Saving Seafood

Council Actions

NEFMC December 1-3, 2020 – By Webinar – Listen Live, View Documents

November 23, 2020 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council will hold a three-day meeting by webinar from Tuesday, December 1 through Thursday, December 3, 2020.  The public is invited to listen live and provide input during designated opportunities for public comment.  The Council still cannot hold a large, in-person meeting due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

PUBLIC COMMENT OPPORTUNITIES:  The Council wants to hear from you.  Here’s how you can let the Council know what you think.

  • WRITE A LETTER:  The deadline for submitting written comments for consideration at this meeting is Friday, November 27, 2020 at 8:00 a.m.
  • TALK TO THE COUNCIL:  You’ll be able to address the Council directly through two different avenues – one by commenting on motions at the discretion of the Council chair (raise your hand on the webinar and unmute yourself when called upon) and, second, you can speak during the open period for public comment.  Here are the Guidelines for Providing Public Comment.
  • OPEN PERIOD FOR PUBLIC COMMENT:  On Tuesday, December 1 at 1:30 p.m., the Council will offer the public an opportunity to provide comments on issues relevant to Council business but not listed on this agenda.  Given the Council’s busy meeting schedule, we ask that you limit remarks to 3-5 minutes.
    • SIGN UP NOW:  Interested in speaking?  Email Janice Plante at jplante@nefmc.org to get on the list.

START TIME:  9:00 a.m. on all three days.  The webinar will end shortly after the Council adjourns each day.

WEBINAR REGISTRATION:  Online access to the meeting is available at Listen Live.  There is no charge to access the meeting through this webinar.

  • Here are instructions in the Remote Participation Guide for successfully joining and participating in the webinar.
  • THIS IS KEY!  If you want to speak during opportunities for public comment, you need to: (1) register for the webinar; and (2) actually “join” the webinar.  People who call in by telephone without joining the webinar will be in listen-only mode.  Those who take both steps – register and then join the webinar – will see the meeting screen and be able to click on a “raise hand” button, which will let the meeting organizer know you want to be unmuted to speak.
  • We have a Help Desk in case you get stuck joining the webinar or have trouble along the way.  Phone numbers are listed on the Help Desk Poster, or just email helpdesk@nefmc.org.  We’ll get right back to you.

WEBINAR CALL-IN OPTION:  To listen by telephone, dial +1 (562) 247-8321.  The access code is 188-250-972.  Please be aware that if you dial in, your regular phone charges will apply.

AGENDA:  All meeting materials and the agenda are available on the Council’s website at NEFMC December 1-3, 2020 Webinar Meeting.  Additional documents will be posted as they become available.

THREE MEETING OUTLOOK:  A copy of the New England Council’s Three Meeting Outlook is available HERE.

COUNCIL MEETING QUESTIONS:  Anyone with questions prior to or during the Council meeting should contact Janice Plante at (607) 592-4817,  jplante@nefmc.org.

SAFMC Meeting Scheduled via Webinar for December 7-10, 2020

November 23, 2020 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Meeting materials, including agendas, overviews, and documents are now available for the upcoming meeting of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council scheduled December 7-10, 2020 via webinar. Unless otherwise indicated, the meeting is open to the public as it occurs. Register now and receive email reminders as the meeting dates approach.

During the meeting Council members will address management measures affecting fisheries in federal waters, including proposed actions for Red Porgy, Greater Amberjack, King and Spanish Mackerel, Dolphin and Wahoo. Agenda items also include modifications to the Wreckfish Individual Transferable Quota (ITQ) program, deepwater shrimp closed areas, the Council’s Fishery Ecosystem Plan and its Citizen Science Program.

Public Comment and Additional Details

An online public comment form is now available for items on the the Council meeting agenda. Members of the public are encouraged to provide comments using the online comment form prior to the meeting. Written comments submitted online may also be viewed from the meeting website at: https://safmc.net/december-2020-council-meeting-details/.

A formal public comment session will be held via webinar on Wednesday, December 9, 2020 beginning at 4:00 p.m. Register now to provide comment during the formal public comment session.

Additional meeting details including agenda highlights, items scheduled for approval for public scoping and public hearing, and schedule-at-a-glance are also now available from the website.

Questions? Contact Kim Iverson, Public Information Officer at kim.iverson@safmc.net or 843/302-8440.

MAFMC Webinar Meeting: December 14-17, 2020

November 19, 2020 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will meet by webinar December 14-17, 2020. Portions of the meeting will be conducted jointly with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board and Bluefish Management Board. Briefing documents and presentations will be posted on the December 2020 Council Meeting Page as they become available.

