Council Actions Archives - Page 36 of 323

Atlantic Herring Area 1A Fishery Moves to Zero Landing Days for Season 1 on August 26, 2023 at 12:01 a.m.

August 26, 2023 — The following was released by Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Area 1A (inshore Gulf of Maine) Atlantic herring fishery is projected to have harvested 92% of the Season 1 (June 1 – September 30) allocation by August 25, 2023. Beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, August 26, 2023, the Area 1A fishery will move to zero landing days through September 30, 2023, as specified in Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Herring.

Vessels participating in other fisheries may not possess more than 2,000 pounds of Atlantic herring per trip per day harvested from Area 1A. In addition, all vessels traveling through Area 1A must have all seine and mid-water trawl gear stowed.

Atlantic Herring Management Board members from Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts are expected to reconvene in September via conference call to set effort controls for the 2023 Area 1A fishery for Season 2 (October 1 – December 31). An announcement will be issued once the meeting is scheduled.

For more information, please contact Caitlin Starks, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at 703.842.0740 or cstarks@asmfc.org.

The announcement can also be found at https://asmfc.org/uploads/file/64e8d298ZeroLandingDays_AtlHerring_Season1_2023.pdf

ASMFC 81st Annual Meeting Preliminary Agenda and Public Comment Guidelines

August 26, 2023 — The following was released by Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The agenda is subject to change. Bulleted items represent the anticipated major issues to be discussed or acted upon at the meeting. The final agenda will include additional items and may revise the bulleted items provided below. 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.

Monday, October 16

9 – 9:30 a.m. Atlantic Herring Management Board

· Set Quota Periods for the 2024 Area 1A Fishery

· Update from New England Fishery Management Council

· Elect Vice-Chair

9:45 – 11:45 a.m. American Lobster Management Board

· Consider 2023 Jonah Crab Benchmark Stock Assessment

· Presentation of Stock Assessment Report

· Presentation of Peer Review Panel Report

· Consider Acceptance of Benchmark Stock Assessment and Peer Review Report for Management Use

· Consider Annual Data Update of American Lobster Indices

· Update on Addendum XXVII Trigger Index

· Consider Fishery Management Plan Reviews and State Compliance Reports for American Lobster and Jonah Crab for the 2022 Fishing Year

· Consider Terms of Reference and Timeline for the American Lobster Benchmark Stock Assessment

· Consider Pursuing a Management Strategy Evaluation for American Lobster

11:45 a.m. – 1 p.m. Lunch Break

1 – 1:45 p.m. Tautog Management Board

· Consider Technical Committee Report on Commercial Tagging Program

1 – 5 p.m. Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership (ACFHP) Steering Committee

2 – 4 p.m. Horseshoe Crab Management Board

· Consider Results of Stakeholder Survey on Delaware Bay Management Objectives

· Set 2024 Delaware Bay Harvest Specifications

· Consider Fishery Management Plan Review and State Compliance Reports for the 2022 Fishing Year

4:15 – 5 p.m. Shad and River Herring Management Board

· Consider Update to New Hampshire River Herring Sustainable Fishery Management Plan and Proposal to Reopen Fishery

· Progress Update on River Herring Benchmark Stock Assessment

· Consider Fishery Management Plan Review and State Compliance Reports for the 2022 Fishing Year

Tuesday, October 17

8:30 – 10:30 a.m. Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program (ACCSP) Coordinating Council

· Consider FY2023 ACCSP Project and Administrative Proposals for Funding

· Consider SciFish Policies for ACCSP’s Citizen Science Mobile Application

· Program and Committee Updates

9 a.m. – 5 p.m. ACFHP Steering Committee (continued)

10:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Presentation on NOAA Fisheries Marine Recreational Information Program Fishing Effort Survey Design and Estimates

12:15 – 1:30 p.m. Lunch Break

1 – 5 p.m. Law Enforcement Committee

· Update on Tautog Tagging Program

· Update on Atlantic Striped Bass Draft Addendum II

· Update on Guidelines for Resource Managers on the Enforceability of Fishery Management Measures

· Discuss New England Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council Efforts to Reduce Sturgeon Bycatch in the Spiny Dogfish Fishery

