Saving Seafood

Council Actions

NEFMC SSC – Listen Live – Friday, September 8, 2023 – Groundfish, CAMS, and More

September 2, 2023 — The New England Fishery Management Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will meet by webinar to discuss issues related to groundfish, the new Catch Accounting and Monitoring System (CAMS), and other matters.  The public is invited to listen live.  Here are the details.

START TIME:  9:30 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 (415) 655-0052.  The access code is 211-296-770.  Your regular phone charges will apply.
AGENDA:  The SSC will meet to:
  • Review recent stock assessment information, along with additional materials provided by the Council’s Groundfish Plan Development Team, and recommend the overfishing limits (OFLs) and acceptable biological catches (ABCs) for:
    • Georges Bank yellowtail flounder for fishing years 2024 and 2025, and
    • White hake for fishing years 2024 and 2025, including feedback on the white hake rebuilding plan options;
  • Receive a presentation from the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office on the Catch Accounting and Monitoring System (CAMS) and engage in questions and discussion;
  • Receive a presentation from the Groundfish Plan Development Team on the August 17, 2023 facilitated meeting regarding groundfish ABC control rules, which are being developed through Framework Adjustment 68 to the groundfish plan, and provide feedback on draft goals and objectives;
  • Discuss other business, including:
    • Feedback to the Council on expected SSC tasks for 2024;
    • Enhancing the use of SSC sociocultural and economic expertise;
    • Planning for the eighth meeting of the Council Coordination Committee’s Scientific Coordination Subcommittee; and
    • Future SSC meeting logistics.
COMMENTS:  The deadline for submitting written comments for consideration at this meeting is 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, September 6, 2023.  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 September 8, 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.
Read the full article at

Dr. Mark Terceiro Receives Mid-Atlantic Council’s Ricks E Savage Award

August 31, 2023 — Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council has named Dr. Mark Terceiro, long-time fisheries scientist with NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC), as the recipient of the Council’s Ricks E Savage award. The award was established in 2006 and is given each year to an individual who has added value to the Council process and management goals through significant scientific, legislative, enforcement, or management activities.

The Council selected Dr. Terceiro for the award in recognition of his significant scientific contributions in his role as lead assessment biologist for several Council-managed species. The award was presented to Dr. Terceiro during the August 2023 Council Meeting held in Annapolis, Maryland.

Dr. Terceiro joined the NEFSC’s Population Dynamics Branch in 1986 after receiving his B.S. degree in zoology and Ph.D. in biological oceanography from the University of Rhode Island. For nearly his entire career, he has served as the lead assessment biologist for summer flounder, a species that supports economically and socially important commercial and recreational fisheries throughout the region. He also served as the lead assessment biologist for bluefish early in his career and as the lead assessment biologist for scup since the early 2000s.

“Mark has patiently, consistently, and effectively explained complex assessment results to Council members and the public,” said Mike Luisi, former Council Chair. “He has worked tirelessly to improve the science that supports the management process, and the Council has benefitted from his long tenure with the Science Center.”

Dr. Terceiro has been a member of the Council’s Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Monitoring Committee for much of his career. He captured his vast institutional knowledge of the history of science, management, and politics of this fishery in “The Summer Flounder Chronicles,” a three-part series published in the journal Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries.

NEFSC leadership also expressed appreciation for Dr. Terceiro’s scientific contributions. “Mark has been steadfast in his stock assessment duties, and his knowledge of Mid-Atlantic stock assessments is without equal,” said Jon Hare, NEFSC Science and Research Director. “This award is well-deserved.”

 

2024 Scallop RSA Program Funding Opportunity Open Through October 23, 2023; Join Informational Webinar on September 8

August 30, 2023 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

NOAA Fisheries is soliciting proposals for the 2024 Scallop Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program. The funding opportunity opened on August 23, 2023 and will close on October 23, 2023. 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 and outlined in this report.

NEW THIS YEAR: As a result of changes recommended by the Council in June 2023 and subsequently approved by NOAA Fisheries, RSA proposals that support regional scallop surveys for stock assessment purposes and specification setting can be funded for up to four years covering 2024-2027. Regional survey proposals may be submitted for the Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank, and/or the Mid-Atlantic area. The four-year opportunity does not apply to discrete, finescale surveys or other research priorities, which will continue to be funded under one-or-twoyear awards.

Multi-year regional survey applications must describe the research needs for each year of the proposed project period and demonstrate that a multi-year award is in alignment with the Council’s research priorities.

