Saving Seafood

ASMFC 2022 Summer Meeting Final Agenda and Materials Now Available

July 20, 2022 — The following was released by Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission

The final agenda and meeting materials for the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Summer Meeting (to be held August 2-4 at the Westin Crystal City, 1800 Richmond Highway, Arlington, VA) are now available at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2022-summer-meeting; click on the relevant Board/Committee name to access the documents for that Board/Committee. For ease of access, all meeting materials have been combined into one document:  Main Meeting Materials. Please note that materials for the Law Enforcement Committee are not included in the combined materials. Supplemental materials will be posted to the website on Wednesday, July 27, 2022.

This will be a hybrid meeting (both in-person and remote) to allow for remote participation by Commissioners and interested stakeholders (meeting process details are provided below). 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.
 
Webinar Information
Board meeting proceedings will be broadcast daily via webinar beginning Tuesday, August 2 at  9 a.m. and continuing daily until the conclusion of the meeting (expected to be 1:30 p.m.) on Thursday, August 4. The webinar will allow registrants to listen to board deliberations and view presentations and motions as they occur.  
 
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. 
 
To register for the webinar, please go to https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7218217294868422923(Webinar ID:  822-004-851).  If you are joining the webinar but will not be using VoIP, you can may also call in at +1 (415) 655-0060, access code 636-403-362. A PIN will be provided to you after joining the webinar; see webinar instructions for details on how to receive the PIN. 
 
If you are joining the webinar but will not be using voice over Internet protocol (VoIP), you can may also call in at +1 (562) 247-8422, access code 616-672-938. 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, press the # key when asked for a PIN.
 
Meeting Process
In terms of 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 the public and interested stakeholders when the Board Chair provides an opportunity 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.
 
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. 
 
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 (July 11) have been included in the briefing materials.
2.    Comments received by 5:00 PM on Tuesday, July  26th will be included in supplemental materials.
3.    Comments received by 10:00 AM on Friday, July 29th will be distributed electronically to Commissioners/Board members prior to the meeting.

Maine lobster industry could receive nearly $14 million in federal aid

July 5, 2022 — Maine’s lobster industry could receive most of the $14 million the federal government is allocating to help lobstermen comply with new rules that are intended to save the critically endangered right whale from extinction.

If approved by Congress, the $14 million will be doled out to states through the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to cover costs incurred by the fishing industry to comply with the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan. Costs may include gear modification, configuration and marking, both in federal and state waters.

Maine is expected to receive the lion’s share of the money, since the state is home to the vast majority of the American lobster fleet. Maine lobstermen already received more than $17 million in federal aid in March as part of a $1.5 trillion omnibus funding package.

It was not clear Friday how the proposed federal funding might be allocated among Maine’s 4,500 to 5,000 licensed lobstermen.

The funding has been included in the House of Representatives’ Commerce, Justice, and Science Fiscal Year 2023 Appropriations bill. The House Appropriations Committee approved the bill Friday. From there, it will be voted on by the full House.

Read the full story at The Portland Press Herald

Atlantic scup from Lund’s Fisheries becomes the fourth MSC-certified product offered by the family-owned New Jersey company

May 10, 2022 — The following was released by Lund’s Fisheries:

Lund’s Fisheries, Inc., operating in Cape May, New Jersey since 1954, is pleased to announce that the company’s Atlantic scup fishery has been certified as sustainable according to Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standards. MSC certification is one of the most rigorous and sought-after sustainability certifications in the world, and our scup trawl fishery now meets those high standards.

Scup is Lund’s fourth MSC-certified fishery, following the company’s certifications for Atlantic sea scallops, Loligo squid, and Illex squid. Lund’s has been a seafood industry leader on the Atlantic coast in certifying its fisheries as sustainable for U.S. and international markets and will continue to look for new opportunities to add products to the MSC certification process.

The company owns and operates 20 fishing vessels delivering seafood to its freezing and processing facility year-round. Other independent vessels, from North Carolina through Maine, land scup at the company’s plant, utilizing its 500 metric ton daily freezing capacity.

“Lund’s Fisheries is proud of our long-standing commitment to harvesting and processing some of the most sustainable seafood in the world, and the MSC certification of our scup fishery is just the latest example of that commitment,” said Wayne Reichle, President of Lund’s Fisheries. “In partnership with the MSC, consumers can continue to trust that our products meet the highest standards of responsible sourcing. This new certification will help us to present another locally harvested, sustainable fish to the public that they may not have heard of, seen, or eaten before.”

