58 



At present the bluefish stock in the Atlantic Ocean appears to be in a period of serious 

 decline. Fishing mortality rates have increased from F=0.2 in 1982 to F=().45 in 1993. The target 

 fishing mortality rate in the fishery management plan ( F^^) to have been exceeded in every year 

 since at least 1986. Stock biomass declined from 326,000 metric tons in 1982, the historic high, 

 to 86,000 in 1993. Of course, we cannot expect record high recruiunent on a regular basis. But 

 recruitment since 1989 has been below average, and the 1993 year class of 4 million fish is the 

 poorest in the surveyed 1974 - 1994 time period. Although the NMFS fall survey in 1994 

 indicated some improvement in recruitment for the 1994 year class, the overall picture is still 

 disappointing. At current stock sizes, in order to achieve the fishery management plan's target 

 fishing mortality rate, the exploitation of the stock would have to be reduced by 50%. 



Not surprisingly, the decUne in the size of the stock has been reflected in the lack of 

 success of commercial and recreational fisheries. Present recreational harvest levels are 

 approximately 27.5 milUon pounds (1994), down from 153 million pounds ten years ago; although 

 the 1994 catch was somewhat higher than 1993. Commercial bluefish landings, which had 

 declined by over 33% to 10.4 million pounds in 1989, increased to 13.8 milUon pounds in 1990 

 and then dropped gradually to their lowest value in the time series in 1994 at 8.5 milhon pounds. 

 Both the recreational and commercial catches in 1994 were significantiy below their long-term 

 averages. (1979-1994: commercial average = 13.3 milhon pounds; recreational average = 77.2 

 million pounds.) 



Management of the Fishery 



Coordinated fisheries management for bluefish began in 1989 with the adoption of the 

 Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Bluefish by the Mid-Atiantic Fishery Management Council 

 (MAFMC) and the Atiantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (the Commission, ASMFC). For 

 federal purposes, the Secretary of Commerce approved the FMP under the Magnuson Fishery 

 Conservation and Management Act in March, 1990. This was the first fishery management plan to 

 be developed jointiy by an interstate marine fisheries commission and a regional fishery 

 management council. Throughout the implementation of this plan, the states and the Commission 

 have worked closely with their federal partners in the Mid-Atiantic Fishery Management Council 

 and the National Marine Fisheries Service to carry out the provisions of the plan. 



DRAFT:Testimony of John H. Dunnigan April 1, 1996 



Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans page 2 



