Saving Seafood

ASMFC Horseshoe Crab Board Sets 2024 Specifications for Delaware Bay-Origin Horseshoe Crabs

October 17, 2023 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Horseshoe Crab Management Board approved harvest specifications for Delaware Bay-origin horseshoe crabs. Taking into consideration the output of the Adaptative Resource Management (ARM) Framework Revision, the Board set a harvest limit of 500,000 male and zero female Delaware Bay-origin horseshoe crabs for the 2024 season.
“The Board stands behind the ARM Framework Revision as the best available tool to set harvest limits for horseshoe crabs of Delaware Bay-origin. As a result of its use, the Delaware Bay horseshoe crab population has been increasing, with abundance of both female and male horseshoe crabs in the Delaware region at an all-time high since 2003. Despite this positive finding, the Board elected to implement zero female horseshoe crab harvest for the 2024 season as a conservative measure, considering continued public concern about the status of the red knot population in the Delaware Bay,” stated Board Chair John Clark of Delaware.
To make up for the lost harvest of larger female crabs, the Board agreed to increase Maryland and Virginia’s male harvest quotas with an offset ratio of 2:1 males to females. Using the allocation methodology established in Addendum VIII, the following quotas were set for New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia:
 
Delaware Bay-Origin Horseshoe Crab Quota (no. of crabs)
Total Quota**
State
Male Only
Male Only
Delaware
173,014
173,014 
New Jersey
173,014
173,014 
Maryland
132,865 
 255,980
Virginia*
21,107
81,331 
*Virginia harvest refers to harvest east of the COLREGS line only
**Total harvest quotas for Maryland and Virginia include crabs which are not of Delaware Bay origin.
As part of its ongoing discussions regarding how best to manage Delaware Bay-origin horseshoe crabs and in response to the Stakeholder Survey, the Board will move forward with a Horseshoe Crab Management Objectives Workshop. The Workshop will include a small group of managers, scientists, and stakeholders to explore different management objectives for the Delaware Bay-origin horseshoe crab, with a focus on multi-year specification setting and modeling approaches when selecting no female harvest. The intent would be to provide a report to the Board in time for the 2025 specification setting process next fall.
 
For more information, please contact Caitlin Starks, Senior Fishery Management Coordinator, atcstarks@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.                                                                                                                             

ASMFC 81st Annual Meeting Final Supplemental Materials Now Available

October 15, 2023 — Read the full article at Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Tautog Management Board – Public Comment

 

Horseshoe Crab Management Board – Public Comment

Shad & River Herring Management Board – Public Comment

Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board – Public Comment

The link to the Shad & River Herring Management Board’s first supplemental is now –http://asmfc.org/files/2023AnnualMeeting/Shad_RiverHerringBoardSupplemental_October2023_1.pdf.

As a reminder, the Commission’s Public Comment Guidelines are:

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.

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.

ASMFC 81st Annual Meeting Supplemental Materials Now Available

October 11, 2023 — The following was released by Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Supplemental materials for ASMFC’s 81st Annual Meeting are now available and can be found in the below links or at https://www.asmfc.org/home/2023-annual-meeting.  For ease of access, all the supplemental materials have been combined into one document:http://asmfc.org/files/2023AnnualMeeting/ASMFC2023AnnualMeeting_Supplemental_Combined.pdf.

American Lobster Management Board – Public Comment

Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership Steering Committee – Business Plan

Horseshoe Crab Management Board – Advisory Panel Nomination and Public Comment

Shad & River Herring Management Board – Technical Committee Meeting Summary and Draft FMP Review for the 2022 Fishing Year

ACCSP Coordinating Council – MAFMC Funding Letter

Atlantic Menhaden Management Board – VIMS Atlantic Menhaden Research Planning; Draft FMP Review for the 2022 Fishing Year; Public Comment

Business Session of the Commission – Draft 2024 Action Plan and Draft 2024-2028 Strategic Plan

Spiny Dogfish Management Board – Draft FMP Review for the 2022/2023 Fishing Year

Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board – PDT Memo on Draft Addendum II Board Discussion

Sciaenids Management Board – Public Comment

As a reminder, the Commission’s Public Comment Guidelines are:

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.

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.

  1. Comments received by 10 AM on Friday, October 13 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; please submit via email.

