March 16, 2016 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:
Please find attached and below the preliminary agenda and public comment guidelines for the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s 2016 Spring Meeting, May 2-5, 2016 in Alexandria, VA. The agenda is also available at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2016-spring-meeting. Materials will be available on April 20, 2016 on the Commission website at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2016-spring-meeting.
Monday, May 2, 2016
9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. American Lobster Management Board
· Discuss Future Management of Southern New England American Lobster Stock
o Address Tabled Motion to Initiate an Addendum to Address the Declining Stock Conditions
o Technical Committee Report
o Plan Development Team Report
· Discuss Future Management for Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank American Lobster Stock
· Consider Final Action on Draft Addendum I to the Jonah Crab FMP
· Discuss Possible Action to Create a Coastwide Standard for Claw Landings in the Jonah Crab Fishery
· Update on Effort Control Measures for Jonah Crab Only Trap Fishermen in Rhode Island
· Update on the New England Fishery Management Council Deep Sea Coral Habitat Amendment and ASMFC Survey to Area 3 Fishermen
· American Lobster Law Enforcement Subcommittee Update on Offshore Enforcement and Trap Reduction Enforcement
2:30 – 3:30 p.m. Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program (ACCSP) Executive Committee
· Program Update
· Update on the MRIP APAIS Transition
· Review and Approve Standard Operating Procedures Written in Response to the Independent Program Review
· Develop a Program Governance Recommendation
· Review Request for Proposals for the Upcoming Funding Cycle
3:45 – 4:45 p.m. ACCSP Coordinating Council
· Program Update
· Update on the MRIP APAIS Transition
· Consider Approval of Standard Operating Procedures
· Review and Consider Approval of Governance Recommendations
· Review and Consider Approval of Request for Proposals for the Upcoming Funding Cycle
Tuesday, May 3, 2016
8:00 – 10:00 a.m. Executive Committee
· Report of the Administrative Oversight Committee
· Presentation of the FY17 Budget
· Discussion of ACCSP Governance
· Discussion of Plan Development Team Membership
· Future Annual Meetings Update
10:15 – 11:15 a.m. Horseshoe Crab Management Board
· Discuss Biomedical Data Confidentiality and Stock Assessment Planning
· Review of Alternative Bait Costs
· Update on Adaptive Resource Management Framework Review
11:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Shad and River Herring Management Board
· Report from Data Standardization Workshop
· Update on Activities of the River Herring Technical Expert Work Group
· Stock Assessment Planning and Timetable for American Shad and River Herring Benchmark Assessments
Noon – 5:00 p.m. Law Enforcement Committee (LEC)
· Update on Maine Lobster Trap Tag Transferability Program
· Discuss Lobster Offshore Enforcement Issues
· Review Tautog Tagging Program Options and Subcommittee Efforts
· Discuss Aerial Enforcement Issues and Subcommittee Efforts
· Review 2016 Action Plan Tasks for LEC
· Discuss Ongoing Enforcement Activities (Closed Session)
· Federal Agency Report Highlights
· State Agency Report Highlights
· Review and Discuss Additional ISFMP Species Issues (as needed)
1:15 – 3:45 p.m. Climate Change Workshop
4:00 – 5:00 p.m. American Eel Management Board
· Discuss Potential Options for Revisiting Yellow Eel Commercial Quota
6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Annual Awards of Excellence Reception
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
8:00 – 10:00 a.m. Weakfish Management Board
· Review and Consider Approval of the 2016 Weakfish Benchmark Stock Assessment for Management Use
· Discuss Next Steps for Management in Response to Assessment Results
8:30 a.m. – Noon Law Enforcement Committee (continued)
10:15 – 11:45 a.m. Interstate Fisheries Management Program (ISFMP) Policy Board
· Executive Committee Report
· Management & Science Committee Report
· Assessment Science Committee Report and Approval of the Stock Assessment Schedule
· Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership Report
· Law Enforcement Committee Report
· Consider Next Steps Relative to Climate Change and ASMFC Management
· Report on Commissioner Survey Follow-up
· Atlantic Sturgeon Benchmark Assessment Update
· Overview of the Sturgeon Research and Recovery Workshop Scheduled for May 16-19, 2016 (Coordinated by NOAA Fisheries)
1:00 – 5:00 p.m. Commissioner Parliamentary Workshop
Thursday, May 5, 2016
8:00 – 10:00 a.m. Atlantic Menhaden Management Board
· Consider Draft Addendum I for Public Comment
· Provide Guidance to the Technical Committee Regarding Stock Projections
· Consider 2015 FMP Review and State Compliance
10:15 – 11:00 a.m. Coastal Sharks Management Board
· Review and Consider Approval of Draft Addendum IV (Smoothhound Dogfish) for Public Comment
11:15 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. South Atlantic State/Federal Fisheries Management Board
· Review and Consider Approval of the 2016 Red Drum Benchmark Stock Assessment for Management Use
· Discuss Next Steps for Red Drum Management in Response to the Assessment Results
· Progress Update on Spot and Atlantic Croaker Benchmark Stock Assessments
· Review North Carolina Report on Spanish Mackerel Pound Net Landings as Required by Addendum I to the Omnibus Amendment for Spanish Mackerel, Spot, and Spotted Seatrout
· Elect Vice-Chair
2:00 – 2:30 p.m. Business Session (if necessary)
· Review Noncompliance Findings (if necessary)
Public Comment Guidelines
With the intent of developing policies in the Commission’s procedures for public participation that result in 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 already gone out for public comment, it is the Policy Board’s intent to end the occasional practice of allowing extensive and lengthy public comments. Currently, board chairs have the discretion to decide what public comment to allow in these circumstances.
In addition, the following timeline has been established for the submission of written 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 3 weeks prior to the start of a meeting week will be included in the briefing materials.
2. Comments received by 5:00 PM on the Tuesday immediately preceding the scheduled ASMFC Meeting (in this case, the Tuesday deadline will be April 26, 2016) will be distributed electronically to Commissioners/Board members prior to the meeting and a limited number of copies will be provided at the meeting.
3. Following the Tuesday, April 26, 2016 5:00 PM deadline, the commenter will be responsible for distributing the information to the management board prior to the board meeting or providing enough copies for the management board consideration at the meeting (a minimum of 50 copies).
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, fax, and email.