February 7, 2024 — The following was Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:
Supplemental materials for the February 14th meeting of the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Board are available athttps://asmfc.org/files/
February 7, 2024 — The following was Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:
Supplemental materials for the February 14th meeting of the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Board are available athttps://asmfc.org/files/
February 7, 2024 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:
The New England Fishery Management Council voted on recreational fishing measures for three groundfish stocks when it met January 30-February 1, 2024 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The proposed measures, which are in the form of recommendations to NOAA Fisheries, include bag limits, fishing seasons, and minimum fish sizes for Gulf of Maine cod, Gulf of Maine haddock, and Georges Bank cod. NOAA Fisheries will strive to implement final measures by May 1, which is the start of the 2024 fishing year for groundfish.
The Council also received a presentation from NOAA Fisheries on its Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP), which included a status update on the agency’s Fishing Effort Survey Pilot Study and next steps.
Additionally, the Council:
• Discussed the upcoming management track stock assessments for the four new Atlantic cod biological units and received an overview of what to expect next with the Atlantic Cod Transition Plan;
• Received a progress report on the Groundfish Plan Development Team’s work to develop metrics to evaluate the groundfish monitoring program in Amendment 23 to the Northeast Multispecies (Groundfish) Fishery Management Plan; and • Reviewed a quarterly outlook for the year ahead.
February 5, 2024 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:
The New England Fishery Management Council received a progress report during its January 2024 meeting on an action that’s being developed to reduce the bycatch of Atlantic sturgeon in the large-mesh gillnet fisheries for monkfish and spiny dogfish.
The New England Council is working on the measures with the Mid-Atlantic Council because the two Councils jointly manage both fisheries. The Councils are expected to take final action during their respective April Council meetings.
The proposed alternatives focus on time/area closures and/or gear modifications, which include soak time limitations for dogfish gillnets and net modifications for monkfish gillnets. The measures would apply only to the commercial fishery. Here is the draft document.
Once finalized by the Councils in April, the measures will be submitted to NOAA Fisheries for review and implementation as:
• Framework Adjustment 15 to the Monkfish Fishery Management Plan, which the New England Council has the lead for; and
• Framework Adjustment 6 to the Spiny Dogfish Fishery Management Plan, which the MidAtlantic Council has the lead for.
February 5, 2024 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:
The Commission’s American Eel Management Board has released Draft Addendum VI to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for American Eel for public comment. The Board initiated the addendum to address Maine’s glass eel fishery quota, which expires at the end of 2024. Draft Addendum VI presents options to set Maine’s quota as well as the number of years the quota would remain in place once it is implemented, and whether or not an additional addendum would be required to maintain the same quota for subsequent years.
State/Agency
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Contact
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Tuesday, February 20
Webinar Hearing
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
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New Jersey Dept. of Environmental Protection
The webinar registration link is available here, and additional webinar instructions are below.
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Joe Cimino
609.748.2063 |
Tuesday, February 27
Webinar Hearing
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
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New Hampshire Fish and Game Dept.
The webinar registration link is available here, and additional webinar instructions are below.
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Cheri Patterson
603.868.1095 |
Tuesday, March 5
Webinar Hearing
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
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New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation
The webinar registration link is available here, and additional webinar instructions are below.
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Jesse Hornstein631.444.0714
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Thursday, March 7
In-person Hearing
5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
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Virginia Marine Resources Commission
Hearing Location:
Virginia Marine Resources Commission
380 Fenwick Road, Building 96
Fort Monroe, VA, 23651
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Shanna Madsen757.247.2247
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Tuesday, March 12
In-person Hearing
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
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Maryland Dept. of Natural Resources
Hearing Location:
Tawes State Office Building, C-1
580 Taylor Avenue
Annapolis, MD 21401
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443.758.6547
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Wednesday, March 13
In-person Hearing
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
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Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife
Hearing Location:
Dover Public Library
35 Loockerman Plaza
Dover, DE 19901
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John Clark302.739.9108
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February 1, 2024 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:
Please note that the meeting materials link for the February 14th meeting of the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Board has been changed tohttps://asmfc.org/files/
January 29, 2024 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:
Presentations and recordings from last week’s Winter Meeting are now available athttps://www.asmfc.org/home/
January 26, 2024 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:
The Commission’s American Lobster Management Board initiated Draft Addendum XXX to Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for American Lobster. The Draft Addendum is being considered to clarify how the measures of Addendum XXVII, approved in May 2023, will apply to foreign imports of American lobster.
