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BYCATCH MORTALITY REDUCTION IN OWi-DIRECTED FISHERIES (PRINCIPALLY THE 

 SOUTH ATLANTIC SHRIMP FISHERIES) 



In October 1992, the North Caolina Division of Marine Fisheries issued 

 a proclamation requiring the installation of Finfish Excluder Devices 

 (FEDs) on shrimp trawl tailbags. North Carolina was the first state on 

 the East Coast to require the use of FEDs. 



"Tests aboard a commercial trawler in Pamlico Sound last spring showed 

 finfish reduction of 54 to 70 percent. Commercial fishermen have 

 reported finfish reduction rates ranging from 50 percent to more than 

 80 percent with no loss of shrimp." (Marine Advisory News, Fall 1992) 



THE ATLANTIC STATES MARINE FISHERIES COMMISSION 



The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is made up of repre- . 

 sentatives from the fifteen Atlantic coastal states (Maine through 

 Florida ) . Eash state has three representatives : the Director of 

 Fisheries, a Governor's appointee and a Legislative appointee. 



The ASMFC has a "Conpact" that directs its organization. Article X of 

 that Compact reads: "Continued absence of representation or of any 

 representative on the Commission from any state party hereto shall be 

 brought to the attention of the governor thereof." At the ASMFC 's meeting 

 in Washington, D.C. in the spring of 1992, there was a discussion of the 

 poor attendance of the legislative and governors" appointees. Jerry Schill 

 of the North Carolina Fisheries Association attended that meeting and he 

 was informed that the reason poor attendance is not always brought to a 

 governor's atttention is that the ASMFC feared that this would anger 

 some governors and, in turn, would hurt the Camiission's funding. 



Article VII of the Compact states that "An Advisory Committee to be 

 representative of the commercial fishermen and the salt water angler 

 and such other interests of each state as the Commission deems advisable 

 shall be established by the Commission..." The ASMFC does have an 

 Advisory Committee but it is comprised of biologists. Dr. William T. 

 Hogarth, the Vice-Chairman of the ASMFC recently said, "l think that the 

 ASMFC is a good idea, but by not having any regulatory power for so many 

 years, you get sort of lax in the way you conduct business." (Biro, 1992) 



The commercial fishermen have grave concerns about increasing the authority 

 of the ASMFC. North Carolina fishermen fear that any increase in the 

 authority of the ASMFC will repeat the conditions that developed when 

 Congress passed the 1984 Atlantic Striped Bass Conservation Act and 

 required states to comply with the Commission's striped bass management 

 plan or face a moratorium in the fishery. For North Carolina 

 fishermen that meant that the striped bass fishery was closed. 