ASMFC 81st Annual Meeting Final Agenda and Materials Now Available

October 4, 2023 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s 81st Annual Meeting will be held October 16-19, 2023 at the Beaufort Hotel,

2440 Lennoxville Road, Beaufort, North Carolina. The room block is now closed and the hotel is sold out. This will be a hybrid meeting to allow for remote participation by Commissioners, committee members, and interested stakeholders in all meetings. The main webinar link provided below will be for all board meetings, the ACCSP Coordinating Council, the Executive Committee, and the Business Session of the Commission. Webinar links for meetings of the Law Enforcement Committee and the Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership Steering Committee/Habitat Committee can be found on the agendas for those meetings.
 
The final agenda and meeting materials for the Annual Meeting are now available athttps://www.asmfc.org/home/2023-annual-meeting; click on the relevant Board/Committee name to access the documents for that Board/Committee. For ease of access, all board materials (including the ACCSP Coordinating Council, Executive Committee, and Business Session) have been combined into three documents – October 16, October 17, and October 18-19. Supplemental materials will be posted to the website on Wednesday, October 11th.
 
Webinar Information
Board meetings will be broadcast daily via webinar beginning Monday, October 16 at 9 a.m. and continuing daily until the conclusion of the meeting (expected to be 1:30 p.m.) on Thursday, October 19. To register for the webinar, please go to:https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2497355278986432605 (Webinar ID 807-430-387)
 
If you are joining the webinar but will not be using voice over internet protocol (VoIP), you can also call in at +1 (562) 247-8422, access code 438-306-259. 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 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), 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 compile the list of speakers, balancing 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.
 
Getting to Beaufort
Located on the Crystal Coast, an 85-mile stretch of coastline in North Carolina the Beaufort Hotel is easily accessible by automobile or airplane. Three airports are within an easy drive: Raleigh-Durham International Airport (168 miles); Albert J. Ellis Airport (Jacksonville, NC – 61 miles); and Coastal Carolina Regional Airport (CCRA – 39 miles). From the first two airports, it would be best to rent a car to get to Beaufort and from CCRA you can take a taxi or an Uber.
 
Registration
Please read the following carefully since we have changed the way we are handling meeting registration. All participants are required to register for the Annual Meeting events. However, only those who will not be reimbursed for travel by the Commission (see travel authorization #23-051) will need to pay the registration fee (e.g., guests and federal participants). The meeting registration fee is $200/per participant and $150/per spouse or guest if you register by October 6, 2023. After


October 6th and in Beaufort the fees will be $225 and $175, respectively. The registration fee covers the Monday night welcome reception, the Tuesday night dinner, and the Wednesday Hart Award Luncheon, as well event materials. You may register by returning the attached and linked registration form (by email to lhartman@asmfc.org, or US mail to 1050 N. Highland Street, Suite 200A-N, Arlington, VA 22201). Once you have registered, payment can be made in several ways (1) credit card, which can be made here; (2) check, cash or credit card at the ASMFC Registration Desk at the Annual Meeting; or (3) mail a check to ASMFC (address above).
 
Fishing Tournament
Plans are well underway for the 30th Annual Laura Leach Fishing Tournament. Everyone is invited and encouraged to participate. You will receive a t-shirt with your $20 entry fee; and 100% of the tournament proceeds will be donated to Wounded Warrior Project.  The tournament runs from Sunday (10/15) through Wednesday morning (10/18); the raffle drawing and tournament prizes will be awarded at Wednesday Hart Award Luncheon. 
 
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 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). 
 
1.   Comments received three weeks prior to the start of a meeting week (September 25) have been included in the briefing materials.
2.   Comments received by 5 PM on Tuesday, October 10 will be included in supplemental materials.
3.   Comments received by 10 AM on Friday, October 13 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.
 
We look forward to seeing you at the Annual Meeting!

Red Drum Benchmark Stock Assessment Workshop Scheduled for November 6-9 in Charleston, SC

September 26, 2023 — The following was release by Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Arlington, VA – The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission will hold the Red Drum Benchmark Stock Assessment Workshop at the Charleston Marriott, 170 Lockwood Boulevard, Charleston, SC. The stock assessment will evaluate the health of Atlantic red drum stocks 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*, when the public will be asked to leave the room.

The November Stock Assessment Workshop will be the first of two workshops that focus on evaluation of models developed to estimate stock status. In preparation for this workshop, the Commission invites the submission of alternate assessment models. For alternate models to be considered, the model description, model input, and complete source code must be provided to Jeff Kipp, Senior Stock Assessment Scientist, at jkipp@asmfc.org by October 31, 2023. Submitted models, with the exception of those without complete, editable source code and input files, will be considered by the Stock Assessment Subcommittee for possible use in the assessment. Any models submitted without complete, editable source code and input files will not be considered. 
 
