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Council Actions

Press Releases, Meeting Summaries, and Motions from ASMFC’s 2024 Summer Meeting Now Available

August 9, 2024 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Press releases, meeting summaries, and motions from the Commission’s 2024 Summer Meeting are now available at https://asmfc.org/files/2024SummerMeeting/2024SummerMeetingSummary.pdf. The document can also be found on the Commission website on the Meeting Archives page athttp://www.asmfc.org/home/meeting-archive.

 
Presentations and recordings from this week’s meetings will be posted to https://www.asmfc.org/home/2024-summer-meeting early next week.
 

River Herring Benchmark Stock Assessment Finds Populations Remain Depleted at a Coastwide Level Though Some Rivers Show Signs of Improvement

August 8, 2024 — The following was released by Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The River Herring Benchmark Stock Assessment finds the coastwide populations of both alewife and blueback herring (collectively referred to as river herring) are depleted relative to historic levels, with the habitat model indicating that overall productivity of both species is lower than an unfished population before the occurrence of any habitat modifications (e.g., dams or human alterations to the environment). The depleted determination was used instead of overfished and overfishing because of the many factors that have contributed to the declining abundance of river herring, which include not just directed and incidental fishing, but also habitat loss, predation, and climate change.

 
In terms of recent trends, there is no clear signal for either species across the coast. Even within the genetic stock-regions, trends in abundance and mortality differed from river to river, with some rivers showing increasing trends and low mortality rates, and others showing flat or declining trends and total mortality rates above the reference point. Although very few significant trends overall were detected since the adoption ofAmendment 2 in 2009, the majority of indices of abundance for both alewife and blueback herring are likely to be higher now than they were in 2009. However, half of the blueback populations and 65% of the alewife populations have a high probability of being above the total mortality reference point, indicating total mortality on adult fish was too high. Total mortality is the removal of fish from a population due to both fishing and natural causes.
 
The northern New England region shows more positive trends and a higher probability of abundance in the most recent years being greater than in 2009. It is unclear why that is the case, especially as the more northern regions also have higher probabilities of being above the total mortality reference point. States in the northern New England region have conducted extensive habitat restoration and dam removal, but so have states further south, and they have not seen the same degree of positive trends in run counts and indices. In addition, states in the northern stock-region have also accounted for the majority of directed catch in recent years, while states in the Mid-New England, Southern New England, and Mid-Atlantic stock-
regions have closed their fisheries. Genetic analysis indicates most of the ocean bycatch around Cape Cod and Long Island Sound was of alewife from the Southern New England stock-region and blueback herring from the Mid-Atlantic stock-region, two areas that have had more negative trends in recent years despite habitat restoration efforts and directed fishery closures.
The assessment includes two proof-of-concept approaches to develop biologically-based caps on bycatch in ocean fisheries. The data-limited methods produced estimates of bycatch caps that were lower than the current coastwide bycatch estimates and lower than the current caps in the Atlantic herring and Atlantic mackerel fishery. However, more work needs to be done on the data-limited bycatch cap approach, including consulting with the Mid-Atlantic and New England Fishery Management Councils on risk levels and how to implement species-specific caps in fisheries where the bycatch monitoring includes American and hickory shad as well as river herring. The assessment also recommended exploring species distribution modeling to identify hot spots of river herring bycatch that could be avoided with time-area closures as an alternative or complement to in-season monitoring of river herring bycatch.
No management action was taken given the continued coastwide harvest moratorium for states without an approved Sustainable Fishery Management Plan, as required by Amendment 2. Additionally, the New England Fishery Management Council is early in the process of drafting Amendment 10 to the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan, which is proposing the development of measures to reduce river herring bycatch in the federal fishery.
A more detailed description of the stock assessment results, as well as the Benchmark Stock Assessment and Peer Review Report will be available on the Commission website, www.asmfc.org, on the Shad & River Herring webpage. For more information, please contact James Boyle, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, atjboyle@asmfc.org.
                                                                                                                        

