December 9, 2015 — 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 2016 Winter Meeting, February 2-4, 2016 in Alexandria, VA. The agenda is also available at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2016-winter-meeting. Materials will be available on January 21, 2016 on the Commission website at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2016-winter-meeting.
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
9:00 a.m. – Noon American Lobster Management Board
- Technical Committee Report on the Southern New England (SNE) American Lobster Stock
- Discuss Future Management of SNE American Lobster Stock
- Consider Approval of Draft Addendum I to the Jonah Crab Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Public Comment
- Review and Discuss Catch and Landings Records from Jonah Crab-only Trap Fishermen and Jonah Crab Claw Fishermen
- Discuss Action to Establish Effort Controls for Jonah Crab-only Trap Fishermen and Create a Standard for Claw Landings
- Review Implementation Plans for the Jonah Crab FMP
- Update on State/Federal American Lobster Observer Programs
- Elect Vice Chair
1:00 – 2:30 p.m. Atlantic Herring Section
- Consider Final Approval of Amendment 3 to the Atlantic Herring FMP Action
2:45 – 4:15 p.m. Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board
- Review 2016 Black Sea Bass Commercial Quotas
- Consider Final Approval of Addendum XXVII
- Update on Black Sea Bass and Summer Flounder Amendment Process
- Elect Vice Chair
2:45 – 4:15 p.m. Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program (ACCSP) Executive Committee
- Program Updates
- Independent Program Review Update
- Review/Approve Initial Program Standard Operating Procedures
- Governance Recommendation
4:30 – 6:00 p.m. ACCSP Coordinating Council
- Program Updates
- Independent Program Review Update
- Governance Recommendation
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
8:00 – 10:00 a.m. Executive Committee
- Overview of Commission Guidance Documents and Consider Recommendations to the ISFMP Policy Board for changes to the Guidance Documents
- ACCSP Governance
- Upcoming Annual Meetings
10:15 – 11:00 a.m. Atlantic Menhaden Management Board
- Update on Draft Amendment 3 Development
- Discuss Timeline for Setting the 2017 Fishery Specifications
11:15 – 11:45 a.m. Atlantic Sturgeon Management Board
- Update on Progress of 2017 Benchmark Stock Assessment
· Consider 2016 FMP Review and State Compliance Reports for the 2013 and 2014 Fisheries
Noon – 12:30 p.m. Spiny Dogfish Management Board
- Review and Set 2016-2018 Fishery Specifications
- Elect Vice Chair
1:30 – 2:15 p.m. Coastal Sharks Management Board
- Discuss Differences in State and Federal Smoothhound Catch Composition Regulations for Processing at Sea
2:30 – 3:30 p.m. Horseshoe Crab Management Board
- Review Scope of Work for Revisiting the Adaptive Resource Management Framework Model in 2016
- Discuss Benchmark Stock Assessment Schedule for Horseshoe Crab with Update on Biomedical Landings and Confidentiality
- Review Alternative Bait Trial Results
3:45 – 4:30 p.m. South Atlantic State/Federal Fisheries Management Board
- Update on the Progress of the Red Drum Benchmark Stock Assessment and Desk Review
- Discuss Recommendation to the ISFMP Policy Board Regarding Spotted Sea Trout Management
- Consider 2015 FMP Review and State Compliance Reports for Spot
- Elect Vice Chair
4:45 – 5:45 p.m. Tautog Management Board
- Update on Draft Amendment 1 Development
- Update on Progress of UConn Long Island Sound and New York/New Jersey Stock Assessments
- Review Commercial Harvest Tagging Program Objectives
Thursday, February 4, 2016
8:00 – 9:00 a.m. Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board
- Consider Tabled Motion from November 2015 Meeting Regarding Reconsideration of Addendum IV Management Options Based on the 2016 Stock Assessment Update Results
- Update on 2016 Cooperative Winter Tagging Cruise
- Elect Vice Chair
9:15 – 10:15 a.m. Winter Flounder Management Board
- Review and Set 2016-2018 Fishery Specifications
- Review and Discuss Technical Committee Report, Including an Analysis of Biomass Trends During Heightened Federal Restrictions (2009-2013)
10:30 – 11:30 a.m. American Eel Management Board
- Review and Consider North Carolina’s Aquaculture Plan
11:45 a.m. – 2:45 p.m. Interstate Fisheries Management Program (ISFMP) Policy Board
(includes a 30-minute working lunch)
- Consider Changes to Commission Guidance Documents
- Review Results of the 2016 Commissioner Survey
- Review and Consider the Stock Assessment Schedule
2:45 – 3:15 p.m. Business Session
- Consider Final Approval of Amendment 3 to the Atlantic Herring FMP
- Consider Amending the Commission’s Rules and Regulations
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 January 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, January 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.