· Review Wildlife Officer Exchange Program

· Update on Species Management Boards

1:30 – 3 p.m. Atlantic Menhaden Management Board

· Progress Update on Ecological Reference Point Benchmark Assessment

· Review Virginia Chesapeake Bay Menhaden Study Design Report

· Consider Fishery Management Plan Review and State Compliance Reports for the 2022 Fishing Year Review

3:15 – 4:45 p.m. Coastal Pelagics Management Board

· Set 2024-2026 Cobia Recreational Measures

· Update on Cobia Benchmark Stock Assessment Timeline

· Elect Vice-Chair

5 – 5:45 p.m. Coastal Sharks Management Board

· Set Specifications for 2024 Fishing Year

· Update on NOAA Fisheries Ongoing Management Actions

· Elect Vice-Chair

Wednesday, October 18

8 – 10 a.m. Executive Committee

· Review and Consider Approval of FY23 Audit

· Discuss Per Diem Rate for Meals and Incidentals

· Legislative Update

· Future Annual Meeting Update

8:30 – 11:45 a.m. Law Enforcement Committee (continued)

10:15 – 11:45 a.m. Business Session of the Commission

· Consider 2024 Action Plan

· Review Draft 2024-2028 Strategic Plan

· Elect Commission Chair and Vice-Chair

11:45 a.m. – 1 p.m. Captain David H. Hart Award Luncheon

1 – 1:45 p.m. Spiny Dogfish Management Board

· Review Atlantic Sturgeon Fishery Management Action Team/Plan Development Team Alternatives

· Consider Fishery Management Plan Review and State Compliance Reports for the 2022-2023 Fishing Year

1 – 5 p.m. Habitat Committee

· Status Updates: Habitat Management Series, Habitat Hotline Atlantic, and Habitat Fact Sheets

· Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership Update

2 – 5 p.m. Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board

· Consider Approval of Draft Addendum II for Public Comment

Thursday, October 19

8:30 a.m. – Noon Habitat Committee (continued)

8:30 – 9:30 a.m. American Eel Management Board

· Progress Update on Development of Draft Addenda VI and VII

· Advisory Panel Report

· Consider Fishery Management Plan Review and State Compliance Reports for the 2022 Fishing Year

9:45 – 11:45 a.m. Interstate Fisheries Management Program Policy Board

· Consider Revised Conservation Equivalency Policy and Technical Guidance Document

· Stock Assessment Progress Reports

· Committee Updates

· Law Enforcement Committee

· Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership

· Habitat Committee

· Review Compliance Findings, if necessary

11:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Lunch Break

12:15- 1:30 p.m. Sciaenids Management Board

· Review Annual Update to Black Drum Indicators

· Consider Fishery Management Plan Reviews and State Compliance Reports for the 2022 Fishing Year

· Progress Update on Red Drum, Spot, and Atlantic Croaker Benchmark Stock Assessments

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 opportunity to the public to bring matters of concern to the board’s attention at the start of each board meeting. Board chairs will use a speaker sign-up list in deciding 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 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 comment 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 (September 25) will be included in the briefing materials.

2. Comments received by 5 PM on Tuesday, October 10 will be included in supplemental materials.

3. Comments received by 10 AM on Friday, October 13 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. As with other public comment, it will be accepted via mail and email.

Atlantic Herring Eastern Maine Spawning Closure in Effect Starting August 28, 2023 through October 8, 2023; Area 1A Days Out Meeting on September 14

August 21, 2023 — 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 Atlantic States Marine Fisheries 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 stages III-V, to trigger a spawning closure. However, if sufficient samples are not available then closures will begin on predetermined dates.

There are currently no samples from the Eastern Maine spawning area to determine spawning condition. Therefore, per the Addendum II default closure dates, the Eastern Maine spawning area will be closed starting at 12:01 a.m. on August 28, 2023 extending through 11:59 p.m. on October 8, 2023. The Eastern Maine spawning area includes all waters bounded by the following coordinates:

Maine coast 68° 20’ W

43° 48’ N 68° 20’ W

44° 25’ N 67° 03’ W

North along the US/Canada border

Vessels in the directed Atlantic herring fishery cannot take, land or possess Atlantic herring caught within the Eastern Maine spawning area during this time. The incidental bycatch allowance of up to 2,000 pounds of Atlantic herring per trip per day applies to vessels in non-directed fisheries that are fishing within the Eastern Maine spawning area. In addition, all vessels traveling through the Eastern Maine spawning area must have all seine and mid-water trawl gear stowed.

