Saving Seafood

Council Actions

States Schedule Public Hearings on Atlantic Cobia Draft Addendum II

May 26, 2024 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic coastal states of New York through Georgia have scheduled hearings to gather public input on Draft Addendum II to Amendment 1 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Cobia, which considers recreational allocation, harvest target evaluation, and the timeline for setting management specifications. South Carolina will also be conducting a hearing; the details of which will be released when they become available.

Some hearings will be conducted in-person, and some hearings will be conducted via webinar. If you are unable to participate in your state’s scheduled hearing, you are welcome to participate in any of the virtual hearings.
The Commission’s Coastal Pelagics Management Board initiated the Draft Addendum to consider updating recreational allocations using more recent harvest data, which reflects increased cobia landings in some Mid-Atlantic states in recent years. Draft Addendum II presents options for Atlantic cobia management, including a framework for recreational allocation, ways to account for data uncertainty and respond to quota overages, and an extended multi-year specification setting. For the recreational allocation framework, Draft Addendum II considers options for the data timeframe to form the basis for allocations, and options for the geographic scope of allocations (state-by-state, regional, or coastwide).

Council Takes Final Action on Joint Monkfish/Dogfish/Sturgeon Framework; Posts 2024 Monkfish RSA Project Summaries

May 21, 2024 — The following was released by New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council took final action during its April 2024 meeting on a joint framework adjustment to reduce the bycatch of Atlantic sturgeon in the large-mesh gillnet fisheries for monkfish and spiny dogfish.

The New England and Mid-Atlantic Councils jointly manage both fisheries. The two Councils each took final action in April on:

• Framework Adjustment 15 to the Monkfish Fishery Management Plan, for which the New England Council has the lead; and

• Framework Adjustment 6 to the Spiny Dogfish Fishery Management Plan, for which the Mid-Atlantic has the lead.

Approved Measures: Here are the measures the Councils selected as preferred alternatives and submitted to NOAA Fisheries for approval and implementation.

A year-round low-profile gear requirement in the New Jersey bycatch hotspot polygon for federal gillnet fishing vessels targeting monkfish (colored magenta at right); and

An overnight soak time prohibition from 8:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. for vessels targeting spiny dogfish in (1) the New Jersey bycatch hotspot polygon in May and November, and (2) the Delaware/Maryland/Virginia (DE/MD/VA) bycatch hotspot polygons from November through March – with an exemption for federal vessels using <5.25” mesh in the DE/MD/VA polygons (colored blue in the map at right).

Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council to Meet June 4-6, 2024 in Riverhead, NY

May 20, 2024 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council: 

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will meet Tuesday, June 4 – Thursday, June 6, 2024, in Riverhead, New York. This will be an in-person meeting with a virtual option. Council members, other meeting participants, and members of the public will have the option to participate in person or virtually via Webex webinar. 

Lodging: Hyatt Place Long Island/East End, 451 East Main Street, Riverhead, NY 11901, Telephone 631-208-0002

Meeting Venue: Atlantis Banquets and Events, 431 East Main Street, Riverhead, NY 11901

Briefing Materials: Please see the June 2024 Council Meeting Page for webinar details, briefing materials (as they become available), and other updates.

Public Comments: Public comments will be accepted from in-person and remote participants on all major agenda items. Written comments can be submitted through the comment portal or by email to cmoore@mafmc.org. The deadline for comments to be included in the briefing book is 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 22, 2024. Comments submitted after this deadline and before 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, May 30, 2024, will be posted as supplemental materials on the meeting page. After the supplemental comment deadline, comments may only be submitted via the comment form (no email).

Live Stream: The meeting will be live streamed to the Council’s YouTube channel.

Agenda Overview

Visit the meeting page for complete details. 

