Saving Seafood

ASMFC 2026 Spring Meeting Supplemental Materials Now Available

April 29, 2026 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Supplemental materials for  the ASMFC’s 2026 Spring Meeting are now available at https://asmfc.org/events/2026-spring-meeting/ for the following Boards/Committees. Click on “Supplemental Materials” at the bottom of the relevant Board/Committee agenda to access these materials. Combined supplemental materials can also be found athttps://asmfc.org/resources/management-meeting-materials/2026-spring-meeting-sup-materials-may-2026/

 
Tautog Management Board – Revised Meeting Overview and Staff Memo: Tautog Advisory Panel Review of 2025 Stock Assessment Update 
 
American Lobster Management Board – Revised Meeting Overview and Advisory Panel Nomination
 
Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board – Public Comment
 
Atlantic Menhaden Management Board – Public Comment
 
American Eel Management Board – 2020-2025 Yellow Eel Landings
 
Other resources (TA, Roster, Reimbursement Guidelines, etc.) are available near the top of the page in the Background Materials accordion under Meeting Information.
 
Be advised the agenda is subject to change. 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.  At these meetings, action may be taken on any agenda item, including, but not limited to, reports from staff, technical committees, stock assessment committees, peer reviews, Law Enforcement Committee, advisory panels, plan review teams, and plan development teams.

 

Please note: The GoToWebinar platform has significantly changed, so please carefully review the webinar instructions to guide you through joining and participating in the webinar.
 
Webinar Information
Meeting proceedings will be broadcast daily via webinar beginning Monday, May 4 at 9 AM and continuing daily until the conclusion of the meeting (expected to be 5 PM) on Wednesday, May 6. The webinar will allow registrants to listen to board deliberations and view presentations and motions as they occur. To register for the webinar, please go to:https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1954560493628461656 (Webinar ID: 165-183-795). If you are joining the webinar but will not be using VoIP, you may also call 415.655.0060, access code 649-369-347. A PIN will be provided to you after joining the webinar. For those who will not be joining the webinar but would like to listen in to the audio portion only, press the # key when asked for a PIN. 
 
Each day, the webinar will begin 15 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.
 
Meeting Process
Board chairs will ask both in-person and virtual board members if they wish to speak. In-person members can simply raise their hands at the meeting without logging on to the webinar, while virtual members will raise their hands on the webinar. The chair will work with staff to balance the flow of questions/comments between in-person and virtual attendees. The same process will be used for public comment. 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.
 
We look forward to seeing you at the Spring Meeting!

ASMFC Begins Preparations for Atlantic Sturgeon Benchmark Stock Assessment

April 23, 2026 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission has initiated a benchmark stock assessment for Atlantic sturgeon to be completed in the fall of 2028. The goals of the assessment are to evaluate the health of stocks along the Atlantic coast and inform management of this species. The Commission’s stock assessment process and meetings are open to the public, with the exception of discussions of confidential data.

 
The Commission welcomes the submission of data sources that will contribute to the goals of the assessment. This includes, but is not limited to, data on abundance trends (e.g., surveys), tagging data, biological samples (sex, maturity, age, weight, length), life history information (growth, fecundity, natural mortality, sex ratio, spawning history), stock structure, mortality (predator-prey interactions, anthropogenic sources such as vessel strikes and bycatch). For data sets to be considered, the data must be sent in the required format, with accompanying description of methods, to the Commission by July 1, 2026. 
 
The Commission will hold three Data Webinars (July 23, 28 and 30, 2026) and one in-person session (August 10-12, 2026) to review all available data sources and identify datasets to be incorporated in the stock assessment. The Data Webinars and Workshop are open to the public. 
 
Please contact James Boyle at jboyle@asmfc.org or visit https://asmfc.org/events/ for more information on the webinars and workshop.

ASMFC Begins Preparations for Atlantic Sturgeon Benchmark Stock Assessment

April 23, 2026 — The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission has initiated a benchmark stock assessment for Atlantic sturgeon to be completed in the fall of 2028. The goals of the assessment are to evaluate the health of stocks along the Atlantic coast and inform management of this species. The Commission’s stock assessment process and meetings are open to the public, with the exception of discussions of confidential data.

