Saving Seafood

Council Actions

Provide Comment on Proposed Changes to Federal Fisheries Management

October 18, 2019 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is currently seeking public comment on a variety of proposed changes affecting federal fisheries management, including designating specified artificial reefs off the coasts of North Carolina and South Carolina as Special Management Zones to restrict the types of gear that can be used to harvest snapper grouper species. The designations are being considered at the request of each state’s marine resources agencies. Public comment is also being solicited on proposed changes to the trip limit for the commercial king mackerel fishery in the Southern Zone and measures to modify transit provisions for shrimp vessels.

Learn more about the proposed measures with summary documents and video presentations, provide written comment online, and mark your calendar to participate in the webinars!

Public Scoping – Designation of Special Management Zones in NC and SC
Snapper Grouper Regulatory Amendment 34
October 28-30, 2019 6:00 PM
Webinars with Listening Stations in NC

The draft regulatory amendment contains actions to:

* Establish 30 Special Management Zones (SMZs) at permitted artificial reef sites in federal waters off the coast of North Carolina. Within the SMZs, harvest of snapper grouper species by spear would be limited to the recreational bag limit.

* Establish four additional SMZs at permitted artificial reef sites in federal waters off the coast of South Carolina. Harvest of snapper grouper species would only be allowed with handline, rod and reel, and spear (without powerheads) and harvest would be limited to the recreational bag limits.

SMZ Public Comment Period Now Open – Webinars with Listening Stations Scheduled

Snapper Grouper Regulatory Amendment 34 Summary Document, video presentation, and the Online Comment Form are now available from the Council’s website at: https://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/public-hearings-scoping-meetings/.

Register now to participate in the public scoping meetings via webinar or participate in-person at designated listening stations in North Carolina. Details are available from the Council’s website.

Public Hearings – Modifications to Commercial Southern Zone King Mackerel Season 2 Trip Limits
Coastal Migratory Pelagics Framework Amendment 8
October 29-30, 2019 5:00 PM
Webinars

The draft amendment would modify the trip limit for the commercial king mackerel fishery in the Southern Zone (NC/SC line to Miami-Dade/Monroe Co. boundary) during Season 2 (October 1st to the end of February). Access the Public Hearing Summary, view the video, submit comments online and register now to participate in the scheduled webinars. https://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/public-hearings-scoping-meetings/.

Public Scoping – Shrimp Transit Provisions
Amendment 11 to the Shrimp Fishery Management Plan
November 5 & 7, 2019 7:00 PM
Webinars

The draft amendment proposes modifications to current transit provisions during cold-weather closures of the fishery. Additional information is available at: https://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/public-hearings-scoping-meetings/.

Hawai’i Shallow-Set Longline Fishery Has No Discernable Impact on Sea Turtle Populations

October 17, 2019 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

Scientists from throughout the Pacific meeting this week in Honolulu found that mortality by the Hawai’i shallow-set longline fishery on loggerheads and leatherbacks are “trivial” and have no impact on their population levels. The fishery, which produces 55 percent of the domestic US catch of swordfish, was shut down on March 19, 2019, after it reached the annual limit of 17 physical interactions with North Pacific loggerhead sea turtles. All 17 were released alive. Since 2004, more than 99 percent of the turtles with which the fishery have interacted were released alive.

The Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council made its conclusion after reviewing the assessment of population level impacts of loggerhead and leatherback turtle interactions in the Hawai’i shallow-set longline fishery presented by T. Todd Jones and Summer Martin of the NOAA Fisheries Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) and Zachary Siders of the University of Florida. The assessment is a post-interaction mortality model for the shallow-set longline fishery that evaluates the fishery’s impact on the population trend. The model was developed by PIFSC and based on a population vulnerability assessment for the species conducted in 2018.

The model predicted that the anticipated annual take by the Hawaii shallow-set fishery would have no significant impact on the long-term abundance of these two marine turtle species over the next 100 years. The model also indicated that the past take made no discernable difference on the historical population trend. The model is considered to be conservative because the take is only applied to index beaches, which accounts for about 52 percent of the loggerhead population and about 75 percent of the leatherback population.

