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Council Actions

MAFMC Meeting December 9-12, 2019 in Annapolis, MD

November 14, 2019 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold its next meeting December 9-12, 2019 at the Westin Annapolis (100 Westgate Circle, Annapolis, MD 21401, Telephone 410-972-4300).

Agenda: A detailed meeting agenda is available here.

Meeting Materials: Briefing documents will be posted at http://ww.mafmc.org/briefing/december-2019 as they become available.

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). Comments received by 11:59 p.m. on November 27, 2019 will be included in the briefing book. Comments received after this date but before 5:00 p.m. on December 5, 2019 will be posted as supplemental materials on the Council meeting web page. After that date, all comments must be submitted using the online comment form linked below.

Webinar: For online access to the meeting, enter as a guest at: http://mafmc.adobeconnect.com/december2019.

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

Strategic Plan Public Input Webinars November 12 & 13

November 12, 2019 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold two webinars to gather public comments on the Draft 2020-2024 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/. Audio connection instructions will pop up automatically when the webinar opens. Telephone-only access is available by dialing 1-800-832-0736 and entering room number 2122298#.

The Draft Strategic Plan is available on the Council’s website here. The plan includes updated vision and mission statements and proposes five major goals, with associated objectives and strategies, 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.

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.

South Atlantic Vermilion Snapper Commercial Trip Limit Reduced to 555 Pounds Whole Weight on November 11, 2019

November 7, 2019 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

WHAT/WHEN

  • The daily trip limit for the commercial harvest of vermilion snapper in federal waters of the South Atlantic is reduced from 1,110 to 555 pounds whole weight, or from 1,000 to 500 pounds gutted weight, effective
    12:01 a.m., local time, on November 11, 2019.

WHY THIS TRIP LIMIT REDUCTION IS HAPPENING:

  • When commercial landings of South Atlantic vermilion snapper reach or are projected to reach 75 percent of the quota, regulations are in place to reduce the daily trip limit.
  • The trip limit reduction is necessary to slow the rate of commercial harvest to avoid exceeding the quota.

AFTER THE TRIP LIMIT REDUCTION:

  • The 555-pound whole weight or 500-pound gutted weight trip limit will remain in effect until the end of the current fishing season on December 31, 2019, or when 100 percent of the quota is reached or projected to be reached, whichever occurs first. The 2020 January through June vermilion snapper fishing season in the South Atlantic will open at 12:01 a.m., local time, on January 1, 2020, with a 1,110-pound whole weight or 1,000-pound gutted weight trip limit.

This bulletin provides only a summary of the existing regulations. Full regulations can be found in the Federal Register or at:
http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=383bc195ccbeab4fd6bec1c24905df34&node=sp50.12.622.i&rgn=div6#se50.12.622_1191.

Mark Your Calendar – SAFMC Meeting December 2-6, 2019

November 7, 2019 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold its next meeting December 2-6, 2019 at the Hotel Ballast (Hilton Riverside), 301 North Water Street, Wilmington, North Carolina, 28401. The meeting week begins on Monday at 1:30 p.m. with a series of committee meetings and concludes with a meeting of the Full Council on Friday.

A formal public comment session will be held on Wednesday, December 4th beginning at 4:00 PM. An online comment form will be available for written comments, and the meeting will be available via webinar as it occurs.

Agenda Highlights:

  • Red Snapper – The Council is considering actions to eliminate the current three-day minimum number of fishing days required for the red snapper seasons (recreational or commercial) to open, and to change the start date of the commercial fishing season to May 1st from the current 2nd Monday in July. The Council is scheduled to approve the measures in Snapper Grouper Regulatory Amendment 33 at this meeting.
  • Mackerel Cobia – The Council is scheduled to approve measures affecting king mackerel commercial trip limits in season two (Framework Amendment 8). The Mackerel Cobia Committee will also discuss accountability measures for the Spanish mackerel fishery.
  • Citizen Science – The Council’s Citizen Science Committee will receive updates on the pilot projects SAFMC Scamp Release and FISHstory, review research priorities, discuss program evaluation, and more.
  • Dolphin Wahoo – The Dolphin Wahoo Committee will continue to discuss management actions and alternatives for both dolphin and wahoo in draft Amendment 10 to the Dolphin Wahoo Fishery Management Plan.

