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September 11, 2002

PUBLIC HEARINGS ON STRIPED BASS SEPT. 17 & 26

For more information contact:
Bruce Freeman at 609-292-2083

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) and the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife will host two public hearings regarding the ASMFC's recently released Draft Amendment 6 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Striped Bass. Meetings are scheduled for September 17 in Ocean County and September 26 in Cumberland County. Public hearings have also been scheduled for New York, Delaware, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Rhode Island and Virginia.

New Jersey's meeting times and locations are as follows:

September 17, 7-10 p.m.
Ocean County Administration Building
101 Hooper Avenue
Toms River

September 26, 6-9 p.m.
Vineland Public Library
Doris Tripp Room
1058 East Landis Avenue
Vineland

The Draft Amendment provides extensive options for the long-range management of Atlantic coastal striped bass populations. The three primary issues addressed in the Amendment include management program goals/objectives, biology and allocation of the resource. The document presents information on habitat issues, by-catch and discards of striped bass, monitoring programs, and protected species/fishery interactions.

The Striped Bass Board intends to meet prior to the end of the year to review public comments and select the preferred measures to be included in the final draft of the Amendment. Copies of the Public Hearing Draft can be obtained by contacting the ASMFC at (202) 289-6400 or via the Commission's website at www.asmfc.org. Public comment on the document will be accepted until October 18, 2002 and should be forwarded to Robert Beal, Director, Interstate Fisheries Management Program at 1444 Eye Street, N.W., Sixth Floor, Washington, DC, 20005; (202) 289-6051 (fax) or rbeal@asmfc.org.