Agenda: A detailed agenda is available here. Topics to be discussed at this meeting include:

  • 2021 Implementation Plan
  • SSC Economic Work Group Report
  • Council Recusal Process
  • Habitat Updates
  • 2021 Recreational Specifications for Scup, Black Sea Bass, and Summer Flounder, and Bluefish
  • Recreational Reform Initiative Updates
  • Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Commercial/Recreational Allocation Amendment – Public Hearing Document Approval
  • Black Sea Bass Commercial State Allocation Amendment and Draft Addendum XXXIII – Final Action
  • Atlantic Right Whale Update

Public Comments: Written comments may be submitted using the online comment form linked below or via email, mail, or fax (see this page for details). Written comments must be received by 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, December 2, 2020 to be included in the briefing book. Comments submitted after this date but before 5:00 p.m. on December 10, 2020 will be posted as supplemental materials. After that date, comments may only be submitted using the form below.

Webinar: Join the webinar during the meeting at http://mafmc.adobeconnect.com/december2020/. Please note that participants will be required to use the Adobe Connect application. The browser option will not be available. You can download the application for Windows here and for Mac here. If you do not have the application, you will be prompted to download and install it when you click the webinar link. We recommend checking your system in advance, as it may take a few minutes to download. More detailed instructions are available on the meeting page. For telephone-only access, dial 800-832-0736 and enter room number 7833942# when prompted.

Questions? Contact Mary Sabo, msabo@mafmc.org, (302) 518-1143.

SAFMC Meeting Scheduled via Webinar for December 7-10, 2020

November 16, 2020 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Members of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will meet December 7-10, 2020 to address management measures affecting Dolphin and Wahoo, Red Porgy, Greater Amberjack, King and Spanish Mackerel, and Yellowtail Snapper in federal waters.

The meeting agenda also includes discussion of modifications to deepwater shrimp closed areas, presentations relative to the Council’s Fishery Ecosystem Plan, and reports from its advisory panels. Council members will also discuss the Council’s Citizen Science Program and ongoing projects. The meeting, originally scheduled for Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, will be held via webinar due to health concerns and the coronavirus pandemic.

The meeting begins on Monday morning, December 7, 2020 with a Closed Session to review advisory panel applicants and policy issues. Open sessions begin Monday afternoon and meetings of the Council’s committees and Full Council will continue through Thursday, December 10th.

A public comment session will be held via webinar on Wednesday, December 9, 2020 beginning at 4:00 p.m.

Unless otherwise indicated, the meeting is open to the public via webinar. Registration is required. Register now and receive reminders as the meeting date approaches. Meeting materials and the public comment form will be posted to the Council’s website two weeks prior to the meeting at: https://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/council-meetings/.

NEFMC SSC – Listen Live – Monday, November 23, 2020 – Scallops

November 16, 2020 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will meet via webinar on Monday, November 23, 2020 to discuss issues related to Atlantic sea scallops.  The public is invited to listen live.  But first …

HERE’S AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT:  The Council is seeking qualified candidates to serve on its SSC for a three-year term from January 2021 through December 2023.  The deadline for submitting nominations and related materials is 8:00 a.m. on December 20, 2020.  Additional information is available in the request for nominations.

Now, here are the details for the SSC’s November 23rd webinar meeting.

START TIME:  9:00 a.m.

WEBINAR REGISTRATION:  Online access to the meeting is available at Listen Live.  There is no charge to access the meeting through this webinar.

CALL-IN OPTION:  To listen by telephone, dial +1 (213) 929-4212.  The access code is 615-476-202.  Please be aware that if you dial in, your regular phone charges will apply.

AGENDA:  The SSC will meet to:

  • Review the results of the Fall 2020 Management Track Stock Assessment for Atlantic Sea Scallops and information provided by the Council’s Scallop Plan Development Team;
  • Recommend the overfishing limit (OFL) and acceptable biological catch (ABC) for the 2021 scallop fishing year and the default OFL and ABC specifications for fishing year 2022; and
  • Discuss other business as necessary.

COMMENTS:  The deadline for submitting written comments for consideration at this meeting is 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, November 19, 2020.  Address comments to Council Chairman Dr. John Quinn or Executive Director Tom Nies and email them to comments@nefmc.org.  Additional information is available in the meeting notice.

MATERIALS:  All documents for this meeting will be posted on the SSC November 23, 2020 webpage.