 The Commission welcomes the submission of data sources that will contribute to the goals of the assessment. This includes, but is not limited to, data on abundance trends (e.g., surveys), tagging data, biological samples (sex, maturity, age, weight, length), life history information (growth, fecundity, natural mortality, sex ratio, spawning history), stock structure, mortality (predator-prey interactions, anthropogenic sources such as vessel strikes and bycatch). For data sets to be considered, the data must be sent in the required format, with accompanying description of methods, to the Commission by July 1, 2026. 
 
The Commission will hold three Data Webinars (July 23, 28 and 30, 2026) and one in-person session (August 10-12, 2026) to review all available data sources and identify datasets to be incorporated in the stock assessment. The Data Webinars and Workshop are open to the public. 
 
Please contact James Boyle at jboyle@asmfc.org or visit https://asmfc.org/events/ for more information on the webinars and workshop.

ASMFC 2026 Spring Meeting Final Agenda and Materials Now Available

April 21, 2026 —  The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Spring Meeting will be May 4 – 6, 2026 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 room block is now closed; if you need assistance reserving a room, please contact Lisa Carty at lcarty@asmfc.org.

 
The final agenda and meeting materials for the Spring Meeting are now available at https://asmfc.org/events/2026-spring-meeting/; click on the relevant Board/Committee name to access the documents for that Board/Committee. For ease of access, materials for all boards have been combined into one document – https://asmfc.org/resources/management-meeting-materials/2026-spring-meeting-materials-may-2026/. Supplemental materials will be posted to the website on Wednesday, April 29. 
 
Other resources (TA, Roster, Reimbursement Guidelines, etc.) are available near the top of the page in the Background Materials accordion under Meeting Information.
 
Be advised the agenda is subject to change. 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.  At these meetings, action may be taken on any agenda item, including, but not limited to, reports from staff, technical committees, stock assessment committees, peer reviews, Law Enforcement Committee, advisory panels, plan review teams, and plan development teams.


 
Please note: The GoToWebinar platform has significantly changed, so please carefully review the webinar instructions to guide you through joining and participating in the webinar.
 
Webinar Information
Meeting proceedings will be broadcast daily via webinar beginning Monday, May 4 at 9 AM and continuing daily until the conclusion of the meeting (expected to be 5 PM) on Wednesday, May 6. The webinar will allow registrants to listen to board deliberations and view presentations and motions as they occur. To register for the webinar, please go to:https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1954560493628461656 (Webinar ID: 165-183-795). If you are joining the webinar but will not be using VoIP, you may also call 415.655.0060, access code 649-369-347. A PIN will be provided to you after joining the webinar. For those who will not be joining the webinar but would like to listen in to the audio portion only, press the # key when asked for a PIN. 
 
Each day, the webinar will begin 15 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.
 
Meeting Process
Board chairs will ask both in-person and virtual board members if they wish to speak. In-person members can simply raise their hands at the meeting without logging on to the webinar, while virtual members will raise their hands on the webinar. The chair will work with staff to balance the flow of questions/comments between in-person and virtual attendees. The same process will be used for public comment. 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.
 
We look forward to seeing you at the Spring Meeting!

Maine lobsterman asks US Supreme Court to weigh in on GPS monitoring rule

April 1, 2026 —  A commercial lobsterman has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to rule against 24/7 GPS monitoring of the Maine lobster fleet, arguing that the unmitigated surveillance is a violations of his rights.

In 2023, Maine regulators began requiring all commercial lobstermen to install GPS monitoring devices on their vessels, enabling 24/7 tracking as called for by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. The devices send minute-by-minute location data to the state at all times, even when the vessels are docked.

Read the full article SeafoodSource

MAINE: Vinalhaven lobsterman petitions Supreme Court over GPS tracking mandate

March 20, 2026 — A Maine lobsterman is continuing his fight against a GPS tracking mandate, hoping to bring the case before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Frank Thompson, a fifth-generation lobsterman from Vinalhaven, and the Florida-based Pacific Legal Foundation jointly petitioned the Supreme Court this month to hear an appeal in his federal district court case.

