Saving Seafood

Ocean Harvesters Responds to Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s August 7 Press Release

August 8, 2025 — The following was released by Ocean Harvesters:

A press release issued yesterday by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) continues a multi-year pattern of gross dishonesty, as it presented an incomplete and misleading narrative regarding menhaden management in the Chesapeake Bay. CBF’s misleading release includes a statement from Virginia Executive Director Chris Moore that ignores and disparages the established science, and the regulatory framework that ensures the fishery remains sustainable and responsibly managed.

In response, Ocean Harvesters has issued the following:

The CBF release refers to “growing warning signs around the Chesapeake Bay”:

“There are clear signs of peril in the Chesapeake, and menhaden are one of the connecting threads.“

This claim is not supported by any independent, peer-reviewed science, but rather represents the biased opinion of a special interest group. The assertion that “there are clear signs of peril in the Chesapeake, and menhaden are one of the connecting threads” overstates both the available scientific evidence and the known ecological dynamics of the Bay. While ecosystem concerns merit monitoring, attributing broad Chesapeake Bay challenges to already conservative menhaden harvest regulations is not supported by the best available science.

In 2024, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) presented data to the ASMFC on osprey populations which showed osprey reproduction challenges and nest failures occurring on both the Atlantic and Pacific Coast, including many areas with no menhaden fishery at all. In a letter to Congress earlier this year, USGS said it found no direct link between regulated menhaden harvests and declining osprey populations. The federal agency emphasized that multiple, complex factors, including weather, predation and prey access, contribute to ecological trends in the Bay.

 

Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey present a slide to the ASMFC showing that the recent leveling-off in Maryland and Virginia osprey populations, after years of explosive growth, is a phenomenon also being seen in states across the nation, on both the East and West Coast.

Ocean Harvesters menhaden fishermen.

 

The statement includes: “This new timing of intense fishing pressure may be contributing to the problems facing the Chesapeake Bay.”

Any adjustment in the timing of Bay fishing is minor and reflects natural shifts in the seasonal population dynamics of menhaden, not a quantifiable increase in harvest pressure or ecological harm. No scientific evidence has established any link between this timing shift and the broad ecological challenges described in the release.

While the press release references anecdotal concerns from Maryland fishers, it omits mention of well-documented water quality issues in Maryland that may also explain the localized fishery observations cited.

Another claim in the statement reads: “One foreign-owned company consistently prevents progress in Virginia, and now coastwide at the ASMFC.”

This statement is inaccurate. Omega Protein is a Virginia-based processing company, and the menhaden are harvested by Ocean Harvesters, a separate American-owned and operated company whose crews are overwhelmingly local, unionized, and multi-generational, represented by UFCW Local 400, AFL-CIO. This domestic fleet works in full compliance with harvest controls, vessel reporting, and ecosystem-based management thresholds set by the ASMFC. CBF is clearly attempting to mislead the audience with distorted information and is crossing a very serious ethical line of misinformation that merits further scrutiny.

CBF’s repeated implication that the industry has obstructed scientific research misrepresents the actual facts. Ocean Harvesters supported a comprehensive ecosystem study of the menhaden fishery developed by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) in 2021. However, the proposal that later emerged in the Virginia General Assembly used a lower cost, novel methodology that had not undergone scientific peer review. The industry raised legitimate concerns-not about research itself, but about relying on an untested approach for such a politically charged issue. CBF has repeatedly and inaccurately characterized this as blanket opposition to science. In fact, the industry continues to support the original, science-based study design developed by ASMFC, and no menhaden research could be conducted without longstanding industry cooperation.

The statement concludes: “The Chesapeake’s fisheries and predators can’t wait. Menhaden are key to a thriving Chesapeake Bay, and a healthy, productive Chesapeake is vital to the entire Atlantic coast.”

There is simply no Chesapeake Bay crisis that would threaten fisheries or predators. The menhaden fishery is already one of the most scientifically scrutinized in the United States.

The menhaden fishery is currently:

  • Not overfished, and overfishing is not occurring, as confirmed by repeated stock assessments.
  • Certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
  • Governed by ecosystem reference points that account for predator-prey relationships
  • Subject to real-time reporting, seasonal harvest caps, and rigorous monitoring under ASMFC’s management plan

Here is the true threat: CBF’s statements add up to nothing more than scare tactics that threatens the livelihood of hundreds of blue collar, multi-generational employees, many of whom are minority and UFCW Local 400 union workers, in Virginia’s Northern Neck.

