The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission has scheduled a public hearing on July 1 at 6 p.m. at the Fish and Boat Commission headquarters in Harrisburg to provide an update on the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for shad and river herring and to seek public comment on how the plan should be changed.

Interested citizens are encouraged to attend and provide public comments. Comments will be used to develop a draft amendment to the plan, which will then be available for the public to review. The ASMFC is hosting the meeting, but PFBC staff will be on hand to answer state-specific questions.

Federal and state fisheries scientists are developing an update to the plan following a 2007 stock assessment which indicated that American shad are at all-time lows and do not appear to be recovering.

A public information document is available on the ASMFC website that provides a broad overview of the factors affecting American shad.

The PFBC headquarters is located at 1601 Elmerton Avenue, Harrisburg, near the state Farm Show complex.

6/27/2008