55 



bluefish, either through issuing complementary regulations in the 

 EEZ or imposing moratoria in state waters when states do not 

 comply with the IFMP. 



The proposal to shift bluefish management to the ASMFC will 

 enhance public input by simplifying the number of management 

 bodies the public will have to deal with. The ASMFC has recently 

 implemented a strong program for public involvement in their 

 fishery management program. Therefore, there should be ample 

 opportunity for the public to stay involved under the ASMFC FMP. 



AMENDMENT OF THE BLUEFISH FISHERY MANAGEMENT PLAN 



This Subcommittee has expressed interest in ensuring the bluefish 

 stock is managed for growth, especially in light of the 

 allocation issues that will arise as the IFMP is amended. NMFS 

 agrees with this concern, especially since allocation of bluefish 

 has become more of an issue in recent years. The majority of 

 bluefish landings (approximately 80 percent) are taken by 

 recreational fisherman, with over $300 million spent annually by 

 recreational anglers fishing for bluefish. The commercial catch 

 of bluefish, however, did recently reach 20 percent of total 

 landings, and is primarily a bycatch of the squid and summer 

 flounder trawl fisheries. 



The best way to manage the stock for growth is to control fishing 

 mortality in order to maintain a spawning stock biomass large 

 enough to rebuild quickly the stock when as yet unquantif iable 

 environmental factors favor such rebuilding. NMFS cannot say for 

 certain when the stock will rebuild since the nature and 

 influence of the environmental factors that play a role in stock 

 recovery are largely uncertain. 



Through NMFS' partnership within the ASMFC s fishery management 

 planning program, NMFS will remain committed to conserving the 

 fishery. NMFS will rely on the ASMFC to reach fair and equitable 

 decisions with respect to allocation issues in state waters. If 

 NMFS implements measures in the EEZ to support the ASMFC IFMP, 

 such measures must be consistent with the Magnuson Act, which 

 includes standards of fairness and equity. 



CONCLUSION 



Bluefish support a very important recreational and commercial 

 fishery along the Atlantic coast. The bluefish resource is 

 overexploited and declining. NMFS believes refocusing management 

 of the bluefish stock on the states through the ASMFC will 

 achieve certain economic and resource benefits. The Federal 

 interest in this important fishery will be maintained through 

 NMFS' ongoing cooperation with the ASMFC under the authority of 



