American Lobster Archives - Saving Seafood

Supplemental Materials for February 22 Meeting of the American Lobster Board Now Available

February 17, 2022 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Supplemental materials for the February 22nd meeting of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s American Lobster Management Board are now available athttp://www.asmfc.org/files/Meetings/AmLobsterBoardFeb2022/AmLobsterBoardSupplementalMaterials_Feb2022.pdf. The Board will meet via webinar on February 22nd from 1 – 3:30 PM. The purpose of the meeting is to review submitted public comment and advisory panel input on Draft Addendum XXIX: Electronic Vessel Tracking in the Federal American Lobster and Jonah Crab Fisheries and consider final approval of the Addendum.

To register for the webinar go to https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2930590334961190923 (Webinar ID 845-804-555). If you are joining the webinar but will not be using VoIP, you can also call in at +1 (562) 247-8422, access code 538-513-755. A PIN will be provided to you after joining the webinar; see webinar instructions for details on how to receive the PIN as well as how to navigate the webinar. For those who will not be joining the webinar but would like to listen in to the audio portion only, you can do so by dialing +1 (562) 247-8422, access code 538-513-755. The webinar will begin at 12:30 PM so people can troubleshoot any connectivity or audio issues they mayencounter. If you are having issues with the webinar (connecting to or audio related issues), please contact ChrisJacobs at 703.842.0790.

The webinar will allow registrants to listen to the Board’s deliberations and view presentations and motions as they occur. The Board will provide the public the opportunity to bring matters of concern to the Board’s attention at the start of the meeting. The Board Chair 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.

Meeting materials for February 22nd American Lobster Management Board Webinar Now Available

February 7, 2022 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The draft agenda and meeting materials for the February 22nd meeting of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s American Lobster Management Board are now available athttp://www.asmfc.org/files/Meetings/AmLobsterBoardFeb2022/AmLobsterBoardMaterials_Feb2022.pdf. The Board will meet via webinar on February 22nd from 1 – 3:30 PM. The purpose of the meeting is to review submitted public comment on Draft Addendum XXIX: Electronic Vessel Tracking in the Federal American Lobster and Jonah Crab Fisheries and consider final approval of the Addendum.

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 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 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)

· Comments received by 5 PM on Monday, February 15 will be included in the supplemental materials.

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.

For more information, please contact Caitlin Starks, Senior FMP Coordinator, at cstarks@asmfc.org.

Commercial Fishing Prohibited in Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument

December 17, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

President Biden revised the prohibited activities for the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument to include a prohibition on commercial fishing. All commercial fishing, other than for American lobster and Atlantic deep-sea red crab taken with fixed gear, is prohibited within the Monument as of October 8, 2021. American lobster and red crab fisheries are exempted from this prohibition until September 15, 2023, except where restricted under the New England Fishery Management Council’s Deep-Sea Coral Amendment (see below). These prohibitions reinstate the fishing prohibitions outlined in the original Monument proclamation signed by President Obama on September 15, 2016.

The Monument covers underwater seamounts (Bear, Mytilus, Physalia, and Retriever) and submerged canyons (Oceanographer, Gilbert, and Lydonia). You can find more information about the Monument on our Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument webpage and in the Federal Register.

Since the Monument was first designated in 2016, the New England Fishery Management Council developed and NOAA Fisheries approved and implemented (86 FR 33553, June 25, 2021) an Omnibus Deep-Sea Coral Amendment to its fishery management plans. This action prohibited the use of bottom-tending commercial fishing gear (with an exception for red crab pots) within the designated Georges Bank Deep-Sea Coral Protection Area, an area along the outer continental shelf in waters no shallower than 600 m to the Exclusive Economic Zone boundary. This action closed approximately 82 percent of the Monument to fishing earlier this year. This reinstated fishing prohibition applies to the remainder of the Monument area, shown in Figure 1. Lobster fishing with fixed gear may continue in the area of the reinstated Monument fishing restrictions (red hashed area in Figure 1) until September 15, 2023. Fishing for deep-sea red crab with fixed gear may continue throughout the entire area until September 15, 2023. Check out our Frequently Asked Questions about the Monument for more information.