The certification comes after a year-long, comprehensive evaluation by independent third-party assessor SCS Global Services. The assessment ensures that the Atlantic scup trawl fishery meets the three MSC Principles, focusing on the status of the scup resource and the harvest strategy in place; the fisheries ecosystem impacts, including efforts to avoid interactions with endangered and protected species; and the governance and management system employed by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. MSC certification also ensures that Atlantic scup products can be traced back to where they were caught through required recordkeeping, from harvest to product sale.

The fishery’s strengths include a well-defined and proven governance system of national and state laws; a suite of strategic policy frameworks that are supportive of the MSC’s Principles; effective leadership within federal and state management and scientific organizations; a transparent and engaging consultation and decision-making process; and a proven federal-state record of effective collaboration and cooperation at all levels.

Atlantic scup, which is mainly fished in New England and Mid-Atlantic waters, is considered to be an “underutilized” species, meaning that the population is healthy, and that fishing levels are well below the sustainable limits set for the fishery.

“Demand for sustainable U.S. seafood is only growing, and we are pleased to receive this certification from the MSC, which has become the international leader in seafood sustainability,” said Jeff Kaelin, Lund’s Director of Sustainability and Government Relations.  “This certification reflects the hard work done by our fishermen and our production team at our Cape May plant to successfully sell sustainably harvested products to our customers. It also represents tremendous support from our management partners at the Council and Commission in helping us to accumulate the technical information used in this process over the past year.”

Supplemental Materials for May 4th Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board Meeting Now Available

April 26, 2022 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The supplemental materials for the May 4th meeting of the Atlantic Striped Management Board are now available athttp://www.asmfc.org/files/Meetings/2022SpringMeeting/AtlanticStripedBassBoardSupplemental_May2022.pdf. They can also be found on the 2022 Spring Meeting webpage at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2022-spring-meeting. The materials include recommendations from the Advisory Panel,  input from the Law Enforcement Committee, as well as the full public comment summary. The document is very large (>2100 pages), the bulk of which is public comment on Draft Amendment 7, so please be patient downloading.

The supplemental materials for the remaining boards and committees meeting next week will be available tomorrow at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2022-spring-meeting.

 

ASMFC 2022 Spring Meeting Final Agenda and Materials Now Available

April 21, 2022 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The final agenda and meeting materials for the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Spring Meeting (to be held May 2- 5 at the Westin Crystal City, 1800 Richmond Highway, Arlington, VA) are now available at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2022-spring-meeting; click on the relevant Board/Committee name to access the documents for that Board/Committee. For ease of access, all meeting materials have been combined into one document:  Main Meeting Materials. Please note that materials for the Law Enforcement Committee are not included in the combined materials. Supplemental materials will be posted to the website on Wednesday, April 27, 2022.

This will be a hybrid meeting (both in-person and remote) to allow for remote participation by Commissioners and interested stakeholders (meeting process details are provided below). The Law Enforcement Committee meeting will not be available remotely. 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.

Webinar Information

Board meeting proceedings will be broadcast daily via webinar beginning Monday, May 2 at  10 a.m. and continuing daily until the conclusion of the meeting (expected to be 12:30 p.m.) on Thursday, May 5. To register for the webinar, please go to

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6673024452273516048 (Webinar ID:  243-937-907).

If you are joining the webinar but will not be using voice over Internet protocol (VoIP), you can may also call in at +1 (562) 247-8422, access code 616-672-938. A PIN will be provided to you after joining the webinar; seewebinar 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, press the # key when asked for a PIN.

Meeting Process

In terms of 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 the public and interested stakeholders when the Board Chair provides an opportunity 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.

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.

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 (April 11) have been included in the briefing materials.

2. Comments received by 5:00 PM on Tuesday, April  26th will be included in supplemental materials.

3. Comments received by 10:00 AM on Friday, April 29th 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 Spring Meeting.

 

Maine lawmakers approve bill to limit number of pogie-fishing licenses

April 14, 2022 — Under a bill passed by the Maine Legislature on Wednesday, the state’s pogie fishery will be closed to all fishermen in 2023 except current license holders who meet certain criteria.

To be eligible, fishermen must have held a license to fish for pogies in at least two of three years from 2019-21, and have landed 25,000 pounds in at least one of those years. Those who have the required license history but have not yet met the landings requirement have until the end of 2022 to harvest 25,000 pounds.

Pogies, also known as menhaden, have returned to state waters in large numbers over the past few years. As herring landings have dwindled, many lobstermen have switched to pogies for bait. At the same time, lax licensing requirements have lured others to enter the pogie fishery.