ASMFC Coastal Pelagics Board Approves Atlantic Cobia Addendum II

August 8, 2024 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Commission’s Coastal Pelagics Management Board approved Addendum II to Amendment 1 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Cobia. The Addendum modifies the recreational allocation framework, allows the Board to update allocations quickly if the underlying data are revised, expands the range of data used in harvest evaluations, and allows the Board to set management measures for a longer period of time. Addendum II responds to increased cobia harvest in some Mid-Atlantic states in recent years, as well as concerns about high uncertainty associated with cobia recreational harvest estimates. All Addendum II measures are effective immediately, and will be used to set recreational measures for 2025 and beyond.

 
Addendum II changes both the geographic scope of the recreational allocation framework and the timeframe of data used as the basis for allocations. The Addendum changes the allocation framework from a state-by-state to a regional framework, with a northern region of Rhode Island through Virginia and a southern region of North Carolina through Georgia. The new regional allocation framework is intended to reduce uncertainty by using harvest estimates based on a larger sample size combining multiple states in a region, instead of individual state-level harvest estimates.
 
Each region is allocated part of the recreational quota based on each region’s percentage of the coastwide harvest in number of fish over the last ten years, combining 50% of 2014-2023 data and 50% of 2018-2023 data. Data from 2016 and 2017 are excluded due to fishery closures during those years, and data from 2020 are excluded due to COVID-19 impacts on recreational data collection. Using more recent data, as compared to previously using 2006-2015 data, accounts for changes in harvest and potential range expansion of the species in recent years. 
 
There is a possibility that the recreational harvest estimates could be revised in the future by NOAA Fisheries, which would affect the percent allocations for each region. If the harvest estimates are revised, Addendum II allows the Board to quickly update the percent allocations via Board vote to reflect the any revisions to the data used to establish the allocations.
 
Each region’s percent allocation is applied to the coastwide recreational quota (currently 76,908 fish) to determine the regional harvest targets in number of fish. When a region’s harvest is compared to its target, Addendum II specifies that a rolling average of up to five years of harvest data under the same management measures will be compared to the target, instead of limiting it to a three-year average. This allows for inclusion of two additional data years to account for the variability and uncertainty of cobia harvest estimates from year to year.
 
Finally, Addendum II allows the Board to set specifications (e.g., coastwide total harvest quota) via Board action for up to five years, which is a longer time period than the current three years. Setting management measures for a longer period of time is intended to align management action with the availability of new stock assessment information. 
 
Addendum II will be available in late August on the Commission website athttp://www.asmfc.org/species/cobia under Management Plans and FMP Reviews.
 
For more information, please contact Emilie Franke, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, atefranke@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.

Atlantic Sturgeon Stock Assessment Update Shows Signs of Improvement for Coastwide Population and Mixed Results at the Distinct Population Segment Level

August 8, 2024 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic Sturgeon Stock Assessment Update finds that while the coastwide population remains depleted relative to historic levels, the population has shown signs of improvement with a significant positive trend over the time series. Further, there is a high probability that abundance in 2022 was greater than abundance in 1998 at the start of the coastwide moratorium. Total mortality is low and has a low probability of exceeding its reference point. Depleted status is used instead of overfished because many factors (such as bycatch, habitat loss and ship strikes), not just directed historical fishing, have contributed to the continued low abundance of Atlantic sturgeon.

 
At the individual distinct population segment (DPS) level, results are mixed. Most indices showed either a positive trend or no significant trend over the time series. The average probability that the New York Bight and Carolina DPSs indices were greater than the reference year was high, meaning it was likely that abundance in 2022 was higher than it was at the start of the mortarium. For the Gulf of Maine, Chesapeake Bay, and South Atlantic DPSs, the average probability was lower – less than 50% for all three DPSs – meaning that it was unlikely that abundance in 2022 was greater than it was at the start of the moratorium. Total mortality estimates for each DPS were higher than for the full coastwide population and the probability of exceeding the reference point was higher, partly due to the smaller sample size and higher uncertainty in the tagging model at the DPS level than at the coastwide level. For the Gulf of Maine DPS there was a greater than 50% chance that total mortality exceeded the reference point, while there was a lower probability that total mortality exceeded the reference point for the other DPSs.
 
