Aquaculture and Fisheries Commons^™

Conservation Measures In The Interim Fishery Management Plan For Atlantic Groundfish, Andrew P. Matykiewicz

Theses and Major Papers

The conservation measures used in the Interim Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Groundfish (IFMP) were analyzed. The management techniques used include a minimum mesh size, minimum fish size and haddock spawning area closure. However the mesh regulation does not adequately address the IFMP conservation objectives. Without amendment, the IFMP cannot prevent overfishing as it is required to do by the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MFCMA). The use of a non-numeric Optimum Yield (OI) for groundfish is inappropriate without a definition of overfishing and without a contingency plan to prevent overfishing.