Additional Information:

Additional meeting information will be available from the Council’s website at: http://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/council-meetings/ as it becomes available. Briefing book materials, including the meeting agenda, committee agendas/overviews, and the public comment form will be available on November 15, 2019.

South Atlantic Update Newsletter

November 6, 2019 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

  • On Point – The Council Chair’s Perspective
    • Council Chair Jessica McCawley gives a shout out to those encouraging best fishing practices and notes the value of public input and guidance from the Council’s advisory panels in the fishery management process. Read More.
  • Council Approves Management Measures to Help Improve Survival of Released Fish
    • Requirements for descending devices and other best practices have received support from the fishing community. Approved by the Council in September, the new regulations are designed to improve survival of released fish. If approved by the Secretary of Commerce, it would be the first time such measures have been required in federal waters in the U.S. Read More.
  • Changes Proposed for Red Snapper Seasons in the South Atlantic Region
    • In December, Council members are scheduled to approve measures to remove the current three-day minimum number of fishing days required for opening both commercial and recreational red snapper seasons, and change the start date of the commercial fishery to May 1st. Learn More.
  • Council Selects John Carmichael as New Executive Director
    • John Carmichael, the Council’s Deputy Director for Science and Statistics has been selected to serve as the Council’s new Executive Director following Gregg Waugh’s retirement in mid-December. Learn More.
  • From the Executive Director’s Desk
    • Executive Director Gregg Waugh bids farewell and acknowledges the fishermen, Council members, state partners, staff, and others that have been such an important part of his nearly 40-year career with the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council. Read more.
  • December 2-6, 2019 Council Meeting Highlights
    • The Council’s next meeting will take place December 2-6, 2019 in the port city of Wilmington, NC. Agenda items include proposed changes to the red snapper fishing season, management options for dolphin and wahoo, Atlantic king mackerel and Spanish mackerel, Citizen Science Program, and other topics. Meeting Information.
  • FISHstory Citizen Science Project to Launch in Early 2020
    • If a picture is worth a thousand words, what stories can a black and white photograph tell? Step back in time to the docks of Daytona Beach, Florida from the 1940s-70s as a participant in the Council’s latest citizen science project, FISHstory (pronounced like history). Learn More – and see how you can get involved!

ASMFC Northern Shrimp Section Meeting Scheduled

November 5, 2019 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Friday December 6, 2019
1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

The times listed are approximate; the order in which these items will be taken is subject to change; other items

may be added as necessary.

Webinar URL: https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/651526893

Join the conference call:

Phone: 1-888-585-9008 followed by the Passcode: 635-498-111

  1. Welcome/Call to Order (S. Train) 1:00 p.m.
  2. Section Consent 1:00 p.m.
    1. Approval of Agenda
  3. Public Comment 1:05 p.m.
  4. Review 2019 Stock Assessment Update Report (M. Hunter) 1:15 p.m.
  5. Northern Shrimp Summer Survey Work Group Update 2:25 p.m.
  6. Other Business/Adjourn 3:00 p.m.

Atlantic Herring Spawning Re-Closure for Western Maine in Effect November 6 through November 19, 2019

November 5, 2019 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic Herring Area 1A (inshore Gulf of Maine) fishery regulations include seasonal spawning closures for portions of state and federal waters in Eastern Maine, Western Maine, and Massachusetts/New Hampshire. The Commission’s Atlantic Herring Management Board approved a forecasting method that relies upon at least three samples, each containing at least 25 female herring in gonadal states III-V, to trigger a spawning closure. A spawning closure can be extended for two additional weeks if one sample taken from within a spawning closure area indicates a significant number of spawn herring.

The Western Maine spawning area will be re-closed starting at 12:01 a.m. on November 6 extending through 11:59 p.m. on November 19, 2019. One sample of herring was collected and analysis of the sample indicated 20% mature herring had yet to spawn.

Vessels in the directed Atlantic herring fishery cannot take, land, or possess Atlantic herring caught in the Western Maine spawning area during this time and must have all fishing gear stowed when transiting through the area. An incidental bycatch allowance of up to 2,000 pounds of Atlantic herring per trip/calendar day applies to vessels in non-directed fisheries that are fishing within the Western Maine spawning area. Information on the location of the spawning area is included in the below coordinates and the figure on the next page.