About Ocean Harvesters
Ocean Harvesters owns and operates a fleet of more than 30 fishing vessels in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. The company’s purse-seine fishing operation is exclusively engaged in the harvest of menhaden, a small, nutrient-dense fish used to produce fish meal, fish oil, and fish solubles. Both its Atlantic and Gulf Menhaden fisheries are certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council. Committed to responsible fishing operations, Ocean Harvesters is proud to be heir to a fishing legacy that extends nearly 150 years.

ASMFC 2025 Summer Meeting Summary Document, Presentations and Recordings Now Available

August 8, 2025 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The press releases, meeting summaries, and motions from the Commission’s 2025 Summer Meeting are now available at https://asmfc.org/resources/management-quarterly-meetings/2025-summer-meeting-summary-summer-2025/. Additionally, Board presentations and recordings are available on the Summer Meeting page at  https://asmfc.org/events/2025-summer-meeting/; just scroll down to the relevant board/committee to access the links.  Recordings can also be found on the Commission’s YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/ASMFCvideos.

ASMFC Atlantic Striped Bass Board Approves Addendum III for Public Comment Draft Addendum Considers Further Fishery Reductions

August 7, 2025 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Commission’s Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board approved for public comment Draft Addendum III to Amendment 7 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Atlantic Striped Bass. The Draft Addendum considers management measures to support rebuilding the stock by 2029. The Draft Addendum will also address requirements for commercial tagging programs, a coastwide definition of total length for size limit regulations, and changes to the Maryland recreational season baseline.

The Board initiated the Draft Addendum in response to stock projections indicating a low probability of meeting the 2029 stock rebuilding deadline. The most recent stock projections estimate an increase in fishing mortality in 2025 due to the above average 2018 year-class entering the current recreational ocean slot limit. There is also concern about the lack of strong year-classes behind the 2018 year-class.
 
This proposed action is intended to increase the probability of rebuilding the stock by reducing fishery removals by 12% with management measures implemented in 2026. For the commercial fishery, the Draft Addendum proposes a commercial quota reduction. For the recreational fishery, the Draft Addendum considers season closures and/or size limit changes. For Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay recreational fishery, the Draft Addendum also proposes changing the recreational baseline season to simplify Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay regulations, which could improve compliance and enforcement, and to re-align fishing access based on stakeholder input and release mortality rates.
 
For commercial tagging, the FMP currently allows states to choose whether to tag commercially harvested fish at the point of harvest or point of sale. To address concerns that waiting to tag harvested fish until the point of sale could increase the risk of illegal harvest, the Draft Addendum considers requiring commercial tagging at the point of harvest or first point of landing intended to improve enforcement and compliance.

There is also concern that inconsistent methods of measuring the total length of striped bass for compliance with size limits undermines the intended conservation, consistency, and enforceability of the coastwide size limits. To address this, the Draft Addendum considers coastwide requirements for defining total length for both sectors.

 
The Draft Addendum will be posted to the website in late August at https://asmfc.org/actions/atlantic-striped-bass-draft-addendum-iii-2026-measures-to-support-rebuilding/. A subsequent press release will provide the details on the public hearing schedule and how to submit written comments. The Board will meet to review submitted comments and consider final action on the addendum in October 2025 at the Commission’s Annual Meeting in Dewey Beach, DE.
 
For more information, please contact Emilie Franke, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at efranke@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.

ASMFC Sciaenids Board Approves Red Drum Draft Addendum II for Public Comment Draft Addendum Considers Modifications to Red Drum Management

August 7, 2025 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Commission’s Sciaenids Management Board approved Draft Addendum II to Amendment 2 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Red Drum for public comment. The Draft Addendum considers several changes to the management programs in the southern (South Carolina to Florida) and northern (New Jersey to North Carolina) regions in response to the findings of the 2024 Red Drum Benchmark Stock Assessment and Peer Review Report.

 
Specifically, the assessment found the southern stock to be overfished and experiencing overfishing. As a result, the Draft Addendum considers two fishing mortality options states may not exceed in order to end overfishing. Although the northern stock is not overfished nor experiencing overfishing, the Board is concerned with an increasing trend in fishing mortality observed in the northern region. To address this trend, the Draft Addendum considers changes to the recreational bag and slot limits of states in the northern region, as well as provide states the opportunity to align their differing regulations, particularly in Chesapeake Bay.
 