ASMFC American Lobster Board Releases American Lobster Draft Addendum XXIX/ Jonah Crab Draft Addendum IV for Public Comment

December 14, 2021 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s American Lobster Management Board has approved for public comment Draft Addendum XXIX to Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for American Lobster and Draft Addendum IV to the Jonah Crab FMP. The Draft Addenda were initiated in August 2020 to consider implementing electronic tracking requirements for federally-permitted vessels in the American lobster and Jonah crab fisheries, with the objective of collecting high resolution spatial and temporal effort data.

The collection of enhanced spatial and temporal data via electronic tracking devices in the offshore fishery would support managers in addressing a number of challenges facing the fishery. Electronic tracking data would greatly improve the stock assessment’s ability to estimate exploitation and abundance for American lobster, as the trackers would allow size composition data to be linked to harvest at a finer spatial resolution than what is currently possible. Additionally, the data could improve the models used to assess the location of vertical lines in the fishery and their associated risk to endangered North Atlantic right whales, which could impact federal risk reduction requirements for the fishery. Characterizing the footprint of the U.S. lobster fishery will also be critical to ocean planning efforts to minimize spatial conflicts with other ocean uses such as aquaculture, marine protected areas, and offshore energy development, as well as provide fishery managers tools to help maintain industry fishing grounds. Last, the efficiency of law enforcement efforts could be significantly improved with data to help enforcement officials locate widely dispersed gear in the offshore fishery.

The Commission and its member states from Maine to Virginia will be conducting a series of hearings to gather public input on the Draft Addenda. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most hearings will be conducted via webinar; some hearings will be state-specific and others regionally-focused. Public hearing information, webinar links, and call-in information are below. Please note that in order to comment during the hearings you will need to use your computer or download the GoToWebinar app for your phone. Those joining by phone only will be limited to listening to the presentation and will not be able to provide input. Additional details on participating in the webinar can be found later in this release; this information is particularly important for those that have not used the GoToWebinar platform before.

Wednesday, January 12, 2022

6:30 – 8 PM

Connecticut and New York

Colleen Bouffard(CT), 860.876.6881

Maureen Davidson (NY), 631.444.0483

Thursday, January 13, 2022

6:30 – 8 PM

New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia

Joseph Cimino (NJ), 609.748.2020

John Clark (DE), 302.739.9914

Michael Luisi (MD), 443.758.6547

Patrick Geer (VA), 757.247.2236

Tuesday, January 18, 2022

6 – 8 PM

Maine Department of Marine Resources

Megan Ware (ME), 207.446.0932

Wednesday, January 19, 2022

6 – 8 PM

Maine Department of Marine Resources

Megan Ware (ME), 207.446.0932

Wednesday, January 19, 2022

6:30 – 8 PM

New Hampshire Department of Fish and Game

Note: This hearing will be held in a hybrid format. To virtually attend this hearing, please use this webinar registration link. To listen in only, dial1.415.655.0052 and enter 879-685-496.

You can also attend in person at the address below:

Urban Forestry Center

45 Elwyn Road

Portsmouth, NH 03801

Cheri Patterson (NH), 603.868.1095

Thursday, January 20, 2022

6:30 – 8 PM

Massachusetts and Rhode Island

Nichola Meserve (MA), 617.626.1531

Jason McNamee (RI), 401.222.4700

The Draft Addenda include two options for proposed management programs. The first is status quo or no changes to the current program, and the second is to implement electronic tracking requirements for federally-permitted American lobster and Jonah crab vessels with commercial trap gear area permits for Lobster Conservation Management Areas 1 through 5 and Outer Cape Cod. Under this option, the specified permit holders would be required to install an approved electronic vessel tracking device to their vessel prior to beginning a fishing trip to collect and transmit spatial data. The devices would collect vessel locations every minute, which would allow for the distinction between transiting and fishing activity, as well as the estimation of traps per trawl. The Draft Addenda also describe administrative processes at the Commission, state, and federal levels for successful implementation of the management program to ensure the data collected meet the needs of state and federal partners.