Atlantic sturgeon are a challenging species to assess because datasets for this species are limited. However, progress has been made on research recommendations addressing questions about genetics, life history, abundance, and sources of mortality, and work will continue to develop better datasets to support the next benchmark assessment in 2028.
 
No management action was taken given the continued coastwide harvest moratorium and protection under the federal Endangered Species Act. Additionally, efforts are being taken to reduce sturgeon bycatch in other directed fisheries. In April, the Mid-Atlantic and New England Fishery Management Councils recommended their preferred alternative to NOAA Fisheries to reduce sturgeon bycatch in the federal monkfish and spiny dogfish fisheries, and a final rule is expected by the end of 2024. The Commission’s Spiny Dogfish Management Board also initiated an addendum to develop options to maintain consistency with the federal action for state-permitted spiny dogfish harvesters in state waters, with the goal of reducing sturgeon bycatch.
A more detailed description of the stock assessment results can be found athttps://asmfc.org/uploads/file/66b398b9AtlanticSturgeonStockAssmtOverview_Aug2024.pdf. The Stock Assessment Update will be available on the Commission website, www.asmfc.org, on the Atlantic Sturgeon webpage next week. For more information, please contact James Boyle, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at jboyle@asmfc.org.

American Lobster Board Initiates Addendum to Postpone Implementation of Addendum XXVII Measures and Approves Addendum XXX

August 8, 2024 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Commission’s American Lobster Management Board initiated Draft Addendum XXXI to Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for American Lobster. The Draft Addendum will consider postponing the implementation of the measures from Addendum XXVII. The Board also approved Addendum XXX, which addresses how the measures of Addendum XXVII will apply to foreign imports of American lobster once implemented.

Draft Addendum XXXI considers postponing the implementation of management measures under Sections 3.1 and 3.2 of Addendum XXVII until July 1, 2025. Addendum XXVII was adopted in May 2023 and established a trigger mechanism to automatically implement management measures to provide additional protection of the Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank (GOM/GBK) spawning stock biomass. Changes to the current gauge and escape vent sizes in Lobster Conservation Management Areas (LCMAs) 1, 3, and Outer Cape Cod (OCC) were triggered based on observed changes in recruit abundance indices in October 2023 with the inclusion of 2022 survey data in the trigger index. The Board then extended the implementation date of the series of changes to gauge and vent size to begin January 1, 2025 to allow the Gulf of Maine states the opportunity to coordinate with Canada regarding possible trade implications, and give the industry and gauge makers additional time to prepare for these changes.
A meeting was held between US and Canadian lobster fishery managers and industry members in June 2024 to discuss the management structures and stock assessments of the two countries. Based on this meeting, the Board determined that postponing implementation of Addendum XXVII’s biological measures to July 1, 2025 would reduce negative impacts to the US and Canadian lobster industries in 2025 and allow Canada more time to consider implementing complementary management measures. Specifically, Draft Addendum XXXI will consider postponing the changes in minimum gauge size for LCMA 1 (inshore Gulf of Maine), and the measures under Section 3.1 of Addendum XXVII to create a common size limit for state-only and federal permit holders fishing in OCC to July 2025. The Draft Addendum will not consider postponing regulations prohibiting the issuance of 10% additional trap tags in Areas 1 and 3 above the trap limit or allocation. Draft Addendum XXXI will be released for public comment later this year. 
 
