News & Events
News Archive
Snapper and shrimp booming in the Gulf
Report on shrimp trawl effort indicates best of both worlds
November 12, 2010 - A report to the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council on shrimp trawl effort at the Council’s meeting in October indicates that a variety of factors are combining to create the best of all worlds for anglers and the Gulf.
Recreational sector stands united against sector separation
Overwhelming opposition to management scheme at Gulf Council workshop
November 10, 2010 - Recreational anglers are united against any proposal to separate the recreational sector into for-hire/charter and private boat angler categories. “CCA is opposed to sector separation simply because it makes recreational anglers compete against each other at a time when there seem to be fewer and fewer opportunities for anglers to pursue fish offshore.”...
Fisheries managers take huge step toward righting allocations
Anglers applaud precedent-setting move to examine outdated allocation for scup
November 10, 2010 - The Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Committee met jointly today, and in response to a request from Coastal Conservation Association voted to begin an analysis of the scup fishery to determine whether a modification of the current allocation is needed.
Conservationists praise ASMFC decision on striped bass
Managers reject proposal to increase commercial harvest
November 9 - After months of intense debate, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) announced today that it has denied a proposal to increase the commercial harvest of striped bass by up to 50 percent.
NOAA and New Hampshire Fish & Game to Partner to Create Permit Bank: Goal to Enhance Fishing Opportunities for Small-Scale Groundfish Fisherman
NOAA's Fisheries Service and the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department today announced a program to create a permit bank to help maximize economic and social benefits to New Hampshire groundfishermen and communities. NOAA is providing $1 million to support this effort, which the N.H. Fish and Game will administer.
ASMFC Addendum to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Striped Bass
Draft Addendum II to Amendment 6 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Striped Bass PUBLIC COMMENT ACCEPTED. The addendum is proposing to increase the coastal commercial quota of striped bass. The ASMFC will allow public comment until 5 PM EST, October 1, 2010, send them your thoughts and comments with the link below.
Submit your public comment to the Addendum
ASMFC Hosts Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management Workshop
August 4, 2010 Alexandria, Virginia
The workshop's objective is to provide information and understanding working towards healthy, self-sustaining populations for all Atlantic coast fish species or successful restoration well in progress by 2015
ASMFC Committee moves forward with addressing management targets for menhaden
May 11, 2010
At its meeting last week in Washington DC, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) directed its Menhaden Technical Committee to develop new options for managing menhaden more like a critical forage species than a fish to be industrially harvested.
ASMFC Continues Effort to Increase Commercial Bass Harvest
May 7, 2010
Vote increase commercial take by up to 50 percent heads for public hearings... Anglers can weigh in on a new effort to increase the coastal commercial harvest of striped bass by 20 to 50 percent.
ASMFC Spring Meeting Report
May 3-6, 2010
Read about the latest ASMFC Striped Bass Management Board report, for updates from the meeting.
Atlantic Menhaden Benchmark Assessment Indicates Stock is Not Overfished ...
May 6, 2010
In its report to the Commission's Atlantic Menhaden Management Board, an independent panel of scientists endorsed the use of the 2010 Atlantic menhaden benchmark stock assessment for management use.
Maine provided NH SW Licensees with reciprocity up to Cape Neddick.
Starting in 2011, the saltwater registry in Maine will begin charging a fee for those fishing for, catching and landing striped bass ($5 for residents, $15 for non residents). For all others fishing in saltwater, the Maine Registry is free. The good news is that they will honor NH saltwater licenses, as far north as Cape Neddick.
For specific info on reciprocity, see section 3, line F.
CCA NH integral in shell recycling program to increase Great Bay oysters
To create more oyster beds, the Coastal Conservation Association applied for and received a $10,000 grant from the Orvis Company to involve area restaurants in a University of New Hampshire oyster shell recycling program. Baby oysters, known as "spat," need to attach to a "clutch" to thrive, and oyster shells are the obvious choice.
For more information about the oyster shell recycling program, visit: http://www.oyster.unh.edu/shell_recycling.html.
Read the Article ( SeacoastOnline.com )
If you are interested in getting involved, learning more, or volunteering to help collect Oyster shells, please contact Jeff Barnum
Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Proposal Not Adopted After Intense Debate
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The proposal to list Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) under Appendix I of CITES was not adopted today by the Parties. The proposal, sponsored by the Principality of Monaco, and strongly supported by the United States, garnered intense debate by the Parties due to the importance of this migratory fish species for commercial purposes. The final tally was 20 in support, 68 against and 30 abstentions.
Read Full Press Release ( www.uscites.gov )
PREP: The 2009 State of the Estuaries Report
A new report from the Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership (PREP) concludes that the environmental quality of the Piscataqua Region estuaries is declining. Eleven of 12 environmental indicators show negative or cautionary trends - up from seven indicators classified this way in 2006.
The most pressing threats to the estuaries relate to population growth and the associated increases in nutrient loads and non-point source pollution.
In Great Bay, the concentration of dissolved inorganic nitrogen, which can be harmful at high levels, has increased by 44 percent in the past 28 years.
Other indicators that suggest a declining environment include historically low oyster and clam populations, toxic contaminants present in nearly 25 percent of estuarine sediments, increased prevalence of petroleum-based contaminants in Piscataqua River shellfish, poor migratory fish returns, and continued beach and shellfish bed closures due to bacteria pollution.
United States Support for International Proposal to Protect Bluefin Tuna
Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Fish and Wildlife and Parks Tom Strickland announced the continued support by the US for a proposal to ban all international commercial trade of Atlantic bluefin tuna at this month's meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wildlife Fauna and Flora (CITES) in Doha, Qatar.
The CCA NH Perspective on Proposal
The CCA NH board weighed both the socio-economic issues and the health of the resource, and the majority felt that a listing would not accelerate a recovery of bluefin tuna.
Read CITES position statement (PDF)
Read CCA NH position letter (PDF)
Casting Blame in Striper Dispute
The striped bass is once again facing a decline in its numbers, and efforts to stem the losses have stoked tensions between commercial and recreational fishermen.
More Bad News for Striped Bass...
ASMFC moves forward with addendum increasing commercial harvest, while New York takes steps toward a directed trawl fishery.
Read More (Reel-Time.com post)
Saltwater Angler Registry Takes Effect January 1, 2010
Starting January 1, most New Hampshire saltwater recreational anglers and spearfishers will need to be registered to fish for anadromous species in tidal waters or for any fish in Federal waters.
For additional info, see NOAA Article
Winnicut Dam Removed
October, 2009
After years of planning and a summer of work, those involved in the removal of Winnicut River Dam celebrated a new era for the river
Read More (SeacoastOnline.com)
Commercial Rollover Quote Defeated
November 3, 2009
On Nov. 2 the Atlantic States Marine Fishery Commission will vote on a proposal to
allow half the commercial striped bass quota that states fail to catch in one year to be
added to the next year.
Orvis Announces $10k Grant to CCA NH
October, 2009
The Orvis Company of Manchester, Vt. recently announced a grant award of $10,000 to CCA NH to initiate an oyster shell recycling program and bed restoration in Great Bay.