Read the full release here

NPFMC December Meeting – Anchorage

November 5, 2019 — The following was released by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council:

The Council will meet December 2-10, 2019 at  the Hilton Hotel, Anchorage, Alaska. The meeting Agenda, schedule and a list of documents for review are posted and will be updated as items are available.

Other meeting information can be found on the Upcoming Meetings webpage.

REMINDERS

For attendees presenting during public comment, or for other presenters, the Council will be uploading presentations in advance to a single, shared, computer.  Please contact a staff person and have your presentation ready to be uploaded before the agenda item is scheduled.

The Council is accepting nominations for the AP and SSC. 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.

Public comments on all agenda items will be accepted until 12pm (Alaska time) on Friday, November 29, 2019.

Western Pacific Council Urges NMFS Use New Model for Swordfish Fishery; Reference Point for Albacore

November 4, 2019 — SEAFOOD NEWS — The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council discussed changes related to the interaction of sea turtles in the swordfish fishery and the South Pacific albacore fishery when it met in American Samoa last week. Both require the National Marine Fisheries Service to agree with Council’s action to move forward.

The Council urged NMFS, on the Hawaii deep-set longline fishery consultation under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) consider all anticipated scientific information in the biological opinion. This should include the new model developed by the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center that evaluates the impacts of fishery interactions on the North Pacific loggerhead and Western Pacific leatherback sea turtle populations.

The Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee, prior to last week’s Council meeting, endorsed the new model as best scientific information available for evaluating the fisheries’ impacts. The results of the model for the shallow-set (swordfish) longline fishery showed no discernible impact of the fishery’s interactions on the population trend of loggerhead turtles over the next 100 years. For leatherbacks, it showed a small change in the long-term population trend, indicating that the population impact from the fishery would occur five years earlier at the end of the 100-year period.

The NMFS scientist noted the primary impacts to the leatherback population include directed fisheries and nesting predation where the turtles nest in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.

The Council also urged NMFS to apply the model to the Hawai’i deep-set (tuna) and American Samoa longline fisheries so they may be considered in the ongoing consultations. It also recommended NMFS work with the Council to develop only necessary sea turtle protection measures under the ongoing consultations for the Hawai’i deep-set and American Samoa longline fisheries that are appropriate and practicable and ensure the sustainability of the fisheries.

Additionally, the Council will work with NMFS to evaluate the impact of any management actions for reducing turtle interactions on the economic performance and socioeconomic effects of the shallow-set and deep-set longline fisheries, including consideration of the effect on protected species being transferred to foreign fisheries should the U.S. longline fishery close.

Regarding South Pacific albacore tuna, the Council requested NMFS compile and evaluate the catches of albacore from Chinese-flagged longline vessels operating in the southwest Pacific and compare them to the catches and performance of the American Samoa longline fleet.

The Council also wanted to move forward on creating a reference point for South Pacific albacore. It requested NMFS and the U.S. delegation to the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission work with other international delegations to develop the reference point. It should include the catch per unit effort of small island developing states and participating territories to reach historical levels, in addition to a biomass target reference point.

Furthermore, they should also work with other international delegations to develop:

a) a harvest plan for South Pacific albacore to achieve its target reference points “soonest” and under 20 years; and

b) an allocation scheme for countries and cooperating members in which small island developing states and participating territories are exempt from annual catch reductions to reach the target reference point or that they can maintain catches commensurate with historical optimal levels. The allocation scheme must take into consideration charter arrangements and allocations should be accounted by fishing vessel registry, such that conservation benefits are not undermined.

This story was originally published on SeafoodNews.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.

ASMFC 78th Annual Meeting Press Releases, Summaries and Motions Now Available

November 4, 2019 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Press releases, meeting summaries and motions from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s 78th Annual Meeting are now available at http://www.asmfc.org/files/Meetings/78AnnualMeeting/78thAnnualMeetingSummary.pdf.  The document can also be obtained on the Commission website on the Meeting Archives page athttp://www.asmfc.org/home/meeting-archive.  Presentations and audio files from this week’s meetings will be posted to the 78th Annual Meeting page (http://www.asmfc.org/home/2019-annual-meeting) next week.