Tuesday, June 4

10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Executive Committee (Closed Session): Advisory Panel appointments

12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Lunch

1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Executive Committee (Open Session): 2025-2029 Strategic Plan Vision, Mission, and Goals

3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Summer Flounder Mesh Exemptions Framework/Addendum (Joint with ASMFC Summer Flounder, Scup, Black Sea Bass Board) – Consider addition of alternatives to revise Small Mesh Exemption Program review trigger

Wednesday, June 5

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Atlantic Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Species Separation Requirements Amendment – Final Action

12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Lunch

1:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. 2025 Chub Mackerel Specifications Review

1:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. 2025 Longfin Squid Specifications Review

2:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. 2025 Illex Squid Specifications Review

2:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Unmanaged Commercial Landings Report

3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. SSC’s Overfishing Limit (OFL) Coefficient of Variation (CV) Guidance Document

4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Acknowledgment of Outgoing Council Members

Thursday, June 6

9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Business Session

  • Committee Reports – Scientific and Statistical Committee
  • Executive Director’s Report
  • Organization Reports: NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office, NOAA Fisheries Northeast Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Office of General Counsel, NOAA Office of Law Enforcement, US Coast Guard
  • Liaison Reports: New England Council, South Atlantic Council
  • Other Business and General Public Comment

Questions? Contact Mary Sabo, msabo@mafmc.org, (302) 526-5261

ASMFC Schedules Horseshoe Crab Management Objectives Workshop for July 15-16 in Lewes, Delaware

May 20, 2024 — The following was released Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:
The Commission’s Horseshoe Crab Management Board is convening a stakeholder workshop aimed at generating recommendations for Board consideration regarding horseshoe crab management in the Delaware Bay region. The workshop responds to public concern and differing positions related to use of the Adaptive Resource Management (ARM) Framework, which describes acceptable harvest levels for the Delaware Bay bait fishery based on the abundance of horseshoe crabs and shorebirds. The participants represent a broad range of perspectives reflecting various stakeholder interests, including horseshoe crab and shorebird/rufa red knot biologists; environmental organizations; commercial harvesters and dealers; biomedical industry representatives; and resource managers.
 
Following a revision to the ARM Framework in 2021 that incorporated new data and modeling approaches, the ARM-calculated harvest level included limited female harvest in the Delaware Bay region for the first time since its implementation in 2012. While the ARM Framework output has provided for limited female harvest since 2023, the Board has not implemented female harvest to date. Nonetheless, this possibility drew extensive public concern focused in large part on the potential for female horseshoe crab harvest to impact the threatened shorebird rufa red knot. While environmental groups continue to advocate for zero female horseshoe crab harvest from the Delaware Bay population, commercial industry participants have indicated they would value the opportunity to harvest limited number female horseshoe crabs.
 
The workshop will be facilitated by Dr. Kristina Weaver, who recently moderated a Virginia Institute of Marine Science workshop to develop a plan for the study of Atlantic menhaden in Chesapeake Bay. Dr. Weaver brings expertise in facilitation and mediation to empower communities to create shared solutions for complex social and environmental problems.
 
The public is welcome to attend the workshop. Since the workshop will be a working meeting, there may be a limited opportunity for the public to provide comments at the end of the meeting. The workshop will be conducted from July 15-16 at the Delaware Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Control Lewes Field Office, 901 Pilottown Road, Lewes, Delaware 19958; 302.855.7290.
 
It is important to note that no management decisions are being formulated or acted upon at the workshop. The meeting is intended to initiate discussions on ecosystem and management objectives, identify common ground among divergent stakeholder views, and develop options for Board discussion and consideration. For more information or if you plan to attend the workshop, please contact Caitlin Starks, Senior Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at cstarks@asmfc.org, or James Boyle, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at jboyle@asmfc.org.

South Atlantic Council to Hold King and Spanish Mackerel Port Meetings in New England and New York

May 9, 2024 — The following was released by South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council has scheduled several port meetingsto gather stakeholder perspectives on the future of the king and Spanish mackerel fisheries. Three New England-focused meetings will be held via webinar on May 14, 15, and 16, 2024. An in-person port meeting will be held on June 4, 2024 in conjunction with a meeting of the Mid-Atlantic Council in Riverhead, New York.