The second Assessment Workshop is tentatively scheduled for March 2024. Both workshops will address the below stock assessment terms of reference. The final workshop for this stock assessment will be the Peer Review Workshop in August 2024, where an independent Peer Review Panel will review the assessment for its appropriateness to advise future management of red drum.
 
Relevant Red Drum Stock Assessment Terms of Reference:
 
  1. Develop model(s) used to estimate population parameters (e.g., fishing mortality, abundance) and reference points, and analyze model performance
 
  1. Discuss the effects of data strengths and weaknesses (e.g., temporal and spatial scale, gear selectivities, ageing accuracy, sample size) on model inputs and outputs
 
  1. State assumptions made for all models and explain the likely effects of assumption violations on synthesis of input data and model outputs
 
  1. Characterize uncertainty of model estimates and reference points
 
  1. Perform retrospective analyses, assess magnitude and direction of retrospective patterns detected, and discuss implications of any observed retrospective pattern for uncertainty in population parameters (e.g., fishing mortality, abundance), reference points, and/or management measures
 
  1. Recommend stock status as related to reference points (if available)
 
For more information about the assessment or attending the upcoming workshop (space will be limited), please contact Tracey Bauer, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at tbauer@asmfc.orgor 703.842.0723.
 
* Each state and federal agency is responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of its data and deciding who has access to its confidential data.  In the case of our stock assessments and peer reviews, all analysts and, if necessary, reviewers, have been granted permission by the appropriate agency to use and view confidential data. When the assessment team needs to show and discuss these data, observers to our stock assessment process are asked to leave the room to preserve confidentiality.

ASMFC Seeks Proposals for the Redesign of SEAMAP-South Atlantic Website Proposals Due October 13, 2023

August 28, 2023 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking a web developer to design and host a new website for the South Atlantic portion of the Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program (SEAMAP). SEAMAP aids in the collection, management, and dissemination of fishery-independent data throughout coastal waters in the southeastern US. The primary goal of this website is to serve as an information hub for the public and state agency members to access resources pertaining to southeastern coastal surveys. The website should heighten the understanding and use of SEAMAP surveys and the importance of fishery-independent data, while also being a repository for information.

 
The Commission requires a developer who has demonstrated experience in managing website projects and expertise with best practices regarding successful website design, development, and deployment. The ideal developer for this project should be able to design and execute a dynamic and modern website that helps showcase the purpose of SEAMAP to the public while acting as an active resource for SEAMAP survey managers. The ideal developer will also be willing to work closely with the Commission to create a website that is easy to update by the web manager. 
 
Proposals should provide a cost estimate that takes into account all design and functionality elements from the RFP, including security measures and hosting. The chosen developer may have an opportunity to work on similar future projects for the Commission.
 
Applicants seeking to apply to the RFP must submit, as a single file, an electronic proposal by email no later than midnight EST on October 13, 2023 to Jainita Patel at jpatel@asmfc.org. Please see the RFP for complete proposal details, qualifying requirements, and submission instructions. The RFP is available at https://asmfc.org/files/RFPs/SEAMAP_Website_RFP.pdf.
 
For more information, please contact Jainita Patel, Fisheries Science Coordinator, atjpatel@asmfc.org or 703.842.0720.

Atlantic Herring Area 1A Fishery Moves to Zero Landing Days for Season 1 on August 26, 2023 at 12:01 a.m.

August 26, 2023 — The following was released by Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Area 1A (inshore Gulf of Maine) Atlantic herring fishery is projected to have harvested 92% of the Season 1 (June 1 – September 30) allocation by August 25, 2023. Beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, August 26, 2023, the Area 1A fishery will move to zero landing days through September 30, 2023, as specified in Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Herring.

 
Vessels participating in other fisheries may not possess more than 2,000 pounds of Atlantic herring per trip per day harvested from Area 1A. In addition, all vessels traveling through Area 1A must have all seine and mid-water trawl gear stowed.
 
Atlantic Herring Management Board members from Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts are expected to reconvene in September via conference call to set effort controls for the 2023 Area 1A fishery for Season 2 (October 1 – December 31). An announcement will be issued once the meeting is scheduled.
 
For more information, please contact Caitlin Starks, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at 703.842.0740 or cstarks@asmfc.org.
 

ASMFC 81st Annual Meeting Preliminary Agenda and Public Comment Guidelines

August 26, 2023 — The following was released by Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

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.