Webinar Instructions

To register for a public hearing webinar please click HERE and select the hearing(s) you plan to attend from the dropdown menu. Hearings will be held via GoToWebinar, and you can join the webinar from your computer, tablet or smartphone. If you are new to GoToWebinar, you can download the software (click here) or via the App store under GoToWebinar. We recommend you register for the hearing well in advance of the hearing since GoToWebinar will provide you with a link to test your device’s compatibility with the webinar. If you find your device is not compatible, please contact the Commission at info@asmfc.org (subject line: GoToWebinar help) and we will try to get you connected. We also strongly encourage participants to use the computer voice over internet (VoIP) so you can ask questions and provide input at the hearing. Those joining by phone only, will be limited to listening to the presentation but will not be able to provide input during the hearing. In those cases, you can send your comments to staff via email, U.S. mail, or fax at any time during the public comment period. To attend the webinar in listen only mode, dial 1-877-309-2071 and enter access code 350-416-497.

The Commission will also post a recording of the hearing presentation on the Commission’s YouTube page so that stakeholders may watch the presentation and submit comment at any time during the comment process. This recording will be available in early January; a subsequent press release will announce the availability of the recording.

The Draft Addenda are available here or via the Commission’s website at http://www.asmfc.org/about-us/public-input. Members of the commercial fishing industry and other stakeholders are encouraged to provide input either by participating in public hearings, webinars, or providing written comment. Public comment will be accepted until 5 PM (EST) on January 31, 2022and should be sent to Caitlin Starks, FMP Coordinator, at 1050 N. Highland St., Suite 200 A-N, Arlington, Virginia 22201; 703.842.0741 (fax) or at comments@asmfc.org (Subject line: Lobster Draft Addendum XXIX). For more information, please contact Caitlin Starks at cstarks@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.

ASMFC 2022 Winter Meeting Preliminary Agenda, Public Comment Guidelines, and Meeting Details

December 9, 2021 — 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 2022 Winter Meeting, January 25-27, 2022, in Arlington, VA. The agenda is also available at www.asmfc.org/home/2022-winter-meeting. Also attached is the travel authorization form and directions to the hotel. Materials will be available on January 12, 2022 on the Commission website athttp://www.asmfc.org/home/2022-winter-meeting.

Currently, the meeting is scheduled to be held both in-person and virtually; more details will be provided in mid-January. Please note the public will be limited to virtual participation (no audience in attendance in the meeting room). A block of rooms is being held at The Westin Crystal City, 1800 Richmond Highway, Arlington, VA 22202. Cindy Robertson will make Commissioner/Proxy reservations and will contact you regarding the details of your accommodations. Please notify Cindy 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 online via Star Group Website at http://www.starwoodhotels.com/ or call The Westin Crystal City at 703.486.1111 as soon as possible and mention the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to obtain the group room rate of $188.00 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 Thursday, December 30, 2021. 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 our minimum number of required reservations with the hotel. Please note, cancellations at The Westin must be made by 4:00 p.m. two days prior to arrival to avoid penalty and an early departure fee of $100 will apply when checking out prior to the confirmed date. If you have any problems at all regarding accommodations please contact Cindy at 703.842.0710 or at crobertson@asmfc.org.

Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission

Winter Meeting

January 25 – 27, 2022

The Westin Crystal City

Arlington, Virginia

Preliminary Agenda

The agenda is subject to change. Bulleted items represent the anticipated major issues to be discussed or acted upon during the webinar. 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, January 25

10:00 – 11:30 a.m. American Lobster Management Board

· Consider Draft Addendum XXVII for Public Comment: Electronic Vessel Tracking for Federal Permit Holders

· Consider Fishery Management Plan Reviews and State Compliance for American Lobster and Jonah Crab for 2020 Fishing Year

· Consider Terms of Reference for Jonah Crab Benchmark Stock Assessment

11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Lunch Break

1:00 – 2:30 p.m. Tautog Management Board

· Review and Discuss Hypothetical Scenarios for Risk and Uncertainty Decision Tool

· Review Feedback from Law Enforcement Committee on Commercial Tagging Program

2:45 – 4:15 p.m. Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board

· Consider 2022 Recreational Specifications (if necessary)

4:30 – 5:00 p.m. Spiny Dogfish Management Board

· Consider Postponed Motions from October 2021 Board Meeting to Adjust Commercial Trip Limit for Northern Region

· Review and Populate Advisory Panel Membership

Wednesday, January 26

8:00 – 10:00 a.m. Executive Committee

· Discuss the Commission’s Role in Coordinating the Member States’ Efforts in Offshore Wind Energy Development