Background: The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council manages King and Spanish Mackerel along the Atlantic coast in federal waters from Florida through New York. Members of the South Atlantic Council’s Mackerel Cobia Advisory Panel requested the Council hold a series of port meetings to gather more information and take a focused look at the fisheries given changing environmental conditions that alter fishery dynamics. The informal port meetings allow stakeholders to share their insights and help determine the future of these fisheries.

Port Meeting Schedule

New England Port Meetings (via webinar) 

New England Meeting Flyer

  • Tuesday, May 14, 6:00 p.m.
  • Wednesday, May 15, 6:00 p.m.
  • Thursday, May 16, 6:00 p.m.

Webinar registration is required. Visit the South Atlantic Council’s website for registration links and other information. 

New York Port Meeting (in person) 

New York Meeting Flyer

  • June 4, 2024, 6:00 p.m. (in conjunction with June 2024 Mid-Atlantic Council Meeting) – Atlantis Banquets and Events431 East Main Street, Riverhead, NY 11901

Learn more about the King Mackerel and Spanish Mackerel Port Meetings by visiting the Council’s website.

Questions? Contact Christina Wiegand at Christina.Wiegand@safmc.net.

New England-focused king mackerel and Spanish mackerel port meetings

May 6, 2024 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council has scheduled three New England-focused webinar port meetings to gather stakeholder perspectives on the future of the king and Spanish mackerel fisheries given that changing environmental conditions are altering fishery dynamics.

New England: The New England-focused meetings, which all begin at 6:00 p.m., will be held:

  • Tuesday, May 14, 2024;
  • Wednesday, May 15, 2024; and
  • Thursday, May 16, 2024.

Webinar registration is required.  Visit the South Atlantic Council’s website for registration links and other information.

  • Download a copy of the New England Mackerel Port Meetings flyer.

The South Atlantic Council said, “Input gathered during these port meetings will directly affect future management efforts for king and Spanish mackerel.”

Mid-Atlantic: A Mid-Atlantic-focused in-person port meeting will be held June 4, 2024 in Riverhead, New York in conjunction with the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s scheduled June meeting.

QUESTIONS?  Please contact the South Atlantic Council’s Christina Wiegand at Christina.Wiegand@safmc.net.

 

ASMFC Presents 2024 Annual Awards of Excellence

May 2, 2024 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Last evening, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission presented its Annual Awards of Excellence to a number of individuals for their outstanding contributions to management, scientific, and law enforcement efforts along the Atlantic coast. Specifically, the 2024 award recipients are Phil Edwards for management and policy contributions; Nicole Lengyel Costa and Laura Lee for technical and scientific contributions; and Deputy Chief Jason Snellbaker for law enforcement contributions.

“Every year a great many people contribute to the success of fisheries management along the Atlantic coast. The Commission’s Annual Awards of Excellence recognize outstanding efforts by professionals who have made a difference in the way we manage and conserve our fisheries,” said Awards Committee Chair Spud Woodward of Georgia. “I am humbled by the breadth and extent of accomplishments of the recipients and am grateful for their dedication to Atlantic coast fisheries.”

Management and Policy Contributions

Phil Edwards of the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management

Phil has been an active and integral member on several Commission species management boards over the years, including serving as Chair of the American Eel, and Shad and River Herring Boards. Management of these diadromous resources is challenging due to data limitations and the various threats they face throughout their extensive range between freshwater and ocean ecosystems. Under his leadership, Phil has been able to deftly guide management of these species. As board chair and member on other boards, Phil has brought a wealth of knowledge and policy acumen to all his Commission endeavors, and the Commission at-large has benefitted from Phil’s work ethic, leadership, and expertise.

Phil’s strong policy and fisheries management skills are backed by over 20 years of participation on various technical committees and assessment work for Commission species. His extensive knowledge and years of work on fish passage has improved conservation of diadromous fish in Rhode Island, and by extension along the East Coast, and serves as an example of his dedication to these efforts.