QUESTIONS:  Contact Joan O’Leary at (978) 465-0492 ext. 101, joleary@nefmc.org or Janice Plante at (607) 592-4817,  jplante@nefmc.org.

Regional fisheries council to host education series

November 16, 2020 — The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council will be hosting a series of meetings on fisheries management in offshore waters of Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and pacific remote island areas.

Unless noted otherwise, meetings for regional stakeholders will be held online. Check the council website for updates.

• American Samoa: Nov. 18, 5 to 7:30 p.m. (SST)

Major agenda items: American Samoa Bottomfish annual catch limits for 2020-2021 and stock rebuilding plan; Reasonable and prudent measures and/or reasonable and prudent alternatives for the American Samoa longline fisheries; advisory panel plans; and American Samoa fishery issues and activities.

• Mariana Archipelago – Guam: Nov. 19, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. (ChST)

Major agenda items: Guam bottomfish stock rebuilding plan; advisory panel plans; and Guam fishery issues and activities.

Read the full story at the The Guam Daily Post

Summary of Action Items for the 184th WPRFMC Meeting

November 16, 2020 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

  1. Specification of Annual Catch Limit and Accountability Measures for the American Samoa Bottomfish Fishery for Fishing Years 2021-2022 (Initial Action)
  2. Options for the American Samoa Bottomfish Stock Rebuilding Plan (Initial Action)
  3. Options for the Guam Bottomfish Stock Rebuilding Plan (Initial Action)
  4. Reasonable and Prudent Measures and/or Reasonable and Prudent Alternatives for the Hawaii and American Samoa Longline Fisheries (Initial Action)
  5. Potential Catch Limits for North Pacific Striped Marlin (Initial Action)

The 184th meeting of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council will convene December 2-4, 2020, by web conference (Webex) with host sites at the following locations:

  • Cliff Pointe, 304 W. O’Brien Drive, Hagatna, Guam
  • BRI Building Suite 205, Kopa Di Oru St. Garapan, Saipan, MP
  • Tedi of Samoa Building Suite 208B, Fagatogo Village, American Samoa

The Webex link is https://tinyurl.com/184CouncilMtg (if prompted, password is CM184mtg).

The Council will consider and may take action on the issues summarized below (click here for a copy), including any public comments on them. Written public comments on all agenda items may be submitted for the record by email throughout the duration of the meeting to the email below.

Instructions for connecting to the Webex and providing oral public comments during the meeting will be posted on the Council website at www.wpcouncil.org/event/184th-council-meeting.

  • Mail: Kitty M. Simonds
    Executive Director
    WPRFMC
    1164 Bishop St., Suite 1400
    Honolulu, HI 96813
  • FAX: (808) 522-8226
  • E-mail: info@wpcouncil.org

Read the full release here

NOAA Fisheries Approves Electronic Reporting Requirements for Mid-Atlantic and New England Commercial Vessels

November 13, 2020 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

NOAA Fisheries has approved a recommendation from the Mid-Atlantic and New England Fishery Management Councils to require federally permitted commercial fishing vessels to submit vessel trip reports electronically as eVTRs within 48 hours of the end of a trip. This requirement will take effect November 10, 2021.

This action affects all commercial vessels holding federal permits for any species managed by the Mid-Atlantic or New England Fishery Management Councils (see this bulletin for a complete list of species). The requirement will also be extended to vessels issued for-hire (charter/party) permits for New England Council-managed fisheries (i.e., Northeast multispecies). Vessels issued a Mid-Atlantic Council for-hire permit have been required to submit vessel trip reports electronically since March 2018.

The effective date of this action is being delayed for 1 year, until November 10, 2021, to allow ample time for training on the various electronic reporting applications and to allow vessel owners and operators the time to find the appropriate application for their operations. Information on eVTR applications is available on the GARFO website. Additional information on training opportunities will be posted on the Mid-Atlantic Council’s Commercial eVTR page throughout the upcoming year.

Additional Information

Questions?

  • Fishermen: Contact Moira Kelly, Sustainable Fisheries, 978-281-9218
  • Media: Contact Jennifer Goebel, Regional Office, 978-281-9175

WPRFMC 2020 Public Meetings Notice

November 13, 2020 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council announces the following public meetings on fisheries management in offshore waters of Hawai‘i (HI), American Samoa (AS), Guam, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and Pacific Remote Island Areas (PRIA). Unless otherwise noted, the meetings will be held by web conference. Host sites are subject to local and federal safety and health guidelines regarding COVID-19; check the Council website for updates. All times listed are local island times. For more information on the virtual meeting connection and complete agendas, click on the meeting title, go to www.wpcouncil.org/meetings-calendars, email info@wpcouncil.org, fax (808) 522-8226 or phone (808) 522-8220.