Upcoming Days Out Meeting

In addition, Atlantic Herring Management Board members from the States of Maine, New Hampshire and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts will meet via webinar on September 14, 2023 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., to discuss Season 2 (October 1 – December 31) days out measures for the 2023 Area 1A fishery (inshore Gulf of Maine). Days out measures include consecutive landings days for Season 2. The webinar and call information are included below:

Atlantic Herring Days Out Meeting

September 14, 2023

10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

You can join the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone at the following link:https://meet.goto.com/738566485. If you are new to GoToMeeting, you can download the app ahead of time (click here) and be ready before the meeting starts. For audio, the meeting will be using the computer voice over internet protocol (VoIP), but if you are joining the webinar from your phone only, you can dial in at +1 (872) 240-3212 and enter access code 738-566-485 when prompted. The webinar will start at 10:15 a.m., 15 minutes early, to troubleshoot audio as necessary.

The 2023 Area 1A sub-annual catch limit (sub-ACL) is 3,345 metric tons (mt). The initial specification for the 2023 Area 1A sub-ACL of 3,592 mt decreased by 247 mt due to the catch overage in Area 1A in 2021. After adjusting for the 30 mt fixed gear set-aside and the 8% buffer (Area 1A closes at 92% of the sub-ACL), the Area 1A sub-ACL is 3,050 mt. There is no research-set-aside for 2023.

The Board established the following seasonal allocations for the 2023 Area 1A sub-ACL: 72.8% available from June 1 – September 30 and 27.2% available from October 1 – December 31.

For more information, please contact Caitlin Starks, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at 703.842.0740 or cstarks@asmfc.org.

The announcement can also be found at https://asmfc.org/uploads/file/64e3bac8AtlHerring_2023EM_SpawningClosure_DaysOutNotice_Aug2023.pdf

Fishermen Encouraged to Watch Out for Bright Orange SAILDRONES in Eastern Gulf of Maine Beginning August 28, 2023

August 18, 2023 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

Fishermen who work in the eastern Gulf of Maine will want to be on the lookout for two wind-propelled surface vehicles that will be operating in the area from August 28 through October 18, 2023. These vehicles, called SAILDRONE VOYAGERs, are bright orange.

NOAA Fisheries has asked the New England Fishery Management Council to help inform fishermen about the presence of these uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs) in order to prevent interactions with fishing gear. NOAA Fisheries and Saildrone Inc. are using the USVs for research purposes to collect high-resolution seafloor bathymetry and backscatter data along predetermined survey tracklines.

Charts and survey coordinates are available in this flyer.

NOAA Fisheries and Saildrone said, “Fishing vessel operators who use fixed gears should avoid setting gear in areas planned for survey to help limit any risk of entanglement between the SAILDRONE VOYAGERS’ sound velocity profile casts and vertical lines.”

SAILDRONE VOYAGERs are equipped with radar, Automatic Identification Systems (AIS), and cameras. They operate at speeds between 2-4 knots, moving between a series of predetermined waypoints. Vehicles are monitored remotely 24/7 by the Saildrone Mission Control Team.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS: Anyone with questions about this NOAA Fisheries research project should contract Heather Coleman at heather.coleman@noaa.gov.

SAILDRONE QUESTIONS: Questions about the SAILDRONE VOYAGERS should be directed to:

Saildrone Mission Control (available 24/7) at missioncontrol@saildrone.com, (510) 722-6070

Saildrone Program Manager Kitch Kennedy at kitch.kennedy@saildrone.com

Additional information is available in the flyer, which states, “Vessels are requested to transit the (eastern Gulf of Maine survey) area with caution and remain greater than 500 meters away from the USVs.”

