Interstate Fisheries Management

Habitat protection is an important component of the Commission's fisheries management program. All new Commission plans and amendments include information on a species' habitat needs and requirements, as well as recommendations to facilitate protection at the state and federal level. While the Commission is not required to implement the federal Essential Fish Habitat provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, many of the same themes are incorporated into its fisheries management plans. The document ‘Guidance for the Development of ASMFC Fishery Management Plan Habitat Sections and Source Documents’ assists plan development teams in drafting effective habitat sections.

These habitat sections are also used to develop concise species-specific habitat fact sheets. Below are links to currently available FMPs with habitat sections and their related fact sheets.

American Eel

Bluefish