In its press communiqué Atlantic States maine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) states that Commission’s Spiny Dogfish and Coastal Sharks Management Board has approved a 15 million pound quota with a maximum possession limit of 3,000 pounds for the 2010/2011 fishing year. ASMFC said that the quota will be allocated with 58 percent to states from Maine through Connecticut, 26 percent to New York through Virginia, and 16 percent to North California.
It is told that the 2009 Northeast Fisheries Science center assessment update indicates that the spiny dogfish are not overfished and overfishing is not occurring. ASFMC said that the stock is rebuilt but the assessment update contains a number of caveats. These caveats include a size frequency of the female population that is concentrated between 75 and 95 cm with very few fish above 100 cm or below 70 cm; low numbers of juvenile male and female dogfish that imply that the population will fluctuate over time decreasing around 2017.
After assessment update the Technical Committee recommended status quo possession limits at a maximum of 3,000 pounds, noting that under the 3,000 pound possession limit, target fishing mortality rates have not been exceeded and fishermen have been able to harvest the entire quota. The possession should be set at a level that minimizes discards.
