The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) has recently adopted Amendment 2 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Menhaden. This plan establishes a menhaden quota for Maryland that is equal to 1.37% of the total coast-wide quota (5.12 million pounds for 2013, based on Maryland's average harvest between 2009 and 2011). Maryland has submitted its implementation plan to ASMFC. This plan describes how Maryland is proposing to manage the 2013 fishery and can be viewed here. This plan will be reviewed by the Menhaden Management Board at the May meeting of ASMFC in Alexandria, Virginia.

Here are the implementation requirements from ASMFC. We will continue to post updates on this website as things progress.

The next scoping meeting will be held on April 24th in Annapolis, scoping material can be viewed here.

If you are a licensed commercial fisherman, with a registered pound net site, you are qualified to activate a Menhaden Bycatch Landing Permit. These permits will be used once the non-regulated Menhaden fishery closes and will allow you to catch up to 6,000 lbs of menhaden per vessel per day. With this permit you will be required to comply with daily electronic reporting which will be available on this website and via text messaging.