December 11, 2014 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:
Please find below the preliminary agenda and public comment guidelines for the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s 2015 Winter Meeting, February 3-5, 2015 in Alexandria, Virginia. The agenda is also available online at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2015-winter-meeting. Please note our meeting location has changed to the Westin Alexandria, where we will also meet for our Spring and Summer meetings. Meeting materials will be available on January 23, 2015 on the Commission website. 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.
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
Winter Meeting
February 3-5, 2015
The Westin Alexandria
400 Courthouse Square
Alexandria, Virginia
Preliminary Agenda
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
8:00 – 8:45 a.m. — Winter Flounder Management Board
– Set Specifications for the 2015 Fishing Season
– Review and Consider Approval of the 2014 FMP Review and State Compliance
9:00 – 10:30 a.m.– Atlantic Herring Section
– Review and Consider Approval of Draft Amendment 3 for Public Comment
– Review and Consider Approval of the 2014 FMP Review and State Compliance
10:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.– American Lobster Management Board
– Review and Consider Approval of Draft Addendum XXIV for Public Comment
– Review Preliminary Draft of Jonah Crab Fishery Management Plan
– Review and Consider Approval of Nominations to the Jonah Crab Advisory Panel
1:45 – 5:15 p.m.– Atlantic Menhaden Management Board
– Review and Consider Acceptance of 2015 Benchmark Stock Assessment and Peer Review Panel Reports
– Discuss Ecological Reference Points (ERP) Term of Reference
– Discuss Management Objectives Moving Forward Based on Results of the Benchmark Assessment/ERP Term of Reference
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
8:00 – 9:00 a.m.– Executive Committee
– Discuss Staff Tenure and Workload
– Review Suggested Changes to Commission Guidance Documents
– Update on 2015 Annual Meeting
9:15 – 11:15 a.m.– ISFMP Policy Board
– American Eel Fish Passage Update
– Review and Discuss 2014 Commissioner Survey Results
– Discuss Updating the Roles and Responsibilities of the Committee on Economics and Social Science
– Review and Consider Revisions to the ASMFC Committee Guidance and Assessment Process Document
11:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.– Weakfish Management Board
– Review and Consider Approval of the Terms of Reference for the 2015 Benchmark Stock Assessment
– Review Abbreviated Stock Status Update
1:15 – 3:15 p.m.– South Atlantic State/Federal Fisheries Management Board
– Review and Consider Acceptance of 2014 Black Drum Benchmark Stock Assessment and Peer Review Panel Reports
– Discuss Need for Management Response to the Benchmark Assessment
– Review and Consider Approval of 2014 FMP Reviews and State Compliance for Spanish Mackerel, Spot, and Spotted Seatrout
3:30 – 6:30 p.m.– Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board
– Review and Consider Final Approval of Addendum XXVI
– Set 2015 Black Sea Bass Recreational Management Measures
– Set 2015 Scup Recreational Management Measures
Thursday, February 5, 2015
8:00 a.m. – Noon — Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board
– Review and Consider Approval of Addendum IV Conservation Equivalency Proposals and Implementation Plans
– Review Virginia Proposal to Suspend Tagging Program
12:30 – 2:30 p.m.– Tautog Management Board
– Review and Consider Acceptance of 2015 Benchmark Stock Assessment and Peer Review Panel Reports
– Discuss Need for Management Response to the Benchmark Assessment
– Review and Consider Approval of the 2014 FMP Review and State Compliance
12:45 – 2:15 p.m.– Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program (ACCSP) Executive Committee
– Status Updates on the Program and MRIP-APAIS Transition
– Review Action Items from Previous Meeting
2:45 – 4:00 p.m.– Shad and River Herring Management Board
– Review and Consider Approval of 2014 FMP Reviews and State Compliance for Shad & River Herring
– Review New Hampshire Proposal for the Removal of Taylor River Monitoring
– Update on Shad and River Herring Related Activities of the Mid-Atlantic and New England Fishery Management Councils
– Update on the River Herring Technical Expert Working Group
4:15 – 5:45 p.m.– ACCSP Coordinating Council
– ACCSP Status Reports on the Program, MRIP-APAIS Transition, Committee Activities, and Independent Program Review
– Discussion on Providing Operations Committee with More Authority to Recommend Different Funding Split than the 75/25 When 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 NOTestablished 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 January 27, 2015) 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, January 27, 2015 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.