Since late 2023, federally permitted lobster boats on the East Coast have been required to have a global positioning system (GPS) transmitter aboard at all times. The federal Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission enacted the mandate to collect data about fisheries stock and aid in conservation efforts, including for endangered whales.

The Maine Department of Marine Resources later adopted the mandate, which also collects data for “emerging ocean uses, and enforcement.”

Read the full article at Bangor Daily News

ASMFC 2026 Spring Meeting Details, Preliminary Agenda, and Public Comment Guidelines

March 16, 2026 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission will hold its Spring Meeting May 4 – 6, 2026 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 as well as travel authorization are now available at https://asmfc.org/events/2026-spring-meeting/.  Materials will be posted to the 2026 Spring Meeting page on April 22.

 

The agenda is subject to change. 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.  At these meetings, action may be taken on any agenda item, including, but not limited to, reports from staff, technical committees, stock assessment committees, peer reviews, Law Enforcement Committee, advisory panels, plan review teams, and plan development teams.

 

A block of rooms is being held at The Westin Crystal City, 1800 Richmond Highway, Arlington, VA  22202. Pleaseclick here to complete the Attendance and Accommodations Form. This form ensures we have accurate information on meeting attendance. Lisa Carty will make Commissioner/Proxy reservations.  Please notify her of any changes to your travel plans that may 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 the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Spring Meeting 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 $276 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, April 6. 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 PM two days before arrival to avoid penalty and an early departure fee of $276 + 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 Spring Meeting.

 

ASMFC 2026 Winter Meeting

May 4 – 6

Westin Crystal City

1800 Richmond Highway

Arlington, VA  22202

 

Preliminary Agenda

 

The agenda is subject to change. 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. At these meetings, action may be taken on any agenda item, including, but not limited to, reports from staff, technical committees, stock assessment committees, peer reviews, Law Enforcement Committee, advisory panels, plan review teams, and plan development teams.

 

Monday, May 4

9 – 10:30 a.m.                                   Tautog Management Board

  • Review Technical Committee Report on Board Tasks
    • Harvest Projections to Reach Fishing Mortality Target
    • Risk & Uncertainty Decision Tool
    • Delaware-Maryland-Virginia Fishery-independent Data
  • Consider Guidance to Plan Development Team for Draft Addendum I

 

10:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.              American Lobster Management Board

  • Consider American Lobster Technical Committee Report on Board Tasks
    • Projections of Benefits of Gauge Increase from Addendum XXVII 
  • Consider Nominations to Management Strategy Evaluation Steering Committee
  • Reports from Gulf of Maine States on Industry Surveys and Meetings
  • Update on NOAAs Request for Information for Alternative Gear Marking Framework
  • Consider Outstanding Management Changes

 

12:15 – 1:15 p.m.                           Lunch Break

 

1:15 – 3:30 p.m.                              Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board

  • Board Guidance on Reference Points and Spatial Management
  • Board Discussion on Work Group Composition and Details/Timelines for Work Group Tasks

 

3:45 – 5:15 p.m.                              Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program Coordinating Council

  • Consider Funding Decision Document and FY2027 Request for Proposals
  • Update on Program and Committee Activities

 

Tuesday, May 5

8:30 – 11:30 a.m.                           Atlantic Menhaden Management Board

  • Consider Approval of Draft Addendum II for Public Comment
  • Review Technical Committee Report on Board Task
    • Impacts of Changing Environmental Conditions
  • Review Report from Committee on Economics and Social Sciences on Board Task
    • Economic Impacts from Changes in Total Allowable Catch

 

11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.                       Luncheon for Legislative and Governor Appointee Commissioners

 

11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.                       Lunch Break for Commissioners & Proxies

 

1 – 5 p.m.                                            Joint Session of the ASMFC & GSMFC Law Enforcement Committees

  • Welcome and Introduction of Joint Session
  • Overview of Commissions’ and Their Respective Law Enforcement Committees’ (LEC) Responsibilities
  • Overview of the Joint Enforcement Agreement Program
  • Trending Enforcement Topics for the LEC
  • Regional Case Studies
  • NOAA Field Forensic Program
  • ASMFC Guidelines for Resource Managers
  • Closed Session
  • State Agency Highlights 
  • Reconvene on May 6th

 