· Discuss Appeals Process

10:15 – 11:45 a.m. Horseshoe Crab Management Board

· Consider Adaptive Resource Management (ARM) Framework Revision and Peer Review Report

o Consider Management Response to ARM Revision and Peer Review Report

11:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. Lunch Break

12:45 – 1:15 p.m. NOAA Presentation on Sea Turtle Bycatch in Trawl Fisheries

1:30 – 5:00 p.m. Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board

· Consider Draft Amendment 7 for Public Comment

· Elect Vice-Chair

Thursday, January 27

8:30 a.m. – Noon Atlantic Menhaden Management Board

· Consider Approval of Draft Addendum I for Public Comment: Commercial Allocations, Incidental Catch, and Episodic Event Set Aside Program

· Update on Menhaden Mortality Events in 2021

Noon – 1:00 p.m. Lunch Break

1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Interstate Fisheries Management Program Policy Board

· Review Results of the 2022 Commissioner Survey

· Consider Standards for De Miminis Programs

· Consider Policy on Information Requests

· Committee Reports

o Law Enforcement

o Habitat

o Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership

· Update on East Coast Climate Change Scenario Planning

· Review Noncompliance Findings (if necessary)

3:00 – 3:15 p.m. Business Session

· Consider Noncompliance Recommendations (if necessary)

Public Comment Guidelines

To provide a fair opportunity for public input, the ISFMP Policy Board approved the following guidelines for use at management board meetings.

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.

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 the meeting (Monday, January 10) will be included in the briefing materials.

2. Comments received by 5:00 PM on Tuesday, January 18 will be included in the supplemental materials.

3. Comments received by 10:00 AM on Friday, January 21 will be distributed electronically to Commissioners/Board members prior to the meeting.

Comments should be submitted via email at comments@asmfc.org. All comments must clearly indicate the commenter’s expectation from the ASMFC staff regarding distribution.

American Lobster Management Board Meeting Summary, Motion, Presentation and Recording Now Available

December 7, 2021 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The meeting summary, motion, presentation, and recording from yesterday’s American Lobster Management Board webinar have all been posted to the Commission’s website at http://www.asmfc.org/home/meeting-archive under the American Lobster Management Board Dec 2021 header. Links to the individual files are also below.

Meeting Summary & Motion

Presentation

Audio

Materials for the December 6th Meeting of the ASMFC American Lobster Management Board Now Available

November 30, 2021 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The materials for the December 6th meeting of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s American Lobster Management Board are now available here. The Board will meet via webinar on December 6th from 1 – 3 PM. The purpose of the meeting is to consider approval of Draft Addendum XXIX: Electronic Vessel Tracking in the Federal American Lobster and Jonah Crab Fisheries for public comment.

To register for the webinar go to https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2167530362779140620 (Webinar ID: 826-323-515). If you are joining the webinar but will not be using VoIP, you can also call in at +1 (415) 930-5229. A PIN will be provided to you after joining the webinar; see webinar instructions for details on how to receive the PIN. For those who will not be joining the webinar but would like to listen in to the audio portion only, you can do so by dialing +1 (415) 930-5229, access code 324-415-385.

Public Comment Guidelines

1. Comments received by 5 PM on Monday, November 29 will be included in the meeting materials.

2. Comments received by 10 AM on Friday, December 3 will be distributed electronically to 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, fax, and email.

Lobster boat tracking coming to protect whales, fishery

August 16, 2021 — America’s lobster fishing businesses could be subjected to electronic tracking requirements to try to protect vulnerable right whales and get a better idea of the population of the valuable crustaceans.

An arm of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, an interstate regulatory authority, said this month it is considering implementing the tracking requirements for lobster boats that have federal permits. The rules would also apply to boats that harvest Jonah crabs, which are the subject of another important New England fishery.

The tracking devices would record the location of the vessel while it is fishing, said Caitlin Starks, a fishery management plan coordinator with the commission. That would provide regulators with better data to get an idea of where in the ocean lobsters are located, she said.

The new rules could also help protect North Atlantic right whales, which number only about 360, Starks said. The whales are vulnerable to entanglement in fishing gear, which can cause them to drown. They’ve been listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act for more than 50 years and have suffered poor reproduction and high mortality in recent years.