But the fishery has a regional quota, set by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, which is up for reassessment next month. State officials are concerned that the rules will be changed in ways that will limit the amount harvested from Maine coastal waters and estuaries. If the fishery remained open to additional licenses, that would mean less would be available for each fisherman, threatening the bait industry.

Read the full story at the Portland Press Herald

Vessel tracking to start in 2023

April 7, 2022 — All lobster and Jonah crab fishermen in federal waters will soon need electronic tracking devices on their vessels while fishing there.

On March 31, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) approved addendums to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for American Lobster and the Jonah Crab, to take effect in 2023.

First, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries must implement the new requirement through the federal rulemaking process.

The new requirement, in Addendum XXIX to the American Lobster Management Plan and Addendum IV to the Jonah Crab Management Plan, is aimed at collecting high-resolution, spatial and temporal data to help manage the fisheries, by tracking the location of vessels minute by minute for up to 90 percent of the vessel’s time in the water.

Read the full story at The Ellsworth American 

ASMFC Atlantic Herring Area 1A Days Out Meeting Scheduled for April 26

April 6, 2022 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Atlantic Herring Management Board members from the states of Maine, New Hampshire and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts will meet via webinar on April 26, 2022 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. to discuss days out measures for the 2022 Area 1A (inshore Gulf of Maine) fishing season. Days out measures can include specification of the number of consecutive landings days, weekly landings limits, and restrictions on at-sea transfers. The webinar and call information is included below:

Atlantic Herring Days Out Meeting

Tuesday, April 26, 2022

10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

You can join the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone at the following link:https://meet.goto.com/763162445. If you are new to GoToMeeting, you can download the app ahead of time (click here) and be ready before the meeting starts. For audio, the meeting will be using the computer voice over internet protocol (VoIP), but if you are joining the webinar from your phone only, you can dial in at +1 (571) 317-3129 and enter access code 763-162-445 when prompted. The webinar will start at 9:45 a.m., 15 minutes early, to troubleshoot audio as necessary.

Federally-permitted Herring Category A vessels must declare into the Area 1A fishery at least 45 days prior to the start of the fishing season. Small-mesh bottom trawl vessels with a federal Herring Category C or D permit must declare into the Area 1A fishery by June 1, 2022. Vessels should check with each state of landing regarding their notification procedures.

The 2022 Area 1A sub-annual catch limit (sub-ACL) is 1,075 metric tons (mt). The initial specification for the 2022 Area 1A sub-ACL of 1,184 mt decreased by 109 mt due to the catch overage in Area 1A in 2020. After adjusting for the 30 mt fixed gear set-aside and the 8% buffer (Area 1A closes at 92% of the sub-ACL), the Area 1A sub-ACL is 961 mt. There is no research-set-aside for 2022.

In October 2021, the Board established the following seasonal allocations for the 2022 Area 1A sub-ACL: 72.8% available from June 1 – September 30 and 27.2% available from October 1 – December 31. Fishermen are prohibited from landing more than 2,000 pounds of Atlantic herring per day harvested from Area 1A until June 1, 2022.

For more information, please contact Emilie Franke, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at 703.842.0716 orefranke@asmfc.org.

A copy of the meeting announcement can be found at http://www.asmfc.org/files/AtlHerring/AtlHerringDaysOutMeetingNotice_April2022.pdf.

 

East Coast fisheries ‘climate scenario’ workshop planned

April 5, 2022 — East Coast fisheries managers will host a June 21-23 workshop with fishermen and other stakeholders to develop possible scenarios for how management could adapt to shifting fishing stocks and biological and economic changes coming with climate change.

Since late 2020 the East Coast Climate Change Scenario Planning Initiative, fishery scientists and managers have been “working collaboratively and engaging diverse fishery stakeholders to explore jurisdictional and governance issues related to climate change and shifting fishery stocks,” according to the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council.

The initiative is a joint project of the Mid-Atlantic, New England and South Atlantic fishery management councils, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and NMFS.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

Lobster boats will need tracking devices in federal waters

April 4, 2022 — Maine lobstermen and their counterparts along the East Coast who fish in federal waters will have to install an electronic tracking device on their boats starting next year.

Regulators with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission voted Thursday to require all lobstermen and Jonah crab fishermen who fish offshore to have the devices onboard to collect and transmit spatial data. The unprecedented data from the trackers is intended to help regulators with assessing the health of the lobster and crab stocks, ocean planning and interactions with right whales and other protected species.

But lobstermen from Maine have objected to the idea, fearing the data could be used against them, particularly to aid with the siting of offshore wind turbines.

Read the full story at the Bangor Daily News