January 25, 2024 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:
The Commission’s Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board approved Addendum II to Amendment 7 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Atlantic Striped Bass. The Addendum modifies recreational and commercial measures to reduce fishing mortality in 2024, establishes an expedited response process to upcoming stock assessments, and addresses requirements for recreational filleting. Addendum II builds upon the 2023 emergency action by changing the measures in the FMP to reduce fishing mortality and support stock rebuilding. Addendum II measures will replace the emergency action measures upon its implementation by the states by May 1, 2024.
“First and foremost, thank you to the 2,000 members of the public who submitted public comments. The Board had difficult issues to discuss, and public comments were a crucial part of the deliberations,” said Board Chair Megan Ware from Maine. “The Board remains focused on rebuilding the stock by 2029. The upcoming 2024 stock assessment will be an important checkpoint on progress toward rebuilding.”
For the ocean recreational fishery, the Addendum implements a 28” to 31” slot limit, 1-fish bag limit, and maintains 2022 season dates for all fishery participants; this maintains the same ocean recreational measures adopted under the recent emergency action. For the Chesapeake Bay recreational fishery, the Addendum implements a 19” to 24” slot limit, 1-fish bag limit, and maintains 2022 season dates for all fishery participants. For the commercial fishery, the Addendum reduces commercial quotas by 7% in both the ocean and Chesapeake Bay.
To address concerns about recreational filleting allowances and compliance with recreational size limits, the Addendum establishes two requirements for states that authorize at-sea/shore-side filleting of striped bass: racks must be retained and possession limited to no more than two fillets per legal fish.
To enable an expedited management response to upcoming stock assessments prior to the 2029 rebuilding deadline, the Addendum establishes a mechanism allowing the Board to respond to a stock assessment via Board action if the stock is not projected to rebuild by 2029.
States must submit implementation plans by March 1, 2024 for Board review and approval, which will take place at a special Board meeting to be scheduled for later in March. All Addendum II measures must be implemented by May 1, 2024.
Addendum II will be available in February on the Commission website athttp://www.asmfc.org/
January 22, 2024 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:
The New England Fishery Management Council will hold a three-day meeting from Tuesday, January 30 through Thursday, February 1, 2024. This will be an in-person meeting coupled with a webinar option for individuals who cannot or prefer not to attend in person. Please participate remotely if you do not feel well.
LOCATION: The Venue at Portwalk Place, Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
START TIME: 9:00 a.m. all three days. The Council will meet briefly in closed session on Tuesday morning. The webinar will end shortly after the Council adjourns each day.
COUNCIL PUBLIC OUTREACH: Join the Council on Tuesday, January 30 at 6:00 p.m. for an informational exchange to foster open lines of communication among Council members, staff, industry, and meeting attendees. The event will be held on the lobby level of the AC Hotel, 299 Vaughan Street, which is a four-minute walk from the Council meeting room at The Venue at Portwalk Place. All are welcome. Light snacks will be provided.
OFFSHORE WIND: After the Council concludes its business on Wednesday, January 31, 2024, fisheries liaisons from several offshore wind energy development companies will host an informational meet-and-greet event at Hampton Inn & Suites. The hotel is across the alley from the Council’s meeting venue. All are welcome to attend.
PUBLIC COMMENT OPPORTUNITIES: The Council wants to hear from you. Here’s how you can let the Council know what you think.
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 without joining the webinar, dial +1 (415) 655-0052. The access code is 607-102-343. Please be aware that if you dial in, your regular phone charges will apply. This phone number provides a “listen-only” option without the webinar component. You will not be able to speak if you do not first join the webinar.
AGENDA: All meeting materials and the agenda are available on the Council’s website atNEFMC January 30-February 1, 2024 meeting webpage. 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.