 
Monday, October 16
9 – 9:30 a.m.                                      Atlantic Herring Management Board
·         Set Quota Periods for the 2024 Area 1A Fishery
·         Update from New England Fishery Management Council
·         Elect Vice-Chair
 
9:45 – 11:45 a.m.                             American Lobster Management Board
·         Consider 2023 Jonah Crab Benchmark Stock Assessment
·         Presentation of Stock Assessment Report
·         Presentation of Peer Review Panel Report
·         Consider Acceptance of Benchmark Stock Assessment and Peer Review Report for Management Use
·         Consider Annual Data Update of American Lobster Indices
·         Update on Addendum XXVII Trigger Index
·         Consider Fishery Management Plan Reviews and State Compliance Reports for American Lobster and Jonah Crab for the 2022 Fishing Year
·         Consider Terms of Reference and Timeline for the American Lobster Benchmark Stock Assessment
·         Consider Pursuing a Management Strategy Evaluation for American Lobster
 
11:45 a.m. – 1 p.m.                          Lunch Break
 
1 – 1:45 p.m.                                      Tautog Management Board
·         Consider Technical Committee Report on Commercial Tagging Program
 
1 – 5 p.m.                                            Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership (ACFHP) Steering Committee
 
2 – 4 p.m.                                            Horseshoe Crab Management Board
·         Consider Results of Stakeholder Survey on Delaware Bay Management Objectives 
·         Set 2024 Delaware Bay Harvest Specifications
·         Consider Fishery Management Plan Review and State Compliance Reports for the 2022 Fishing Year
 
4:15 – 5 p.m.                                       Shad and River Herring Management Board
·         Consider Update to New Hampshire River Herring Sustainable Fishery Management Plan and Proposal to Reopen Fishery
·         Progress Update on River Herring Benchmark Stock Assessment
·         Consider Fishery Management Plan Review and State Compliance Reports for the 2022 Fishing Year
 
Tuesday, October 17
8:30 – 10:30 a.m.                              Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program (ACCSP) Coordinating Council
·         Consider FY2023 ACCSP Project and Administrative Proposals for Funding
·         Consider SciFish Policies for ACCSP’s Citizen Science Mobile Application
·         Program and Committee Updates
 
9 a.m. – 5 p.m.                                  ACFHP Steering Committee (continued)
 
10:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.                  Presentation on NOAA Fisheries Marine Recreational Information Program Fishing Effort Survey Design and Estimates
 
12:15 – 1:30 p.m.                             Lunch Break
 
1 – 5 p.m.                                           Law Enforcement Committee
·         Update on Tautog Tagging Program
·         Update on Atlantic Striped Bass Draft Addendum II
·         Update on Guidelines for Resource Managers on the Enforceability of Fishery Management Measures
·         Discuss New England Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council Efforts to Reduce Sturgeon Bycatch in the Spiny Dogfish Fishery
·         Review Wildlife Officer Exchange Program
·         Update on Species Management Boards
 
1:30 – 3 p.m.                                      Atlantic Menhaden Management Board
·         Progress Update on Ecological Reference Point Benchmark Assessment
·         Review Virginia Chesapeake Bay Menhaden Study Design Report
·         Consider Fishery Management Plan Review and State Compliance Reports for the 2022 Fishing Year Review
 
3:15 – 4:45 p.m.                               Coastal Pelagics Management Board
·         Set 2024-2026 Cobia Recreational Measures
·         Update on Cobia Benchmark Stock Assessment Timeline
·         Elect Vice-Chair
 
5 – 5:45 p.m.                                      Coastal Sharks Management Board
·         Set Specifications for 2024 Fishing Year
·         Update on NOAA Fisheries Ongoing Management Actions
·         Elect Vice-Chair
 
Wednesday, October 18
8 – 10 a.m.                                        Executive Committee
·         Review and Consider Approval of FY23 Audit
·         Discuss Per Diem Rate for Meals and Incidentals
·         Legislative Update
·         Future Annual Meeting Update
 
8:30 – 11:45 a.m.                             Law Enforcement Committee (continued)
 
10:15 – 11:45 a.m.                          Business Session of the Commission
·         Consider 2024 Action Plan
·         Review Draft 2024-2028 Strategic Plan
·         Elect Commission Chair and Vice-Chair
 
11:45 a.m. – 1 p.m.                         Captain David H. Hart Award Luncheon
 
1 – 1:45 p.m.                                    Spiny Dogfish Management Board
·         Review Atlantic Sturgeon Fishery Management Action Team/Plan Development Team Alternatives
·         Consider Fishery Management Plan Review and State Compliance Reports for the 2022-2023 Fishing Year
 