The Board also approved Addendum XXX, which clarifies the Commission’s intent for how the measures of Addendum XXVII will apply to foreign imports of American lobster once implemented. The Addendum recommends to NOAA Fisheries that the Mitchell Provision of the Magnuson-Stevens Act apply to foreign imports of whole live lobster, meaning the smallest minimum size for foreign imports would match the smallest minimum size in effect for the US industry. The current smallest LCMA minimum gauge size in effect is 3¼ inches, and when the LCMA 1 gauge size increases, this will change to 3 5/16 inches. Foreign imports smaller than the new minimum gauge size would be prohibited. These size restrictions do not apply to lobsters travelling in-bond through the US.
 
Addendum XXX will be available on the Commission website, www.asmfc.org, on American lobster webpage by next week. For more information, please contact Caitlin Starks, Senior Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at cstarks@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.

2025 Scallop RSA Program Funding Opportunity Open Through September 30, 2024; Join August 8th Informational Webinar

August 6, 2024 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

NOAA Fisheries is soliciting proposals for the 2025 Scallop Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program funding opportunity, which opened August 1, 2024 and will close September 30, 2024. The solicitation and administrative aspects of the funding opportunity are being handled by the NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO). All project proposals should support the New England Fishery Management Council’s scallop research priorities as shown in the table below.

Successful applicants are awarded pounds of scallops that have been “set aside” to pay for research expenses. No federal funds are provided. Researchers and fishermen partner to harvest awarded scallops, and the proceeds are used to fund the research and compensate fishing industry partners.

NEW THIS YEAR: During its June 2024 meeting, the Council approved several changes to the Scallop RSA Program, including a request to NOAA Fisheries to allow scallop enhancement research to be funded for up to three years with an option for a one-year extension. Regional scallop surveys used for stock assessments and specification-setting already can be funded for up to four years – with an option for a one-year extension for completing grant reports and data analysis. All other projects can be funded for up to two years.

 

ASMFC 2024 Summer Meeting Final Supplemental Materials Now Available

August 3, 2024 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Final supplemental materials for ASMFC’s 2024 Summer Meeting are now available athttps://www.asmfc.org/home/2024-summer-meeting as Supplemental 2 under the relevant committee/board meeting. They include:

Atlantic Menhaden Management Board – Public Comment

American Lobster Management Board – Public Comment

ISFMP Policy Board – WHOI LOC-NESS Project

As a reminder, the Commission’s Public Comment Guidelines are:

For issues that are not on the agenda, management boards will continue to provide an opportunity to the public to bring matters of concern to the board’s attention at the start of each board meeting. Board chairs will ask members of the public to raise their hands to let the chair know they would like to speak. Depending upon the number of commenters, the board chair will decide how to allocate the available time on the agenda (typically 10 minutes) to the number of people who want to speak.

For topics that are on the agenda, but have not gone out for public comment, board chairs will provide limited opportunity for comment, taking into account the time allotted on the agenda for the topic. Chairs will have flexibility in deciding how to allocate comment opportunities; this could include hearing one comment in favor and one in opposition until the chair is satisfied further comment will not provide additional insight to the board.

For agenda action items that have already gone out for public comment, it is the Policy Board’s intent to end the occasional practice of allowing extensive and lengthy public comments. Currently, board chairs have the discretion to decide what public comment to allow in these circumstances.

 

ASMFC 2024 Summer Meeting Supplemental Materials Now Available

July 31, 2024 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Supplemental materials for ASMFC’s 2024 Summer Meeting are now available at https://www.asmfc.org/home/2024-summer-meeting under the relevant committee/board meeting headers. The combined supplemental materials can be found at http://asmfc.org/files/2024SummerMeeting/ASMFC2024SummerMtgSupplementalMaterials_August2024.pdf.  