NEFMC SSC – Listen Live – Thursday, August 10, 2023 – Atlantic Deep-Sea Red Crab, White Hake, and Other Issues

August 7, 2023 — The following was released by New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will meet by webinar to discuss issues related to Atlantic deep-sea red crab, white hake, a NOAA technical memorandum, and other matters. The public is invited to listen live. Here are the details.

WHEN: Thursday, August 10, 2023

START TIME: 8:30 a.m.

WEBINAR REGISTRATION: Online access to the meeting is available at Listen Live. There is no charge to join the meeting through this webinar. The Remote Participation Guide is posted here.

CALL-IN OPTION: To listen by telephone, dial +1 (562) 247-8422. The access code is 208-654-676. Your regular phone charges will apply.

AGENDA: The SSC will meet to:

Review information provided by the Council’s Red Crab Plan Development Team and recommend the overfishing limits (OFLs) and acceptable biological catches (ABCs) for Atlantic deep-sea red crab for fishing years 2024-2027;

Review draft analyses provided by Council contractors on recruitment assumptions used in stock projections for white hake and comment on their utility when modifying the rebuilding plan and setting specifications;

Comment on the draft NOAA technical memorandum titled “Technical Guidance for Estimating Status Determination Reference Points and their Proxies in Accordance with the National Standard 1 Guidelines”; and

Discuss other business, including brief updates on: (1) identifying SSC members to serve as discussion leads for developing ABC recommendations; (2) enhancing use of SSC sociocultural and economic expertise; (3) planning for the eighth meeting of the Council Coordination Committee’s Scientific Coordination Subcommittee; and (4) commenting on NOAA Fisheries’ intent to update National Standards 4, 8, and 9 Guidelines.

COMMENTS: The deadline for submitting written comments for consideration at this meeting is 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, August 8, 2023. Address comments to Council Chair Eric Reid or Executive Director Cate O’Keefe 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 August 10, 2023 meeting 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.

Council to Hold August 17, 2023 Facilitated Meeting to Discuss Groundfish Acceptable Biological Catch Control Rules

August 4, 2023 — The following was released by New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council’s Groundfish Committee will be hosting a facilitated meeting on August 17, 2023 to discuss draft goals and objectives for modifying or replacing the existing acceptable biological catch (ABC) control rules for groundfish. ABC control rules are used in setting annual catch limits. They define how catch and/or fishing mortality change with stock size.

The Council is inviting members of the Groundfish Committee, the Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC), the Groundfish Plan Development Team, the Groundfish Advisory Panel, the Recreational Advisory Panel, the Risk Policy Working Group, and the public to participate in the discussion.

This will be a hybrid meeting conducted at the Four Points by Sheraton in Wakefield, MA, coupled with a webinar option. The start time is 9:30 a.m.

PLANNING TO PARTICIPATE? The Council is encouraging all groundfish stakeholders to engage in the conversation either in person or online. For planning purposes and to ensure a proper meeting room setup, the Council is asking everyone who intends to participate to fill out this Google form to indicate whether you plan to attend in person or tune in via the webinar. Your response is not binding! The form

ASMFC American Eel Board Accepts Benchmark Assessment & Peer Review Report for Management Use Two Addenda Initiated for Yellow Eel and Maine Glass Eel Fisheries

August 2, 2023 — The following was released by Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s American Eel Management Board has accepted the American Eel Benchmark Stock Assessment and Peer Review Report for management use. The Report indicates the stock is at or near historically low levels due to a combination of historical overfishing, habitat loss, food web alterations, predation, turbine mortality, environmental changes, and toxins, contaminants, and disease. Since completion of the first Commission American eel stock assessment in 2005, available data have not allowed overfishing or overfished determinations to be made. Based on several trend analyses, the stock is considered depleted, consistent with the findings of the 2012 and 2017 assessments.

In response to the assessment findings, the Board initiated an addendum to consider changes to the coastwide yellow eel harvest cap. Historically, the coastwide cap of 916,473 pounds was set based on the average landings from 1998 to 2010. The benchmark assessment proposes a new tool for setting the coastwide cap based on abundance indices and catch. The addendum will consider using this tool to recommend a range of coastwide caps and management options.

