Abstract |
The goal of the Chesapeake Bay Black Drum Management Plan is to enhance and perpetuate black drum stocks in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, and throughout their Atlantic coast range, so as to generate optimum long-term ecological, social and economic benefits from their commercial and recreational harvest and utilization over time. To meet this goal, a number of objectives must be met. They include promoting the development of guidelines by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC) for coastwide management of the black drum fishery, providing for fair allocation of the resource, promoting efficient harvesting practices, promoting biological and economic research and pursuing standards of environmental quality and habitat protection. These objectives are incorporated into the problems and management strategies discussed. |