Supplemental materials include:

Atlantic Menhaden Management Board – Revised Draft Proceedings from April 2024 and Public Comment

Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board – Draft FMP Review for the 2023 Fishing Year; Memo: Work Group Recommendations on Stock Assessment and Public Scoping Tasks; and June and July Meeting Summaries of the Atlantic Striped Bass Board Work Group on Recreational Release Mortality     

American Lobster Management Board – Revised Draft Agenda & Meeting Overview; Canada/United States Dialogue on Lobster Management; and Public Comment

Executive Committee – S. 4113: State Boating Act

Coastal Pelagics Management Board – Draft Cobia FMP Review for the 2023 Fishing Year and Memo: Advisory Panel Recommendations on Cobia Draft Addendum II Options

ISFMP Policy Board – Summary of Changes to the Stock Assessment Schedule  

As a reminder, the Commission’s Public Comment Guidelines are:

For issues that are not on the agenda, management boards will continue to provide an opportunity to the public to bring matters of concern to the board’s attention at the start of each board meeting. Board chairs will ask members of the public to raise their hands to let the chair know they would like to speak. Depending upon the number of commenters, the board chair will decide how to allocate the available time on the agenda (typically 10 minutes) to the number of people who want to speak.

For topics that are on the agenda, but have not gone out for public comment, board chairs will provide limited opportunity for comment, taking into account the time allotted on the agenda for the topic. Chairs will have flexibility in deciding how to allocate comment opportunities; this could include hearing one comment in favor and one in opposition until the chair is satisfied further comment will not provide additional insight to the board.

For agenda action items that have already gone out for public comment, it is the Policy Board’s intent to end the occasional practice of allowing extensive and lengthy public comments. Currently, board chairs have the discretion to decide what public comment to allow in these circumstances.

 

NEFMC SSC – Listen Live – July 30-31, 2024 – Atlantic Herring and Groundfish Issues

July 24, 2024 — The following was released by New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will meet to discuss issues related to Atlantic herring and groundfish.  The public is invited to listen live.  Here are the details.

 
 
WHERE:  Hilton Garden Inn Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  This is an in-person meeting, coupled with a webinar option.  Please do not attend this meeting in person if you do not feel well.
 
START TIME:  9:00 a.m. both days
 
WEBINAR REGISTRATION:  Online access to the meeting is available at Listen Live.  There is no charge to join the meeting through this webinar.
 
  • IMPORTANT:  The Council is now using Zoom to broadcast meetings.  Zoom requires users to be on the latest version of the application.  You must update your Zoom app to the latest version at least five minutes before joining the webinar to avoid glitches and be able to view presentations.
 
AGENDA:  The SSC will meet to:
 
  • Review information provided by the Council’s Groundfish and Herring Plan Development Teams, as well as stock assessment information where appropriate, and recommend overfishing limits (OFLs) and acceptable biological catches (ABCs) for:
 
    • Atlantic herring for fishing years 2025-2027;
 
    • Four Atlantic cod stock units for fishing years 2025-2027; and
 
    • Georges Bank yellowtail flounder for fishing years 2025-2026;
 
  • Review a method developed by the Northeast Fisheries Science Center for apportioning the biomass of Georges Bank cod and haddock into the Eastern Georges Bank management area; and
 
  • Discuss other business as necessary.
 
COMMENTS:  The deadline for submitting written comments for consideration at this meeting is8:00 a.m. on Friday, July 26, 2024.  Address comments to Council Chair Eric Reid or Executive Director Cate O’Keefe and email them to comments@nefmc.org.
 
MATERIALS:  All documents for this meeting will be posted on the SSC July 30-31, 2024 meeting webpage.
 
QUESTIONS:  Contact Dr. Rachel Feeney at (978) 465-0492, ext. 110, rfeeney@nefmc.org or Janice Plante at (607) 592-4817, jplante@nefmc.org.

