Possum

...for Amendment 2 to the Consolidated Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan

Please see the attached e-mail notice announcing the availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Amendment 2 to the Consolidated Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan. A full electronic version of the EIS is available to download online at:

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/hms...files/FMPs.htm (main page)

There's more than just shark related information, but it would appear the biggest impact from our HMS view is that species (based on a cursory look).

Attached Files

Email Notice For FEIS 4-10-2008.pdf (20.8 KB, 4 views)

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Possum

FINAL Amendment 2 to the Consolidated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan April 2008.

Executive Summary
Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION
Chapter 2: SUMMARY OF THE ALTERNATIVES
Chapter 3: DESCRIPTION OF AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT
Chapter 4: ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES OF ALTERNATIVES
Chapter 5: MITIGATION AND UNAVOIDABLE ADVERSE IMPACTS
Chapter 6: ECONOMIC EVALUATION
Chapter 7: REGULATORY IMPACT REVIEW
Chapter 8: FINAL REGULATORY FLEXIBILITY ANALYSIS (IRFA)
Chapter 9: COMMUNITY PROFILES
Chapter 10: OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
Appendix A Species Complexes, Quotas, and Retention Limit Calculations
Appendix B Report to Directed Shark Fisheries, Inc. on the 2006 SEDAR 11 Assessment for Sandbar Shark
Appendix C Quotas and Retention Limit Calculations for FEIS
Appendix D Comments and Responses

There is ALOT of data here, and the proposals on the table seem as complex as usual. Based on a very quick review, this is what's on the table for rec's.

• Options 1-3 allow for recreational retention of the species typically targeted in the northeast
• Option 4 is similar, except, no Porbeagle's are allowed.
• Option 5 is a complete Atlantic prohibition on recreational shark fishing/possession.

Depending on how this goes, it could have significant consequences to this HMS category of the recreational fishery.

I haven't even begun to digest the commercial implications, nor likely will I, as they are brutally complicated.

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