As of April 2, 2015 the Norton Point Breach has now closed after being open for 8 years! A nice Spring gift from Mother Nature to get us all excited about the 2015 fishing season. It is absolutely amazing the changes that have taken place over the years and how it is almost put back together again. Will it last?...only time will tell.

Check out the pictures provided by Ron Domurat.

Click here for a few great shots of this historic closing of the Breach!

ASMFC Atlantic Striped Bass Board Approves Addendum IV for Implementation in 2015

October 31, 2014

Mystic, CT – The Commission’s Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board approved Addendum IV to Amendment 6 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Striped Bass. The Addendum establishes new fishing mortality (F) reference points as recommended by the 2013 benchmark stock assessment. In order to reduce F to a level at or below the new target, coastal states will implement a 25% harvest reduction from 2013 levels. Chesapeake Bay states/jurisdictions will implement a 20.5% harvest reduction from 2012 levels since their fisheries were reduced by 14% in 2013 based on their management program. All states/jurisdictions will promulgate regulations prior to the start of their 2015 fisheries.

Click here to read the entire article.

OnTheWater
By Jimmy Fee
October 30, 2014

Striped Bass Regulations to Change in 2015

Yesterday, I sat in on the meeting of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Striped Bass Management Board. Representatives from North Carolina to Maine looked at the latest stock assessment and public comment to determine whether or not to change the striped bass regulations.

There was a clear divide between New York/New England and the Chesapeake Bay States. Representatives from the bay states insisted that their fishery was primarily on the smaller male striped bass that do not migrate from the bay, a segment of the population they believed to be healthy, while the coastal states, with the exception of New Jersey and Delaware, wanted to see an immediate reduction in fishing mortality on the Spawing Stock Biomass, that is the larger migratory fish, most of which are female. Options supported by the bay states included a 17% reduction in harvest, or an incremental 7% reduction in harvest over three years. The New England States and New York supported the most conservative option, a 25% reduction effective in 2015. In the end, a compromise was reached to reduce striped bass fishing mortality by 25% in the Coastal States and 20.5% in the Chesapeake Bay, beginning in 2015.

Click here to read the full article.

MV Times

July 30, 2014

The 18-acre property on the north shore of Martha’s Vineyard contains the remnants of an old brick factory.

The Trustees of Reservations (TTOR) announced Monday it had received the historic brickyard property in Chilmark, a gift from the estate of Flora Epstein. The 18-acre property on the north shore of Martha’s Vineyard is adjacent to TTOR’s Menemsha Hills Reservation property to which it will be joined by a future trail.

The red brick chimney, a familiar landmark for boaters, is all that remains of the former brick factory. The property is inaccessible to the public from North Road.

Read the entire article by clicking here.

The official ribbon cutting ceremony for the Oak Bluffs fishing pier was held on June 19th, at 11:00 a.m. It has been a long process to get the pier off the ground, built and completed but it is ready for public use now. Special thanks to Dave Nash and everyone else involved in driving this approval process to completion. Everyone will get to enjoy their hard work for the future.

Come check it out and take a few casts. You never know, you might just catch the fish of a lifetime!

Thanks to Phil Horton for this picture of the ribbon cutting ceremony. Click on the link below.

Pier Ribbon Cutting.doc

The Oak Bluffs Fishing Pier is now complete and ready to kick off the 2014 fishing season. There will be an official ribbon cutting ceremony at the fishing pier on Thursday, June 19th, 2014 1t 11:00 a.m. Come join in on the festivities with your fellow fishermen for this historic event.

Thursday, June 19th, 2014 at 11:00 a.m.

Seaview Avenue Extension, Oak Bluffs, Martha’s Vineyard

(Adjacent to the Oak Bluffs Steamship Authority Pier)

February 13, 2014

 

              REPORT ON BEACH ACCESS MEETING IN DENNIS ON FEB. 12, 2014

 

The meeting was scheduled by Dennis selectman Wayne Bergeron, Chatham selectman Sean Summers and Orleans Selectman John Hodgson, all of the Regional Beach Coalition, at 4:30 at the Dennis Senior Center.

 

In attendance were also selectmen from Truro, Sandwich, Barnstable, Plymouth and Wellfleet, the two town counsels from Barnstable, a representative from Nantucket Seal Abatement Coalition, the three founders of the Martha’s Vineyard Beach Access Coalition, Southeast Regional Director from TTOR, TTOR Property Manager Chris Kennedy from M’sV, the president and about 12 members of the Mass Beach Buggy Association, a reporter from the “Cape Cod Times”, and a reporter from radio station WXTK. Eastham, Falmouth and Duxbury were not represented by a town official but the hope is that each will have one at the next meeting.

 

The goals of the meeting were the following:

·         To meet one another.

·         Learn about the beach access issues facing each town.

·         Hearing the reports of any progress from the three hosts.

·         Plan how to move forward.

 

Shared issues are

·         Long periods of unnecessary beach closures over the years mandated by state bureaucrats citing the federal and state Endangered Species Act.

·         Finding ways to influence new policies that will insure the coexistence of birds and beachgoers instead of excluding people.

·         Loss of revenue for the towns. In M’sV case, it is mainly TTOR and the county who have lost revenue.

·         The lack of cooperation from state and federal officials re: “Take Permitting”, permits allowing beach enrichment and other erosion preventive measures, and reviewing and modifying existing regulations.

 

Moving forward

·         The next meeting will be held in two to three weeks. The Coalition has invited the Director of Mass Fish and Wildlife to discuss the need to streamline and simplify the permitting process.

·         Other issues that the group will address are

1.      Ways in which to pressure state and federal officials to review regulations, interpretation, implementation and enforcement in order to reach the goal of including the public in that process, i.e. gaining a voice in determining access to and management of our beaches.

2.      Ways in which to increase the numbers in the coalition, and to encourage more town officials and additional towns to join.

The new OB Fishing Pier is now in the final stages of completion. The main decking is almost complete and the safety railings are being installed. The handicap ramp to the pier is also completed now.

Take a look at some new photos provided by Wally White. Simply click on the link below and then view the latest pictures in the photo album. The latest pictures posted are at the end of the photo album.

Click here to view the latest photos of the OB Fishing Pier.

Thanks to Ron for the latest update on the changing conditions on Chappy and Wasque Point. The two photos are showing a new sand bar off the Chappy shore and the latest condition of Wasque.
 
Ron reports the following:

"It's a view of the new sand bar that built and runs parallel to the Chappy shoreline. The point in the picture is less than a Hammer cast away."

"This is a shot of Wasque Point from the eastern end of the Chappy bathing beach. Wasque is about 200 yds. away"

Open the Word document directly below to see the photos.


Chappy-Wasque 011814.doc

OB Fishing Pier Update
By Dave Nash

As reported in the MV Times recently, work on the OB fishing pier was essentially suspended at the end of June.  Nelson Sigelman called this one right when he suggested that nothing comes in on schedule on Martha’s Vineyard.  I checked in with Doug Cameron this week and he updated me on their revised construction timetable.  The OB selectmen were unwilling to allow additional time beyond 6/30 for completion of land-based activities so work on the handicap access and the main stairway was suspended.  They were also prohibited from driving any additional pilings until after Labor Day so the only activity we are likely to see this summer is continuing work on the pier itself but essentially limited to framing and decking.  The contractor has been waiting for the delivery of timber materials.  Some additional pile driving for construction of the “L” at the end of the pier will take place in the fall but the pier is pretty much at its’ finished length. The contract completion date for the OB fishing pier is now October 30, 2013 so it looks like there will be no battle for the coveted “end of the pier” seat for this years derby.