The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission has announced the release of the Public Information Document (PID) for Atlantic Menhaden for public review and comment. It is anticipated that most Atlantic coastal states from Maine through Florida will hold at least one public hearing on the PID; meetings are being scheduled for late August and early September. Details on these hearings will be released once all the meetings have been finalized.

Release of the PID is the first step in developing Amendment 1 to the Atlantic Menhaden Fishery Management Plan (FMP). In January, the Atlantic Menhaden Management Board passed a motion to initiate the development of an amendment to the current FMP. This action was based, in part, on concerns that the Atlantic coastal population is in decline and that the management strategies set forth in the current plan may not adequately address declines in the population. The current FMP relies on six 'trigger variables' to monitor changes in stock size and recruitment in the population. Since the majority of these triggers are based on catch data, the Board is concerned that the triggers do not reflect true trends in the population. Further, the trigger variables do not result in any direct management and/or regulatory action. Therefore, the PID and the amendment process will address possibly replacing several of these triggers with true biological reference points which would respond to the management goals and result in regulatory changes in the menhaden management process.

The PID will also address the current management structure and process for Atlantic menhaden. The Atlantic Menhaden Management Board is unlike any other Commission management Board in that it includes industry representation. This structure has both pros and cons and these will be thoroughly debated throughout the amendment process. The PID also reviews the current status of the resource, the various fisheries for menhaden, and the ecological role that menhaden play in the ecosystem.

The next step in the process is to schedule public information meetings in all interested states, which in this case includes most of the Commission's member states from Maine through Florida. Copies of the Menhaden PID can be obtained by either contacting Jeanette Braxton, Administrative Assistant, at (202) 289-6400, ext. 333, or via the Commission's webpage under 'Public Input' at www.asmfc.org. The public comment period for the Menhaden PID extends until September 30, 1999. Comments should be forwarded to Dr. Joseph Desfosse, Menhaden Fishery Management Coordinator at 1444 Eye Street, N.W., Sixth Floor, Washington, D.C. 20005; (202)289-6051 (fax). For more information, please contact Dr. Joseph Desfosse at (202) 289-6400, ext. 329.

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