Download Stakeholder Input on Forage Issues - Mid

MAFMC
Visioning Project
Brief Review of Stakeholder Input
on Forage Issues
Stakeholder Data
Gathering
Engage
Stakeholders
Build
Trust/Improve
Relationships
Solicit Input
on
Regulations
and
Management
Process
Data Collection Methods
Online
Surveys
General
Port
Meetings/
Focus Groups
1,253
responses
Fisheryspecific
1,048
responses
Position
Letters
12
Letters
14 commercial
5 recreational
1 ENGO
Stakeholder Input

All three stakeholder groups recognized the
importance of forage species

Importance of recognizing species interactions
(predator/prey dynamics) also very
important

However, concerns and perspectives of each
group differed
Commercial


Conservation of some predatory species of
fish (i.e., bluefish, dogfish, striped bass) may
be having adverse impacts on forage species
and other important fisheries like summer
flounder and weakfish
Consider predator-prey dynamics more
comprehensively during the management
process
Recreational


There is excessive pressure on forage
species due to the number of
predators and the commercial
overfishing in forage fisheries
Focus on rebuilding all forage species to
ensure recreational opportunities for the
future
ENGO Summary



Ongoing depletion of forage species is
a serious concern (many forage
species remain unmanaged)
Predator-prey dynamics need to be more
fully-integrated in to management plans
and/or the Council should develop an
ecosystem plan that provides a framework
for incorporating ecosystem considerations
into the Council process.
.
Summary



Conservation of forage species
recognized as an important objective
in Council’s ecosystem approach to
fishery management by all stakeholder
groups
Predator-prey dynamics
Strategies to deal with these issues
depends on stakeholder perspective