June 16, 2025 — 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 2025 Summer Meeting will be August 5 – 7, 2025 at The Westin Crystal City. This will be a hybrid meeting (both in-person and remote) to allow for participation by Commissioners and interested stakeholders; the details of which will be provided two weeks prior to the meeting. A brief, preliminary agenda and public comment guidelines are included in the attached. Materials will be available July 23 on the Commission website at https://asmfc.org/events/2025-summer-meeting/.
A block of rooms is being held at The Westin Crystal City, 1800 Richmond Highway, Arlington, VA 22202. Lisa Carty will make Commissioner/Proxy reservations and will contact you regarding the details of your accommodations. Please notify Lisa of any changes to your travel plans that will impact your hotel reservations, otherwise you will incur no-show penalties. We greatly appreciate your cooperation.
For all other attendees, please reserve your room online via our group link at Book your group rate for Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission ASMFC Meeting August 2025 or call Marriott directly at 888.236.2427 as soon as possible and mention the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to obtain the group room rate of $183 plus tax single/dbl. Please be aware you must guarantee your room reservation with a major credit card or one night’s advance payment. Hotel reservations must be made by Monday, July 7. Room availability will not be guaranteed beyond this date. If you are being reimbursed by ASMFC for your travel, please make your reservation directly with the hotel. Reservations made through travel websites do not apply toward the minimum number of required reservations with the hotel. Please note, cancellations at The Westin must be made by 4 PM two days before arrival to avoid penalty and an early departure fee of $183 + tax will apply when checking out before the confirmed date. If you have any problems regarding accommodations, please contact Lisa Carty at 703.842.0713 or lcarty@asmfc.org.
We look forward to seeing you at the Summer Meeting.
ASMFC 2025 Summer Meeting
August 5 – 7
Westin Crystal City
1800 Richmond Highway
Arlington, VA 22202
Preliminary Agenda
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.
Tuesday, August 5
10 – 11:30 a.m. American Lobster Management Board
- Presentation of On-Demand Gear Research and Technology
- Update on New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils’ Alternative Gear Marking Amendment
- Update from Maine and New Hampshire on Industry Meetings
- Progress Update on 2025 American Lobster Stock Assessment
11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. Legislative and Governors’ Appointees Luncheon
11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. Lunch Break
1 – 2 p.m. Weakfish Management Board
- Consider 2025 Stock Assessment Update
2:15 – 3:15 p.m. American Eel Management Board
- Update on CITES Proposal to List American Eel under Appendix II
- Review and Consider State Aquaculture Proposals
3:30 – 5:30 p.m. Sciaenids Management Board
- Consider Red Drum Draft Addendum II for Public Comment
- Review 2025 Traffic Light Analyses for Spot and Atlantic Croaker
- Consider Delaware Spot Commercial Measures Proposal
- Consider Atlantic Croaker and Red Drum Fishery Management Plan Reviews and Compliance for 2024 Fishing Year
5:30 – 6:30 p.m. ASMFC Public Outreach (Westin Lobby)
- Informational Exchange among Commission Members, Staff, and Meeting Attendees; All are Welcome; Light Snacks
Wednesday, August 6
8 – 10 a.m. Executive Committee
10:15 – 11:15 a.m. Shad & River Herring Management Board
- Review Advisory Panel Report on 2024 River Herring Benchmark Assessment
- Consider Updates to Shad and River Herring Sustainable Fishery Management Plans (SFMPs) and Alternative Management Plans (AMPs)
- Massachusetts SFMP (River Herring)
- Florida SFMP (American Shad) and AMP (Shad & River Herring)
- Georgia SFMP (American Shad) and AMP (River Herring)
11:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Coastal Sharks Management Board
- Updates on Federal Rulemaking
12:15 – 1:15 p.m. Lunch Break
1:15 – 5:30 p.m. Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board
- Consider FMP Review and Compliance for 2024 Fishing Year
- Consider Draft Addendum III for Public Comment
Thursday, August 7
8:30 – 9:30 a.m. Atlantic Menhaden Management Board
- Discuss Technical Committee Direction in Response to Work Group Report on Precautionary Management in Chesapeake Bay
- Progress Update on 2025 Ecological Reference Point Benchmark Assessment
9:45 – 11:30 a.m. Interstate Fisheries Management Program Policy Board
- Review and Consider Conservation Equivalency: Policy and Technical Guidance Document
- Review Discussion Paper on Declared Interests and Voting Privileges
- Discussion of Environmentally Friendly Fishing Gear and Bait Alternatives
- Progress Update on On-Going Stock Assessments
- Committee Reports
- Review Noncompliance Findings, if necessary
11:30 – 11:45 a.m. Commission Business Session
- Consider Noncompliance Recommendations, if necessary
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 opportunities 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 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 comments 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 comments for issues for which the Commission has NOT established a specific public comment period (i.e., in response to proposed management action).
- Comments received three weeks prior to the start of the quarterly meeting (July 14) will be included in the briefing materials.
- Comments received by 5 PM on Tuesday, July 29 will be included in supplemental materials.
- Comments received by 10 AM on Friday, August 1 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 (to comments@asmfc.org or via online submission athttps://asmfc.org/events/2025-summer-meeting/.