring.
4:18:32 PM: Doug Grout, New Hampshire: Hoping to come up with biological basis for a catch cap that we could hang our hats on. Too bad. #riverherring
4:35:52 PM: Peer review report by Karen Limburg SUNY-ESF. “I chaired the ’07 peer review for shad. This is a significant advance in 5 years.”
4:36:24 PM: Limburg: The sophistication of the analysis has increased since 5 years ago #riverherring #asmfc12
4:37:12 PM: Limburg: Forthcoming article in Bioscience, an analysis that reconstructs the abundance of alewife in some rivers in Maine.
5:12:23 PM: Pam Lyons Gromen for Advisory Panel: AP felt strongly that consistency issues had to be reconciled btwn regulations on #riverherring.
5:12:55 PM: AP recommended closed areas as management strategy, but not good for the long term. #riverherring
5:15:22 PM: Industry informed the AP that they are willing to pay for observer coverage, but ask no more than 325/trip, like the west coat #asmfc12
5:19:43 PM: Things are moving fast here on #riverherring at #asmfc12. Tweets are very abridged. Typing fast!
5:23:02 PM: Motion has been made to approve the Working Group recommendations and forward them to the policy board #riverherring
5:26:15 PM: Motion has been approved #riverherring
5:35:30 PM: Motion has been made to approve the American shad sustainable fishery plan for Maryland, North Carolina, and South Carolina (amendment).
5:36:32 PM: Motion approved without objection #asmfc12
5:39:02 PM: Timeline for Endangered species act review for #riverherring. Final listing (if approved) will be August 2013. Now under consideration
5:40:37 PM: Meeting is adjourned! Follow us tomorrow for big decisions on Atlantic #menhaden! Beginning at 8 AM EST.