New federal rules are coming to the lobster fishery soon to help protect the whales. Federal officials have said they will focus on reducing the number of vertical ropes in the water. They’re also expected to modify restricted areas of ocean.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at The Seattle Times

Electronic tracking system considered for lobstermen in federal waters

August 13, 2021 — The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is considering requiring electronic tracking for the lobstermen who fish in federal waters.

The commission’s American Lobster Management Board initiated a draft addendum last week with the goal of collecting spatial and effort data from lobster and Jonah crab fishermen.

“In my opinion, this is the single most important thing the American Lobster Board can do to ensure the viability of the American lobster fishery,” said Dan McKiernan, the board’s chairman. “Through the proposed action, the board seeks to significantly improve our understanding of stock status, identify areas where lobster fishing effort might present a risk to endangered North Atlantic right whales and provide important information to help reduce spatial conflicts with other ocean uses, such as wind energy development and aquaculture.”

The management board has expressed interest in implementing these types of requirements over the last few years and has supported efforts to look into the systems and technology that would be needed to collect the data.

In May, the board created a working group that had representatives of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, state and federal law enforcement and members of the board to study electronic tracking. The working group recommended that data be reported at a minimum rate of one ping per minute for at least 90 percent of the fishing trip in order to tell the difference between when the fishermen are lobstering and when they are in transit. It would also be able to calculate the number of traps per trawl.  Cellular tracking devices are the preferred technology for the tracking.

Read the full story at The Ellsworth American

ASMFC 2021 Summer Meeting Webinar Supplemental Materials Now Available

July 28, 2021 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Supplemental materials for the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s 2021 Summer Meeting Webinar are now available at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2021-summer-meeting-webinar for the following Boards/Committees (click on “Supplemental” following each relevant committee header to access the information). For ease of access, all supplemental meeting materials have been combined into one PDF – http://www.asmfc.org/files/Meetings/2021SummerMeeting/2021SummerMtgSupplementalCombined.pdf.

Below is the list of documents included in the supplemental materials.

American Lobster Management Board – Revised Meeting Overview and Workgroup Report on Vessel Tracking Devices in Federal Lobster and Jonah Crab Fisheries

Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board – Revised Draft Agenda & Meeting Overview; Draft FMP Review; Technical Committee Memo on Review of Juvenile Abundance Index for the Albemarle Sound/Roanoke River; Staff Memo on Potential Options and Timelines to Address Commercial Quota Allocation; Advisory Panel Nominations; and Public Comment

Tautog Management Board – Industry feedback on Tautog Commercial Harvest Tagging Program

Sciaenids Management Board – Atlantic Croaker and Red Drum FMP Reviews; and Florida FWC Commercial Atlantic Croaker Implementation Plan

Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Board Concurrent with Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council – FMP Reviews for Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass; and Policy Board Directive to Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Board

Atlantic Menhaden Management Board – Public Comment

Business Session – Bluefish Allocation and Rebuilding Amendment Summary, and Draft Amendment for Public Comment

Webinar Information

Board meeting proceedings will be broadcast daily via webinar beginning Monday, August 2 at 1:30 p.m. and continuing daily until the conclusion of the meeting (expected to be 3 p.m.) on Thursday, August 5. The webinar will allow registrants to listen to board deliberations and view presentations and motions as they occur. To register for the webinar go tohttps://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1268548762865393678 (Webinar ID: 606-517-315).

Each day, the webinar will begin 30 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 issues), please contact Chris Jacobs at 703.842.0790.

If you are joining the webinar but will not be using VoIP, you can may also call in at 415.655.0052. A PIN will be provided to you after joining the webinar; see webinar instructions for details on how to receive the PIN. For those who will not be joining the webinar but would like to listen in to the audio portion only, you can do so by dialing 415.655.0052 (access code: 904-450-431).

Public Comment Guidelines

To provide a fair opportunity for public input, the ISFMP Policy Board approved the following guidelines for use at management board meetings. Please note these guidelines have been modified to adapt to meetings via webinar:

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).

Comments received 3 weeks prior to the start of the webinar (July 12) will be included in the briefing materials.
Comments received by 5:00 PM on Tuesday, July 27 will be included in the supplemental materials.
Comments received by 10:00 AM on Friday, July 30 will be distributed electronically to Commissioners/Board members prior to the meeting.

Comments should be submitted via email at comments@asmfc.org. All comments must clearly indicate the commenter’s expectation from the ASMFC staff regarding distribution.