The SSC endorsed the take model developed for the shallow-set longline fishery as the best scientific information available for evaluating the impacts of the fishery on loggerhead and leatherback turtle populations. It recommended that PIFSC apply the model to the take data for the Hawai’i deep-set longline fishery (which targets bigeye tuna) and the American Samoa longline fishery (which targets albacore tuna) to provide a robust scientific assessment to be considered in ongoing Endangered Species Act (ESA) consultations. The SSC further encouraged consideration of transferred effect of the US longline fishery closure on target species as well as protected species. [Note: Markets seek foreign imports, which have less stringent regulations and monitoring, when domestically caught fish is unavailable.] The SSC reiterated that the 25 percent reduction goal in the shallow-set longline fishery biological opinion (BiOp) completed by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in June 2019 as “aspirational, overly conservative and not supported by the scientific information presented in the final BiOp, especially in light of the results of the new take model.” The BiOp would allow the fishery up to 16 leatherback sea turtle interactions annually. The SSC recommended that the Council reevaluate its position on the reasonable and prudent measures in the BiOp in light of the model results.

The Council will consider these and other recommendations by the SSC and its other advisory bodies when it meets Oct. 22 to 24, 2019, at the Tauese P. F. Sunia Ocean Center in Utulei, American Samoa. For more info, go to http://www.wpcouncil.org/public-meetings/ or contact the Council at info@wpcouncil.org or call (808) 522-8220.

ASMFC 78th Annual Meeting Final Agenda and Meeting Materials Now Available

October 17, 2019 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The final agenda and meeting materials for the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s 78th Annual Meeting are now available at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2019-annual-meeting; click on the relevant Board/Committee name to access the documents for that Board/Committee. For ease of access, all Board meeting documents (including the Executive Committee and ACCSP Coordinating Council) have been combined into one document – Main Meeting Materials. Supplemental materials will be posted to http://www.asmfc.org/home/2019-annual-meeting on October 23rd.

The agenda is subject to change. The agenda reflects the current estimate of time required for scheduled meetings. The Commission may adjust this agenda in accordance with the actual duration of meetings. Interested parties should anticipate meetings starting earlier or later than indicated herein.

Board meeting proceedings will be broadcast daily via webinar beginning Monday, October 28th at 8:30 a.m. and continuing daily until the conclusion of the meeting (expected to be 12:15 p.m.) on Thursday, October 31st. The webinar will allow registrants to listen to board deliberations and view presentations and motions as they occur. No comments or questions will be accepted via the webinar. Should technical difficulties arise while streaming the broadcast the boards/sections will continue their deliberations without interruption. We will attempt to resume the broadcast as soon as possible. Please go https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2059114101381638411 to register.

As a reminder, the guidelines for submission of written comment for issues for which the Commission has NOT established a specific public comment period (i.e., in response to proposed management action) are as follows:

1.   Comments received 3 weeks prior to the start of a meeting week will be included with the main meeting materials.

2.   Comments received by 5:00 PM on October 22, 2019 will be distributed electronically to Commissioners/Board members prior to the meeting and a limited number of copies will be provided at the meeting.

3.   Following the October 22, 2019 5:00 PM deadline, the commenter will be responsible for distributing the information to the management board prior to the board meeting or providing enough copies for the management board consideration at the meeting (a minimum of 50 copies).

The submitted comments must clearly indicate the commenter’s expectation from the ASMFC staff regarding distribution.  As with other public comment, it will be accepted via mail, fax, and email.

SAFMC Seeks Applicants for Federal Fishery Advisory Panels

October 16, 2019 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is currently soliciting applicants for open advisory panel seats. Advisory panel members provide information and guidance in the development and implementation of federal fishery management plans. Members include recreational and commercial fishermen, seafood dealers and processors, scientists, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) such as environmental groups, fishing organizations, etc., and concerned citizens. Advisory panel members are appointed by the Council and serve for a three-year period, based on the frequency of meetings. The Council’s advisory panels generally meet no more than once or twice each year and are compensated for travel and per diem expenses for all meetings.