Scientific and Technical Contributions

Nicole Lengyel Costa of the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management

For many years, Nicole has been an engaged and important member of several Commission technical committees, fish ageing projects, and plan development teams, and has served as Chair of the Atlantic Striped Bass Technical Committee for the past few years.

Aside from her technical contributions, Nicole has helped the Commission develop several particularly tricky management actions for striped bass, including recent actions to stop overfishing and aid in stock rebuilding. These actions were structurally complex and Nicole, working closely with her colleagues at the Commission, put together well-crafted documents in order for the public to understand and comment on these complicated proposed measures.

In addition to her efforts with striped bass, Nicole is a long serving member of the ACCSP Operations Committee and has been involved with age and growth work used in stock assessments across Commission species. Nicole brings to all her endeavors a strong scientific skill set and a keen understanding of fisheries management policy. Her efforts not only benefit Rhode Island but fisheries science and management activities along the entire East Coast.

Laura Lee of the US Fish and Wildlife Service and formerly with the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (NC DMF)

Laura has been involved in Commission stock assessments for nearly 25 years, including some of the first stock assessments for species such as Atlantic croaker, American eel, and spot. She has advanced fisheries science through the development of innovative approaches to common issues faced by stock assessments and the contribution of years of expertise and mentorship to numerous stock assessment subcommittees and scientists along the Atlantic coast. There is hardly a coastal Atlantic species Laura has not worked on, having been involved with or serving as chair on technical committees or stock assessment subcommittees for a multitude of species. During her time as a stock assessment scientist with NC DMF, she developed numerous codes for routine analyses used by the majority of Commission stock assessments today. With her new position as an ecologist at the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Laura will continue her productive fisheries career.

Aside from these professional accomplishments, Laura is an invaluable resource on Atlantic coast fish species and stock assessment methods. She is generous with her time and has mentored several fisheries scientists through complex analyses and approaches. Laura provided advanced statistical analysis and guidance to DMF staff for virtually every FMP adopted during her tenure. Some of these scientists have 3 gone on serve on Commission technical committees and to further their careers at other state agencies, NOAA Fisheries, and in academia. Despite her formal transition off Commission and Division committees due to her new role, she has continued to show her dedication to Atlantic species by regularly participating in committee meetings and providing valuable feedback to keep science projects moving forward.

Law Enforcement Contributions

Deputy Chief Jason Snellbaker of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Bureau of Law Enforcement

Since becoming a member of the Commission’s Law Enforcement Committee (LEC) in 2014, Jason has promoted the role of law enforcement in fisheries management. He has represented the Committee on a number of species management boards, including tautog; summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass; Atlantic sturgeon; and bluefish. He has been the voice of the LEC on critical topics such as commercial tautog tagging and the summer flounder research set aside program.

During Jason’s time with the LEC, he was selected by his peers to serve in a leadership role as Vice-chair and Chair. He accepted these roles during the pandemic, a particularly challenging time for the LEC as members were drawn to other responsibilities in their home states. Jason kept the flow of communication open and provided steady leadership by staying on as Chair for an extended period. At the state level, Jason’s exceptional leadership has been recognized by both NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement for his efforts in support of the Cooperative Enforcement Program, and by the Commission for his work as part of a team of officers working in the New Jersey Fish and Wildlife marine region. He has also promoted marine fisheries law enforcement in forums such as the National Association of Conservation Law Enforcement Chiefs where he took on an advisory role and participated in an exchange program with an agency in Belize. 

NEFMC: Scallop Research Set-Aside Program to Support 14 New Projects; Several 2024 Announcements Include Multi-Year Awards

May 2, 2024 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The Atlantic Sea Scallop Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program will support 14 new projects that were selected from the 2024 RSA solicitation. Several awards will support multi-year research, including a four-year regional survey effort. The set-aside harvest is expected to generate $22 million in revenue. Of that total, $5 million will fund the targeted research and $17 million will compensate industry partners who harvest the set-aside scallops. To determine the award amounts, the price of sea scallops was projected to average $14 per pound of meats.