The Board also initiated an addendum to address the quota for Maine’s glass eel fishery. Maine’s glass eel quota has been set at 9,688 pounds since 2015. However, a new addendum is needed to establish a quota for the 2025 fishing year and beyond.

The Plan Development Team will begin work on both documents, with a progress update provided to the Board in October and Draft Addenda presented for Board consideration in February 2024. The Benchmark Stock Assessment and Peer Review Report will be available on the Commission website at https://asmfc.org/species/american-eel (under stock assessment reports) by mid-August. An overview of the assessment will be can be found athttps://asmfc.org/uploads/file/64caa25eAmericanEelStockAssessmentOverview_August2023.pdf. For more information, please contact Caitlin Starks, Senior Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at cstarks@asmfc.org.

ASMFC Atlantic Striped Bass Board Extends Emergency Action through October 28, 2024 & Continues Development of Additional Measures to Aid Rebuilding

August 2, 2023 — The following was released by Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board extended the current emergency action through October 28, 2024 or until the implementation of Addendum II to Amendment 7 of the Interstate Fishery Management Plan. In May, the Board approved a 31-inch maximum size limit for the 2023 recreational fishery to reduce harvest of the strong 2015-year class. The 31-inch maximum size limit applies to all existing recreational fishery regulations where a higher (or no) maximum size applies, excluding the May Chesapeake Bay trophy fisheries which already prohibit harvest of fish less than 35 inches. All bag limits, seasons, and gear restrictions remain the same. All states and jurisdictions implemented the required measure by July 2, 2023.

The emergency action responds to the unprecedented magnitude of 2022 recreational harvest, which is nearly double that of 2021, and new stock rebuilding projections, which estimate the probability of the spawning stock rebuilding to its biomass target by 2029 drops from 97% under the lower 2021 fishing mortality rate to 15% if the higher 2022 fishing mortality rate continues each year.

The extension of the emergency action provides the Board time to develop and finalize Draft Addendum II, which will consider 2024 management measures designed to reduce fishing mortality to the target. Specifically, the Draft Addendum will propose options for the ocean recreational fishery, including modifications to the slot limit with harvest season closures as a secondary non-preferred option. It will also propose options for the Chesapeake Bay recreational fisheries, as well all commercial fisheries, including maximum size limits.

ASMFC 2023 Summer Meeting Second Supplemental Materials Now Available

July 30, 2023 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Supplemental 2 materials for ASMFC’s 2023 Summer Meeting are now available and can be found in the below links or at https://www.asmfc.org/home/2023-summer-meeting. For ease of access, all the supplemental materials have been combined into one document: 2023 Summer Supplemental2.

Revised Final Agenda

American Eel Management Board – Public Comment

ISFMP Policy Board – Revised Draft Agenda & Meeting Overview; Legislative Issues (Draft 2023 NOAA Act and FISHES Act); and MAFMC Memo of Proposed Timeline Revisions for Recreational Sector Separation and Catch Accounting Amendment

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 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 Summer Meeting: August 1-3, 2023

July 26, 2023 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Summer Meeting will be held August 1-3, 2023 at The Westin Crystal City. The room block is now closed; if you need assistance reserving a room, please contact Lisa Carty at lcarty@asmfc.org. This will be a hybrid meeting (both in-person and remote) to allow for participation by Commissioners and interested stakeholders.

The final agenda and meeting materials for the Summer Meeting are now available at https://www.asmfc.org/home/2023-summer-meeting; click on the relevant Board/Committee name to access the documents for that Board/Committee.

Webinar Information Board meeting proceedings will be broadcast daily via webinar beginning Tuesday, August 1 at 9 a.m. and continuing daily until the conclusion of the meeting (expected to be 11 a.m.) on Thursday, August 3. To register for the webinar, please go to: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8211916328494316377 (Webinar ID 505-145-715).

For those who will not be joining the webinar but would like to listen to the audio portion only, press the # key when asked for a PIN.

Meeting Process

In terms of 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.

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), please contact Chris Jacobs at 703.842.0790.

We look forward to seeing you at the Summer Meeting. If the staff or I can provide any further assistance to you, please call us at 703.842.0740.

Supplemental Materials