NOAA Fisheries Service has proposed new management measures for the spiny dogfish fishery that would be in effect from May 1, 2009, through April 30, 2010. The proposed changes include an increase in the annual quota to 12 million lbs, and a possession limit of 3,000 lbs, which would allow for increased retention of dogfish that are incidentally captured in Federal waters. In the fall of 2008, NOAA's Northeast Fisheries Science Center produced an updated estimate of spiny dogfish stock status, concluding that the stock could be considered rebuilt and that overfishing is not occurring, though scientists expressed some concerns about the male/female ratio and several years of low pup production.
Comments may be submitted at
www.regulations.gov until 5pm eastern time on April 3, 2009. For more information, read the proposed rule or contact Jamie Goen at 978-281-9220.
