Welcome to the CCA
Atlantic States
Fisheries Committee
Information Page
What is the ASMFC?
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is a 15-state compact
formed to manage Atlantic interstate fisheries. It is composed of three
members from each Atlantic state. Although this Commission was
originally an advisory body, Congress gave it authority to manage
striped bass in the 1980s. The Commission demonstrated unprecedented
success with that species. With the passage of the Atlantic Coastal
Fisheries Conservation and Management Act in 1994, the Commission was
given the authority to manage all inter-jurisdictional species. It
presently has 32 marine species under management, ranging from northern
shrimp and lobster to red drum and weakfish. The ASMFC develops a
Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for each species, setting forth both
management goals and the means intended to attain them.
What is the CCA ASMFC Committee?The ASMFC became the major fishery management organization on the
Atlantic Coast. In 1998, it became clear that CCA - the largest marine
fishery conservation organization in the U.S. - would need to work with
the ASMFC to affect the management of critically important Atlantic
species. CCA created the CCA ASMFC Committee as a subcommittee of the
National Government Relations Committee. It is comprised of dedicated
CCA volunteers working within the ASMFC system for better Atlantic
fisheries management.
The CCA ASMFC Committee decides annually which species under ASMFC
management are priorities. Representatives from the committee attend
management board meetings and technical committee meetings. Attendance
in this meeting process is critical to fully understand the biology and
management of each particular species. The CCA ASMFC Committee then
formulates goals for each species FMP and works with the ASMFC to
implement them through state organizations and agencies.
Sherman Baynard, of
Maryland, is the CCA ASMFC Committee Chairman. Dick Brame serves as the Executive Coordinator and staff member for the
committee. For more information on the CCA ASMFC Committee and its vital
role in the management of Atlantic species, please contact Dick Brame.
Contact
CCA Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Committee
Dick Brame, Executive Coordinator
E-mail: ccaasmfc@cs.com
