| Increasingly
over the last two decades spiny dogfish have become an important
commercial fishery, providing commercial fishing opportunities during
a time when the harvest of other species was seriously curtailed.
Although there is a low market demand in the US, the European market
commonly sells spiny dogfish as fish and chips and pickled beer
garden snacks. Over the last ten years, however, tremendous growth
in the fishery has exceeded the availability of the resource and
resulted in the development and implementation of stringent fishery
management measures in federal waters, and subsequently complementary
management measures in state waters. With these restrictions, overfishing
is no longer occurring, the stock was declared rebuilt in 2008,
and the stock is no longer overfished. Dogfish is a late maturing
(~ 12 years old) species with a long gestation period (~ 2 years).
These life history characteristics make for a lengthy rebuilding
period (over 2 decades), yet dogfish is the most commonly seen shark
species on the East Coast. <species
profile> <stock
status> <habitat
fact sheet>
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Upcoming
Meetings/Announcements
Southern
Region Spiny Dogfish Fishery Closed December 6: Effective
0001 hours on December 6, 2009, the states of New York, New Jersey,
Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia are required to close their dogfish
fisheries. As required by the FMP the states must prohibit commercial
landing, harvest, and possession of spiny dogfish in state waters
through May 1, 2010. States may re-open their spiny dogfish fishery
no earlier than 0001 hours on May 1, 2010 when the 2010/2011 fishing
season begins.
The states
in the Northern Region (Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode
Island, and Connecticut) were required to close on September 27,
2009 when the Northern Region quota was projected to be landed.
North Carolina
has remaining quota available for harvest prior to April 30, 2010.
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Annual
Reports
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Press
Releases
ASMFC
Sets Spiny Dogfish 2010/2011 Fishing Year Quota at 15 Million
Pounds (February
5, 2010)
ASMFC
Spiny Dogfish & Coastal Shark Board Approves Addendum I to
the Interstate Shark FMP (August
20, 2009)
VA
and NC Schedule Public Hearings on Coastal Sharks Draft Addendum
(May 28, 2009)
ASMFC
Spiny Dogfish and Coastal Shark Board Approves Smooth Dogfish
Draft Addendum for Public Comment (May 7, 2009)
ASMFC
Spiny Dogfish Board Approves Initiation of Smooth Dogfish Addendum
(February
5, 2009)
ASMFC
Spiny Dogfish Board Sets 2009/2010 Fishing Year Quota at 12 Million
Pounds (October 23, 2008)
ASMFC
Spiny Dogfish Board Approves Addendum II (October 22, 2008)
ASMFC
Spiny Dogfish Board Approves Draft Addenda II and III for Public
Comment (August
22, 2008)
ASMFC
Approves Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Coastal
Sharks (August 21, 2008)
ASMFC
Spiny Dogfish Board Initiates Two Addenda to Address Quota Allocation
(May
8, 2008)
ASMFC
Releases Draft Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic
Coastal Sharks for Public Comment
(January 7, 2008)
ASMFC
Spiny Dogfish Board Sets 2008/2009 Fishing Year Quota at 8 Million
Pounds
(October 30, 2007)
ASMFC
Spiny Dogfish Board Revises 2006/2007 Quota and Sets Specifications
for 2007/2008 Fishing Year
(October 24, 2006)
Atlantic
Coastal States Schedule Public Meetings to Gather Input on Coastal
Sharks PID (May
5, 2006)
ASMFC
Releases Coastal Sharks PID for Public Comment (May
1, 2006)
ASMFC
Spiny Dogfish Board Approves 4 Million Pound Quota for the 2006/2007
Fishing Year
(November 2, 2005)
ASMFC
Releases Draft Addendum I to the Spiny Dogfish FMP for Public
Comment: Comment Accepted until September 26, 2005 (September
6, 2005)
Draft
Addendum I to the Spiny Dogfish FMP Approved for Public Comment
(August
18, 2005)
ASMFC
Spiny Dogfish Board Approves 4 Million Pound Quota for 2005 –
2006 Fishing Year (November 10, 2004)
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