Council Priorities and Research Partners

Seven different institutions will lead the projects, partnering with fishermen, fishing businesses, and non-profit fishery research organizations. The new RSA projects address 2024-2025 research priorities identified by the New England Fishery Management Council in June 2023. At that meeting, the Council asked NOAA Fisheries to modify the Scallop RSA Program to allow for longer-term RSA awards for regional survey work, which the agency accommodated in this latest round of funding with a four-year award. Other Council priorities are listed here on page 1. RSA-funded scallop surveys have been a long-standing priority. They have become increasingly important in: (1) providing information that directly helps scientists determine the status and distribution of the resource; and (2) guiding the Council in making management decisions for this valuable resource.

The new awards were announced on May 2, 2024 by the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO) of NOAA Fisheries. The Council and NOAA Fisheries work together to support the Scallop Research Set-Aside Program. While the Council sets the research priorities, NOAA Fisheries manages the RSA competition and administers the program.

Read the full release from the NEFMC

Court shuts down offshore wind challenges over endangered whale

May 1, 2024 — Two attempts to sink the first major offshore wind project in the country over its impact to an endangered whale were shot down this week by the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Solar developer Thomas Melone of Connecticut and a coalition of coastal residents in Massachusetts had separately sought to block the 62-turbine Vineyard Wind project off the coast of Massachusetts. They argued that federal agencies did not address how offshore wind farm construction could threaten the endangered North American right whale population when issuing key permits.

Their appeals are part of a flurry of lawsuits that have sought, and so far failed, to bring down major offshore renewable projects that are keystones in President Joe Biden’s climate policy.

Read the full article at E&E News

 

Deadline Extended (May 24): Request for Proposals for Collaborative Strategies to Adapt Scup Gear Restricted Areas to Changing Ocean Conditions

April 29, 2024 — The following was released by Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Overview: The Mid‐Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) continues to seek a contractor to investigate potential modifications to the scup Gear Restricted Areas (GRA). This work will build on previous analyses of commercial scup discards and the GRAs, utilizing available fisheries and environmental data. This project will be funded by Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funds and will address the IRA funding priority to develop and implement management changes or processes that address climate vulnerability or improve climate resiliency of fisheries. 

Proposal Deadline: The proposal deadline has been extended to Friday, May 24, 2024. Work is expected to be completed by January 16, 2026.

Background: First implemented in November 2000, the Northern and Southern Scup GRA are intended to reduce juvenile scup discards in small mesh fisheries during certain times of the year. GRA regulations and boundaries have been reviewed and modified several times. Recent analyses have shown that the GRAs contributed to the rebuilding of the scup stock and continue to have a positive effect on reducing juvenile scup discards. However, spatial patterns of more recently observed discards suggest there has been a shift in where and when discards occur.

Scope of Work: The contractor will build on previous Council commercial scup discard and GRA analyses and utilize available fisheries and environmental data to investigate potential modifications to the scup GRAs. Modifications could include consideration of alternative measures based on adaptive management strategies. As described in the full request for proposals, this project should analyze bycatch trends for scup over time, identifying changes in spatial patterns and intensity and their connection to shifts in scup distribution. Hotspot, cluster, or alternative time/area closure analyses may be used to pinpoint areas where regulatory changes could mitigate impacts on juvenile scup. The project should examine regulatory and economic factors influencing scup discards and assessment, including evaluation of potential tradeoffs associated with bycatch reduction strategies. In addition, the contractor will plan and facilitate at least two in-person workshops with fishery stakeholders to solicit input on scup discards and GRAs. 

The contractor will be expected to develop a report with recommendations on a set of management alternatives that the Council could consider for implementation through a future management action.

Additional Information: Complete details about the project background, scope of work, contractor qualifications, and proposal submission instructions can be found in the request for proposals.