Applications are now being solicited for the following positions:
Dolphin Wahoo Advisory Panel
(1) Open Seat

Habitat and Ecosystem-Based Management Advisory Panel
(1) NC Seat; (1) SC Seat; and (1) FL Seat

Information and Education Advisory Panel
(1) Recreational Seat and (1) Commercial Seat

Mackerel Cobia Advisory Panel
(3) Open Seats

How to Apply

Additional information including application forms for individual advisory panels is available online from the Council’s website at: http://safmc.net/about-safmc/advisory-panels/. For questions about the advisory panel seats please contact Kim Iverson, Public Information Officer, at Kim.Iverson@safmc.net or call the Council office at 843/571-4366.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact area Council representatives to discuss their interest in serving. Contact information for all Council members is available at: https://safmc.net/council-members/.

Applications must be received by November 6, 2019 for consideration by the Council during its December 2-6, 2019 meeting in Wilmington, NC.

MAFMC Releases Draft Strategic Plan for Public Comment

October 15, 2019 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council has released a Draft 2020-2024 Strategic Plan for public review and comment. The plan includes updated vision and mission statements and proposes five major goals to guide the Council’s activities and management priorities for the next five years. Development of the plan was informed by public input provided through a survey and outreach meetings in early 2019.

The Draft Strategic Plan is available on the Council’s website here. All interested stakeholders and members of the public are invited to provide comments on the draft plan.

Strategic Plan Webinars

The Council will hold two public input webinars during which participants will have an opportunity to ask questions and offer public comments on the draft strategic plan. The webinars will be held on the following dates:

  • Tuesday, November 12, 2019 at 6:00 p.m.
  • Wednesday, November 13, 2019 at 10:00 a.m.

To join the webinars, go to: http://mafmc.adobeconnect.com/mafmc-strategic-plan/. Meeting audio can also be accessed via telephone by dialing 1-800-832-0736 and entering room number 2122298.

Submit Written Comments

Written comments may also be submitted by any of the following methods:

Please include “Strategic Plan Comments” in the subject line if using email or fax or on the outside of the envelope if submitting comments by mail.

Comments must be submitted by Friday, November 15, 11:59 EST. The Council will review public comments and approve the final plan at its December meeting in Annapolis, MD.

For additional information and background documents, please visit www.mafmc.org/strategic-plan or contact Michelle Duval at michelleduval22@gmail.com or 919-601-3798.

New England Council Seeks Scientific and Statistical Committee Nominees

October 15, 2019 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council is seeking qualified candidates to serve on its Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC).  The three-year appointments begin January 1, 2020 and run through December 31, 2022.  Individuals may nominate themselves or be nominated by others.  All application materials must be received by 8 a.m. on December 20, 2019.

QUALIFICATION CRITERIA:  The Council is seeking to fill several upcoming vacancies on the committee.  In general, SSC nominees should have expertise in statistics, fisheries biology, marine ecology, economics, sociology, anthropology, or other social sciences as they apply to fisheries management.

SSC RESPONSIBILITIES:  SSC members are expected to provide independent, scientific advice to the Council.  The purpose of the SSC is to assist the Council in the development, collection, and evaluation of statistical, biological, economic, social, and other scientific information relevant to the development of fishery management plans.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:  More information about SSC responsibilities, current committee composition, and upcoming/past meetings can be found at SSC activities.  The notice requesting nominations, which contains application details, is available on that page under “Related News” or at announcement.  Members with expiring terms who wish to continue serving on the SSC are encouraged to resubmit their curriculum vitae (CV) or resume with a letter expressing continued interest in remaining on the committee.

QUESTIONS:  For more information contact Council Deputy Director Chris Kellogg at (978) 465-0492, ext. 112; ckellogg@nefmc.org.

NPFMC October Newsletter

October 15, 2019 — The following was released by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council:

The Council met in Homer AK, from September 30- October 10. Our digital newsletter is published! For those interested, all the articles on one page to print is available here, and the three meeting outlook here.  As always, you can access all other meeting information through the Agenda.