ASMFC 2024 Summer Meeting Final Agenda and Materials Now Available

July 24, 2024 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Summer Meeting will be August 6 – 8, 2024 at The Westin Crystal City. This will be a hybrid meeting (both in-person and remote) to allow for participation by Commissioners and interested stakeholders. The room block is now closed; if you need assistance reserving a room, please contact Lisa Carty at lcarty@asmfc.org . The Summer Meeting final agenda and meeting materials are available at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2024-summer-meeting. For ease of access, all main board materials have been combined into 2 documents: August 6 Meeting Materials & August 7 & 8 Materials. Please note that due to its file size, only the Assessment Peer Review and the Terms of Reference section of the River Herring Benchmark Stock Assessment have been included in the Shad and River Herring Management Board materials. However, full versions of the assessment and its appendices can be found here.

The agenda is subject to change. The agenda reflects the current estimate of time required for scheduled Board meetings. The Commission may adjust this agenda in accordance with the actual duration of Board meetings. Interested parties should anticipate Boards starting earlier or later than indicated herein.
 
Webinar Information 
Meeting proceedings will be broadcast daily via webinar beginning Tuesday, August 6 at 9 AM and continuing daily until the conclusion of the meeting (expected to be 10:30 AM on Thursday, August 8). To register for the webinar, please go to: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7224724220521378647 (Webinar ID 325-845-475)
 
If you are joining the webinar but will not be using voice over internet protocol (VoIP), you can may also call in at +1.415.655.0052, access code 565-335-899. A PIN will be provided to you after joining the webinar. For those who will not be joining the webinar but would like to listen in to the audio portion only, press the # key when asked for a PIN.
 
Each day, the webinar will begin 15 minutes prior to the start of the first meeting so that people can troubleshoot any connectivity or audio issues they may encounter. If you are having issues with the webinar (connecting to or audio related issues), please contact Chris Jacobs at 703.842.0790.
 
Meeting Process 
Board chairs will ask both in-person and virtual board members if they wish to speak. In-person members can simply raise their hands at the meeting without logging on to the webinar, while virtual members will raise their hands on the webinar. The chair will work with staff to compile the list of speakers, balancing the flow of questions/comments between in-person and virtual attendees. The same process will be used for public comment. Depending upon the number of commenters, the board chair will decide how to allocate the available time on the agenda (typically 10 minutes) to the number of people who want to speak.
 
Public Comment Guidelines
To provide a fair opportunity for public input, the ISFMP Policy Board has approved the following guidelines for use at management board meetings:
 
For issues that are not on the agenda, management boards will continue to provide opportunities to the public to bring matters of concern to the board’s attention at the start of each board meeting. Board chairs will ask members of the public to raise their hands to let the chair know they would like to speak. Depending upon the number of commenters, the board chair will decide how to allocate the available time on the agenda (typically 10 minutes) to the number of people who want to speak.
 
For topics that are on the agenda, but have not gone out for public comment, board chairs will provide limited opportunity for comment, taking into account the time allotted on the agenda for the topic. 
Chairs will have flexibility in deciding how to allocate comment opportunities; this could include hearing one comment in favor and one in opposition until the chair is satisfied further comments will not provide additional insight to the board.
 
For agenda action items that have already gone out for public comment, it is the Policy Board’s intent to end the occasional practice of allowing extensive and lengthy public comments. Currently, board chairs have the discretion to decide what public comment to allow in these circumstances.
 
In addition, the following timeline has been established for the submission of written comments for issues for which the Commission has NOT established a specific public comment period (i.e., in response to proposed management action).
 
1.   Comments received three weeks prior to the start of a meeting week (July 15) will be included in the briefing materials.
2.   Comments received by 5 PM on Tuesday, July 30 will be included in supplemental materials.
3.   Comments received by 10 AM on Friday, August 2 will be distributed electronically to Commissioners/Board members prior to the meeting.
 
The submitted comments must clearly indicate the commenter’s expectation from the ASMFC staff regarding distribution. Additionally, if submitting public comment in a video format, the video needs to be a URL link. As with other public comment, it will be accepted via mail and email.
 
We look forward to seeing you at the Summer Meeting!