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sea bass, Centropristis striata, are highly sought by both
commercial and recreational fishermen throughout the Mid-Atlantic.
It is one of four species jointly managed by the Atlantic States
Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission) and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery
Management Council (MAFMC). Black sea bass inhabit Atlantic coastal
waters from the Gulf of Maine to the Florida Keys, concentrating
in areas from Cape Cod, Massachusetts to Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Two distinct stocks of black sea bass exist along the Atlantic coast
with overlapping ranges. The northern stock migrates seasonally
and spawns off of New England in the late summer, which are managed
by the Commission and MAFMC. The southern stock spawns off of Chesapeake
Bay in the early summer, which are managed by the South Atlantic
Fishery Management Council. A temperate reef fish, black sea bass
commonly inhabit rock bottoms near pilings, wrecks, and jetties.
Black sea bass are protogynous hermaphrodites, which mean they start
life as a female and when they reach 9-13 inches they change sex
to become males, initiated by visual cues.
The assessment
model for black sea bass changed in 2008 to a statistical catch
at length model (SCALE). The model uses data including catch history,
survey indices, recruitment indices, growth information, survey
length frequencies and catch length frequencies. The 2009 updated
assessment indicates that the current population size is above
the biomass goal and overfishing is not occurring; therefore,
the stock is considered rebuilt.
The management
program divides a total annual quota between the recreational
fishery (51%) and the commercial fishery (49%). Recreational fishery
management measures include the same combination of minimum size
limits, bag limits, and fishing seasons set for the entire coast.
The commercial quota is divided into state-by-state quotas annually.
Specific management measures for the commercial fishery are set
by each state, including minimum size limits, minimum mesh requirements
for trawls, a moratorium on entry into the fishery and closed
seasons.
Otter trawls
and fish pots/ traps have accounted for the majority of the black
sea bass landings in most states. Other important gear includes
hand lines and lobster pots. <species
profile> <stock
status> <habitat
fact sheet>
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| Contacts
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Management
Plans & Actions
* Previous
plans and addenda can be found at Fishery
Management Reports or by contacting the Commission at (202)289-6400.
Annual
Reports
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Upcoming
Meetings
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Pending
Actions for Public Input
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Meeting
& Minutes Summaries |
Press
Releases
ASMFC
Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Board Approves Addendum
to Allow Commercial Quota Transfers for Black Sea Bass and Scup
Between States (November
3, 2009)
States
Schedule Public Hearings on Scup and Black Sea Bass Draft Addendum
XX (September
11, 2009)
ASMFC
Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Board Takes No Action
Regarding Projected Recreational Overages (September
2, 2009)
Summer
Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Board Announces Meeting Date
to Discuss Recreational Overages (August
26, 2009)
Summer
Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Board to Meet in September,
2009 to Discuss Recreational Overages (August
20, 2009)
ASMFC
& Mid-Atlantic Council Approve 2010 TALs for Summer Flounder,
Scup, Black Sea Bass and Bluefish (August
12, 2009)
ASMFC
Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Board Approves Addendum
XIX (August
14, 2007)
ASMFC
Approves 2008 TALs for Summer Flounder, Scup, Black Sea Bass,
and Bluefish (August
9, 2007)
ASMFC
Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Board Releases Draft
Addendum XIX for Public Comment
(May 10, 2007)
ASMFC
& MAFMC Approve 2007 TALs for Scup & Black Sea Bass
(August 4, 2006)
ASMFC
Board Approves Addendum XVI to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and
Black Sea Bass Plan: Addendum Establishes Procedures to Address
Delayed Implementation of Required Fisheries Management Measures
(May 10, 2006)
ASMFC
Board Approves Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Public
Information Document for Public Comment (March
21, 2006)
States
Schedule Public Meetings to Gather Comment on Draft Addendum to
Address Delayed Implementation of Required Fisheries Management
Measures for Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass (November
23, 2005)
ASMFC
Approves Draft Addendum XVI to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and
Black Sea Bass FMP for Public Comment Addendum to Address Delayed
Implementation
(November 3, 2005)
ASMFC
& MAFMC Approve 2006 TALs for Bluefish, Scup and Black Sea
Bass (August
12, 2005)
States
Approve Addendum XV and XVI for Public Comment (October 14,
2004)
ASMFC
to Hold Industry Workshop on Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea
Bass (September
10, 2004)
ASMFC
Board Approves Black Sea Bass State-by-State Allocation System
for 2005 - 2007 (August
17, 2004)
ASMFC
& MAFMC Approve 2005 TALs for Bluefish, Summer Flounder, Scup
and Black Sea Bass: Assessments Show Continued Improvements to
Summer Flounder & Black Sea Bass Stocks (August 13, 2004)
ASMFC
Forwards New York Noncompliance Finding to the Secretaries of
Commerce & the Interior for Action (June 17, 2004)
States
Schedule Hearings for Addenda XII & XIII: Public Comment Accepted
until July 9, 2004
(June 17, 2004)
ASMFC
Board Approves Addenda XII & XIII for Public Comment: State
Hearings to be Held in June & July (May 25, 2004)
ASMFC
Board Takes Action on Scup, Black Sea Bass and Summer Flounder
Management Measures (March
12, 2004) |
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