AS Archipelago Fishery Ecosystem Plan (FEP) Advisory Panel (AP)
Nov. 18 (W) 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (SST)
Major agenda items: AS Bottomfish annual catch limits for 2020-2021 and stock rebuilding plan; Reasonable and prudent measures (RPMs) and/or reasonable and prudent alternatives (RPAs) for the AS longline (ASLL) fisheries; AP plans; and AS fishery issues and activities.

Mariana Archipelago FEP-Guam AP
Nov. 19 (Th) 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. (ChST)
Major agenda items: Guam bottomfish stock rebuilding plan; AP plans; and Guam fishery issues and activities.

Pacific Pelagic FEP Plan Team
Nov. 19 (Th) 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. (HST)
Major agenda items: Oceanic whitetip shark report; North Pacific striped marlin rebuilding measures; and RPMs and/or RPAs for the HI deep-set longline (DSLL) and ASLL fisheries.

HI Archipelago FEP AP
Nov. 20 (F) 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. (HST)
Major agenda items: Options for including tori lines in HI longline fishery seabird mitigation measures; RPMs and/or RPAs for the HI DSLL and ASLL fisheries; False killer whale take and recovery plans; AP plans; and HI fishery issues and activities.

Mariana Archipelago FEP-CNMI AP
Nov. 21 (Sat) 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. (ChST)
Major agenda items: Guam bottomfish stock rebuilding plan; AP plans; and CNMI fishery issues and activities.

138th Scientific & Statistical Committee
Direct link to meeting: https://tinyurl.com/138SSCMtg. If prompted, password is SSC138mtg.
Nov. 30 – Dec. 1 (M – T) 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (HST)
Major agenda items: RPMs and/or RPAs for the HI DSLL and ASLL fisheries (action item); North Pacific striped marlin catch limits (action item); American Samoa bottomfish acceptable biological catch for fishing year 2021-2022 (action item); and American Samoa and Guam bottomfish rebuilding plans (action items).

Pelagic & International Standing Committee
Dec. 1 (T) 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. (HST)
Major agenda items: North Pacific striped marlin catch and/or effort limits (action item); and RPMs and/or RPAs for the HI DSLL and ASLL fisheries (action item).

Executive & Budget Standing Committee
Dec. 1 (T) 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. (HST) (4 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. closed to public)
Major agenda items: Financial and administrative matters; Council family changes; Litigation update; and Officer election.

184th Council Meeting
Direct link to meeting: https://tinyurl.com/184CouncilMtg. If prompted, password is CM184mtg.
Host sites: Cliff Pointe, 304 W. O’Brien Drive, Hagatna, Guam
BRI Bldg., Suite 205, Kopa Di Oru St., Garapan, Saipan, CNMI
Tedi of Samoa Bldg., Suite 208B, Fagatogo Village, AS
Dec. 2 – 4 (W – F) 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (HST)

Major agenda items: North Pacific striped marlin catch and/or effort limits (action item); RPMs and/or RPAs for the HI DSLL and ASLL fisheries (action item); American Samoa bottomfish annual catch limits for fishing year 2021-2022 (action item); and American Samoa and Guam bottomfish rebuilding plans (action items).

ASMFC September/October 2020 issue of Fisheries Focus Now Available

November 12, 2020 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The September/October 2020 issue of ASMFC Fisheries Focus is now available at http://www.asmfc.org/uploads/file/5fad9e9dFishFocusSeptOct2020.pdf

INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Upcoming Meetings
page 2

Report from the Chair
page 3

Species Profile
American Lobster
page 4

Fishery Management Actions
Atlantic Cobia
Horseshoe Crab
Spiny Dogfish
page 6

Science Highlight
ACFHP Launches Fish Habitat Conservation Area Mapping and Prioritization Project
page 10 

On the Legislative Front
U.S. Congress Advances Marine Debris and Conservation Bills
page 11

ACCSP Facilitates Compromise for Meeting Federal Dual-permitted VTR Requirements
page 12

Employee of the Quarter
page 13

Comings & Goings
page 13

Past issues of Fisheries Focus can be found at http://www.asmfc.org/search/%20/%20/Fishery-Focus