Western Pacific Region Status of the Fisheries 2022 report is now available!

August 30, 2023 — The following was released by Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

To monitor and evaluate fishery performance, the Council publishes annual reports for each of its five fishery ecosystem-based management plans. The publication highlights some of the changes in the U.S. Pacific Island fisheries from 2020 to 2022. Fishery statistics can be affected by numerous variables, including environmental changes and socioeconomic variables. In recent years, the impacts and subsequent recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic also affected fisheries in multiple ways. Some of these effects are described, in addition to recent stock statuses and management measures. Full reports and data used to generate the reports are available online.

Mid-Atlantic Council Presents Award of Excellence to Dr. Lee Anderson

August 28, 2023 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council has named Dr. Lee Anderson as the recipient of the Council’s prestigious Award of Excellence. The award was presented to Dr. Anderson during the August 2023 Council Meeting held in Annapolis, Maryland.

The Award of Excellence was established in 2016 to recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions to fisheries management, legislation, science, or law enforcement in the Mid-Atlantic region. The award is made on a periodic basis, subject to the identification and selection of outstanding individuals, and has only been given one other time.

Dr. Anderson has been a valued participant in the Mid-Atlantic Council process for almost the entirety of the Council’s 47-year history. He was one of three economists appointed to the Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee when it was first formed in 1976. He was later appointed to the Council, holding Delaware’s obligatory seat from 1986 to 1995 and 2007 to 2016. He served for three years as Council Chair (1992-1995) and a total of ten years as Vice-Chair (1990-1992, 2008-2016). After his departure from the Council in 2016, Dr. Anderson was reappointed to the SSC and served until early 2023.

“Lee’s impact on fisheries management, economics, and policy has not only shaped the present but also paved the way for a more sustainable future,” said Chris Moore, Executive Director of the Council. “Throughout his years on the Council and SSC, he brought a wealth of knowledge that helped the Council understand and account for the economic forces that shape fisheries management decisions.”

Dr. Anderson’s expertise and leadership were particularly instrumental in the Council’s development of an individual transferable quota program system for the Atlantic surfclam and ocean quahog fisheries, which was the first catch share program in the United States.

In addition to his contributions to the Council, Dr. Anderson has had a profound impact on the field of fisheries economics. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in economics from Brigham Young University in 1966, he earned his doctorate in economics from the University of Washington in 1970. In 1974 he joined the University of Delaware, where he would serve as Director of the Marine Policy Program in the College of Marine Studies from 1986 to 2004. His book The Economics of Fisheries Management has served as an important learning tool for fisheries economists nationally and internationally. He has written or edited six books and over sixty scientific papers and is recognized as a respected mentor and collaborator.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council proudly congratulates Dr. Anderson on this well-deserved recognition.

 

ASMFC Seeks Proposals for the Redesign of SEAMAP-South Atlantic Website Proposals Due October 13, 2023

August 28, 2023 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking a web developer to design and host a new website for the South Atlantic portion of the Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program (SEAMAP). SEAMAP aids in the collection, management, and dissemination of fishery-independent data throughout coastal waters in the southeastern US. The primary goal of this website is to serve as an information hub for the public and state agency members to access resources pertaining to southeastern coastal surveys. The website should heighten the understanding and use of SEAMAP surveys and the importance of fishery-independent data, while also being a repository for information.

 
The Commission requires a developer who has demonstrated experience in managing website projects and expertise with best practices regarding successful website design, development, and deployment. The ideal developer for this project should be able to design and execute a dynamic and modern website that helps showcase the purpose of SEAMAP to the public while acting as an active resource for SEAMAP survey managers. The ideal developer will also be willing to work closely with the Commission to create a website that is easy to update by the web manager. 
 
Proposals should provide a cost estimate that takes into account all design and functionality elements from the RFP, including security measures and hosting. The chosen developer may have an opportunity to work on similar future projects for the Commission.
 
Applicants seeking to apply to the RFP must submit, as a single file, an electronic proposal by email no later than midnight EST on October 13, 2023 to Jainita Patel at jpatel@asmfc.org. Please see the RFP for complete proposal details, qualifying requirements, and submission instructions. The RFP is available at https://asmfc.org/files/RFPs/SEAMAP_Website_RFP.pdf.
 
For more information, please contact Jainita Patel, Fisheries Science Coordinator, atjpatel@asmfc.org or 703.842.0720.

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.
 

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.

 
 
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:
 
 
 
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.”