The Council is accepting nominations for its Scientific and Statistical Committee and its Advisory Panel. Nominations, letters of interest, and a resume should be submitted to the Executive Director through our comment portal by November 29th at 12pm Alaska time.

Read the full release here

ASMFC & MAFMC Set Specifications for Jointly Managed Species and Initiate a Joint Action on Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Commercial/Recreational Allocations; and ASMFC Initiates Addendum on Black Sea Bass State-by-State Commercial Allocations

October 11, 2019 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Board (Board) and Bluefish Board met jointly with the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) to adopt 2020-2021 specifications for scup, black sea bass, and bluefish and review previously-implemented 2020 specifications for summer flounder. During the meeting, the Boards and Council reviewed the results of operational stock assessments for black sea bass, scup, and bluefish, which were peer-reviewed and accepted for management use in August 2019. The assessments incorporated fishery catch and fisheryindependent survey data through 2018, including revised recreational catch data from the Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP). The revised MRIP data are based on a new estimation methodology accounting for changes to the angler intercept survey and the recent transition to a mail based effort survey. For these four species, the revised estimates of catch and landings are several times higher than the previous estimates for shore and private boat modes, substantially raising the overall catch and harvest estimates.

Summer Flounder, Scup, Black Sea Bass, and Bluefish Specifications

The following table summarizes commercial quotas and recreational harvest limits (RHL) for summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, and bluefish. In setting catch and harvest limits for scup, black sea bass, and bluefish, the Boards and Council also took into account recommendations from the Council’s Statistical and Science Committee (SSC), Monitoring Committee, and Advisory Panels (APs) for each species. The summer flounder limits, which were previously approved by the Board and Council in March 2019, were maintained. No changes were made to the commercial management measures for the four species. For scup, black sea bass, and bluefish, the Commission’s actions are final and apply to state waters (0-3 miles from shore); the Council will forward its recommendations for federal waters (3 – 200 miles from shore) to the NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Administrator for final approval.

Read the full release here

ASMFC American Shad Stock Assessment Workshop Scheduled for November 18-22, in Charleston, SC

October 10, 2019 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission will hold the American Shad Benchmark Stock Assessment Workshop at the Francis Marion Hotel, 387 King Street, Charleston, SC.  The stock assessment, which is scheduled for completion in the summer of 2020, will evaluate the health of stocks along the Atlantic coast and inform management of this species.  The Commission’s stock assessment process and meetings are open to the public, with the exception of discussions of confidential data*, when the public will be asked to leave the room.

The Commission welcomes the submission of alternate analyses or assessment models.  For alternate models to be considered, the model description, model input, final model estimates, and complete source code must be provided to Jeff Kipp, Senior Stock Assessment Scientist, at jkipp@asmfc.org by October 18, 2019. Any models submitted without complete, editable source code and input files will not be considered.

For more information about the assessment or attending the upcoming workshop (space is limited), please contact Caitlin Starks, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at cstarks@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.

* Each state and federal agency is responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of its data and deciding who has access to its confidential data. In the case of our stock assessments and peer reviews, all analysts and, if necessary, reviewers, have been granted permission by the appropriate agency to use and view confidential data. When the assessment team needs to show and discuss these data, observers to our stock assessment process are asked to leave the room to preserve confidentiality.

PFMC: Groundfish Management Team to Hold Webinar November 5, 2019

October 10, 2019 — The following was released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council:

The Pacific Fishery Management Council’s  Groundfish Management Team (GMT) will convene a webinar meeting to discuss items on the Pacific Council’s November 2019 meeting agenda.  The webinar will be held Tuesday, November 5, 2019 from 12 p.m. until 4 p.m. Pacific Standard Time.  The webinar end time is an estimate, the meeting will adjourn when business for the day is completed.  This meeting is open to the public.

Please see the Groundfish Management Team Webinar Notice on the Council’s website for participation details.

For further information:

  • Please contact Pacific Fishery Management Council staff officer Mr. Todd Phillips  at 503-820-2426; toll-free 1-866-806-7204.