1 – 2:30 p.m.                                     Horseshoe Crab Management Board

  • Consider Report on Stakeholder Engagement Process on Adaptive Resource Management Framework Reward/Utility/Harvest Policy Functions 
    • Consider Initiating an Addendum on Proposed Changes

 

2:45 – 4:15 p.m.                              Coastal Sharks Management Board

  • Updates on Federal Rulemaking 
  • Updates on Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species Permitting for Smoothhound Dogfish
  • Consider Fishery Management Plan Review for the 2024 Fishing Year

 

5 – 6:30 p.m.                                     Annual Awards of Excellence Reception

 

Wednesday, May 6

8 a.m. – 4 p.m.                                Joint Session of the ASMFC & GSMFC Law Enforcement Committees (continued)

 

8 – 9 a.m.                                            Executive Committee

  • Consider FY2027 Budget
  • Legislative Update
  • CARES Update 
  • Future Annual Meetings Update

 

9:15 – 11:30 a.m.                           Sciaenids Management Board

  • Consider Georgia and South Carolina Red Drum Management Proposals to Implement Addendum II
  • Consider North Carolina Spot Conservation Equivalency Proposal
  • Progress Update on 2026 Atlantic Croaker Benchmark Assessment

 

11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.              Lunch Break

 

12:30 – 1:15 p.m.                           American Eel Management Board

  • Consider Technical Committee Report on Florida Young-of-Year Survey
  • Review Preliminary 2025 Yellow Eel Landings

 

1:30 – 4:30 p.m.                              Interstate Fisheries Management Program Policy Board

  • Update from the Declared Interests and Voting Privileges Work Group
  • Reports from the Habitat and Law Enforcement Committees
  • Review Noncompliance Findings, if necessary

 

4:30 – 5 p.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).

 

1.      Comments received three weeks prior to the start of a meeting week (April 13) will be included in the briefing materials.

2.      Comments received by 5 PM on Tuesday, April 28 will be included in supplemental materials.

3.      Comments received by 10 AM on Friday, May 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.

Supplemental Materials for March 5, 2026 Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Management Board Meeting Now Available

March 4, 2026 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Supplemental materials (one public comment) for the March 5, 2026 of the Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board are now available at https://asmfc.org/events/summer-flounder-scup-and-black-sea-bass-management-board-2/.

 
The meeting will be held via webinar from 1 – 2:30 PM. The Board will review and consider final approval of proposed black sea bass recreational measures for the 2026-2027 fishing years.
 
Webinar Information
The webinar will allow registrants to listen to board deliberations and view presentations and motions as they occur.  To register for the webinar, please go to:https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2051392282646884951 (Webinar ID: 772-899-307). If you are joining the webinar but will not be using VoIP, you may also call in at 415.655.0052, access code 974-897-966. A PIN will be provided to you after joining the webinar. For those who will not be joining the webinar but would like to listen in to the audio portion only, press the # key when asked for a PIN.
 
The webinar will begin 15 minutes prior to the start of the 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.
 
Meeting Process
Boards will continue to provide opportunity to the public 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.
 
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. 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.
For topics that are on the agenda, but have not gone out for public comment, the Board Chair will provide limited opportunity for comment, taking into account the time allotted on the agenda for the topic. The Board Chair has the flexibility to decide 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, the Board Chair has 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 by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, February 24 will be included in main meeting materials.
2.   Comments received by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 3 will be included in 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 and email.
 
For more information, please contact Tracey Bauer, FMP Coordinator, at tbauer@asmfc.org.

ASMFC Releases 2025 Annual Report

March 3, 2023 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is pleased to present you with our 2025 Annual Report, https://asmfc.org/resources/annual-report/2025-annual-report/. In the report, you will find a quick guide to stock status for the 27 species and species groups the Commission manages; a fisheries management section, which focuses on species which had the most significant management or stock assessment activities in 2025; and sections highlighting our major accomplishments in 2025 in the areas of fisheries science, habitat conservation, and fishery data collection and management. Please visit the Commission’s website at https://asmfc.org for additional information on any of our programs or activities. 

 The report reflects our Commissioners’ commitment to accountability and transparency in all they do to sustainably manage the stocks under their care.