seatrout hearing

[capt.george]

From the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC):

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. PRESS CONTACT: Tina Berger. (202) 289-6400.

Washington, DC - ASMFC's Weakfish Management Board has approved sending
forward Draft Addendum I to Amendment 4 to the Interstate Fishery
Management Plan for Weakfish for public review and comment. The Draft
Addendum was developed in response to concern over declines in both weakfish
abundance and commercial and recreational catches, and proposes
reductions in recreational bag limits, commercial and recreational seasons,
and bycatch allowances.

Atlantic coastal states from Rhode Island through Florida have
scheduled the dates and times of their public hearings; their details follow:

Maryland Dept. of Natural Resources

Thursday, September 29, 2005; 6:00 PM

Tawes State Office Building

C-1 Conference Room

580 Taylor Avenue

Annapolis, Maryland

Contact: Howard King (410) 260-8282

----[excited]

[Capt. Mike Anderson]

Threats to Habitat of Sea Trout

• Intense coastal development
• Dredging and filling activities that have limited shallow water nursery habitat
• Water quality degradation resulting from point and non-point source discharges contributing, in
some estuarine areas, to oxygen depletion and the creation of large masses of anoxic waters during
summer months
• Intensive conversion of coastal wetlands to agricultural areas has contributed to functional loss of
weakfish nursery area habitat.
• Alteration of freshwater flows and discharge patterns to spawning, nursery, and adult habitats in
rivers and estuaries
• Power plant cooling facilities by causing entrainment and impingement.

[Capt Frank]

Alteration of freshwater flows and discharge patterns to spawning, nursery, and adult habitats in
rivers and estuaries
This is the biggy in Fl., where freshwater flows from heavy rains virtually destroyed a serious spec population in the Charlotte Harbor estuary. Over 18 in of rain in June was the killer, tanic water resulted, water tasted fresh almost to the Gulf, was unbelievable.