1 – 5 p.m.                                          Habitat Committee
·         Status Updates: Habitat Management Series, Habitat Hotline Atlantic, and Habitat Fact Sheets
·         Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership Update
 
2 – 5 p.m.                                          Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board
·         Consider Approval of Draft Addendum II for Public Comment
 
Thursday, October 19
8:30 a.m. – Noon                            Habitat Committee (continued)
 
8:30 – 9:30 a.m.                              American Eel Management Board
·         Progress Update on Development of Draft Addenda VI and VII
·         Advisory Panel Report
·         Consider Fishery Management Plan Review and State Compliance Reports for the 2022 Fishing Year
 
9:45 – 11:45 a.m.                           Interstate Fisheries Management Program Policy Board
·         Consider Revised Conservation Equivalency Policy and Technical Guidance Document
·         Stock Assessment Progress Reports
·         Committee Updates 
·         Law Enforcement Committee
·         Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership
·         Habitat Committee
·         Review Compliance Findings, if necessary
 
11:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.               Lunch Break
 
12:15- 1:30 p.m.                             Sciaenids Management Board
·         Review Annual Update to Black Drum Indicators 
·         Consider Fishery Management Plan Reviews and State Compliance Reports for the 2022 Fishing Year
·         Progress Update on Red Drum, Spot, and Atlantic Croaker Benchmark Stock Assessments
 
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 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 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 three weeks prior to the start of a meeting week (September 25) will be included in the briefing materials.
2.    Comments received by 5 PM on Tuesday, October 10 will be included in supplemental materials.
3.    Comments received by 10 AM on Friday, October 13 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.

ASMFC Coastal Pelagics Board Sets Atlantic Cobia Total Harvest Quota for 2024-2026 Fishing Seasons

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

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Coastal Pelagics Management Board approved a total harvest quota for the Atlantic migratory group of cobia of 80,112 fish for the 2024-2026 fishing seasons. This total quota results in a coastwide recreational quota of 76,908 fish and commercial quota of 73,116 pounds.

The total quota level was first approved in February 2020 for the 2020-2022 fishing seasons. In 2021, the Board changed the cobia quota timeframe from 2020-2022 to 2021-2023. Based on the recommendation from the Technical Committee and in the absence of a new stock assessment, the Board has set the 2024-2026 total harvest quota equal to the 2023 total harvest quota of 80,112 fish.

A new stock assessment for Atlantic migratory group of cobia is scheduled for 2025, with the potential to inform 2026 or later total harvest quotas. The Board will meet in October 2023 to consider new recreational management measures for some states. For more information, please contact Chelsea Tuohy, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at ctuohy@asmfc.org.

 

ASMFC American Eel Board Accepts Benchmark Assessment & Peer Review Report for Management Use Two Addenda Initiated for Yellow Eel and Maine Glass Eel Fisheries

August 2, 2023 — The following was released by Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s American Eel Management Board has accepted the American Eel Benchmark Stock Assessment and Peer Review Report for management use. The Report indicates the stock is at or near historically low levels due to a combination of historical overfishing, habitat loss, food web alterations, predation, turbine mortality, environmental changes, and toxins, contaminants, and disease. Since completion of the first Commission American eel stock assessment in 2005, available data have not allowed overfishing or overfished determinations to be made. Based on several trend analyses, the stock is considered depleted, consistent with the findings of the 2012 and 2017 assessments.

In response to the assessment findings, the Board initiated an addendum to consider changes to the coastwide yellow eel harvest cap. Historically, the coastwide cap of 916,473 pounds was set based on the average landings from 1998 to 2010. The benchmark assessment proposes a new tool for setting the coastwide cap based on abundance indices and catch. The addendum will consider using this tool to recommend a range of coastwide caps and management options.
 
The Board also initiated an addendum to address the quota for Maine’s glass eel fishery. Maine’s glass eel quota has been set at 9,688 pounds since 2015. However, a new addendum is needed to establish a quota for the 2025 fishing year and beyond.  
 
The Plan Development Team will begin work on both documents, with a progress update provided to the Board in October and Draft Addenda presented for Board consideration in February 2024. The Benchmark Stock Assessment and Peer Review Report will be available on the Commission website at https://asmfc.org/species/american-eel (under stock assessment reports) by mid-August. An overview of the assessment will be can be found athttps://asmfc.org/uploads/file/64caa25eAmericanEelStockAssessmentOverview_August2023.pdf. For more information, please contact Caitlin Starks, Senior Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at cstarks@asmfc.org.