The Draft Addendum also includes a process for states to propose management measures in response to the 2024 benchmark stock assessment, as well as future assessment advice. Further, the Draft Addendum proposes a process to allow states to submit stock status analyses conducted outside the Commission’s stock assessment process to be considered for management use. Lastly, the Draft Addendum proposes updates to the management program’s de minimis provisions. The Commission includes de minimis provisions in its FMPs to reduce the management burden for states whose measures would have a negligible effect on the conservation of the species.
 
A subsequent press release will provide the details of upcoming state public hearings and how to submit written comments. The Board will meet to review submitted comments and consider final action on the Addendum in October. For more information, please contact Tracey Bauer, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at  tbauer@asmfc.org or 703.842.0723.

ASMFC 2025 Summer Meeting Final Supplemental Materials Now Available

August 1, 2025 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Final supplemental materials for the Commission’s 2025 Summer Meeting are now available at https://asmfc.org/events/2025-summer-meeting/ for the following Boards. Links can be found under Supplemental 2 (following the respective Board’s agenda).

 
American Lobster Management Board – Public Comment   
 
Atlantic Menhaden Management Board – Public Comment
 
Webinar Information
Meeting proceedings will be broadcast daily via webinar beginning Tuesday, August 5 at 10 AM and continuing daily until the conclusion of the meeting (expected to be 11:45 AM on Thursday, August 7). To register for the webinar, please go to: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8127397986650630485 (Webinar ID: 230-697-115). If you are joining the webinar but will not be using VoIP, you may also call in at +1 (914) 614-3221, access code 949-913-944. 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 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.
 
We look forward to seeing you at the Summer Meeting.

ASMFC 2025 Summer Meeting Supplemental Materials Now Available

July 30, 2025 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Supplemental materials for the Commission’s 2025 Summer Meeting are now available athttps://asmfc.org/events/2025-summer-meeting/ for the following Boards. The combined file of all supplemental materials is available at https://asmfc.org/resources/management-meeting-materials/2025-summer-meeting-supplemental-materials/

 
American Lobster Management Board – Public Comment   
 
American Eel Management Board – Review of Maine Aquaculture Plan and TC Recommendations  
 
Sciaenids Management Board – Red Drum Technical Committee and Stock Assessment Subcommittee Memo: Considerations for New Fishing Mortality Methods Pathway Proposed in Addendum II to Amendment 2 of the Red Drum Interstate Fishery Management Plan; Red Drum Fishery Management Plan Review for FY2024  
 
Executive Committee – Discussion Paper on Establishing and Reviewing Declared Interests  
 
Weakfish Management Board – 2025 Weakfish Stock Assessment Update
 
Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board – Fishery Management Plan Review for FY2024; Staff Memo: State Overviews of Striped Bass Commercial Tagging Program; Advisory Panel Memo: Member Comments on Draft Addendum III for Board Review; Public Comment
Atlantic Menhaden Management Board – Public Comment
 
ISFMP Policy Board – Discussion Paper on Establishing and Reviewing Declared Interests  
 
Webinar Information
Meeting proceedings will be broadcast daily via webinar beginning Tuesday, August 5 at 10 AM and continuing daily until the conclusion of the meeting (expected to be 11:45 AM on Thursday, August 7). To register for the webinar, please go to: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8127397986650630485 (Webinar ID: 230-697-115). If you are joining the webinar but will not be using VoIP, you may also call in at +1 (914) 614-3221, access code 949-913-944. 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 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.
 
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 (July 14) will be included in the briefing materials.
2.    Comments received by 5 PM on Tuesday, July 29, will be included in supplemental materials.
3.    Comments received by 10 AM on Friday, August 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.


We look forward to seeing you at the Summer Meeting.

American Lobster Benchmark Stock Assessment Review Workshop Scheduled for September 2 – 5, 2025, in Woods Hole, MA

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s American Lobster Benchmark Stock Assessment Review Workshop is scheduled for September 2 – 5, 2025 at the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, 384 Woods Hole Road, Woods Hole, MA.  The assessment will evaluate the status of American lobster stocks along the US Atlantic coast and inform the management of this species. The peer review is open to the public, except for discussion of confidential commercial landings data* and the Peer Review Panel’s final deliberations, when the public and all other workshop participants will be asked to exit the workshop.
 
Please note the draft assessment report and the peer review report will not be made publicly available until mid-October as part of the American Lobster Management Board’s Annual Meeting materials. The peer review agenda can be found at https://asmfc.org/events/american-lobster-benchmark-stock-assessment-review-workshop/.  For more information about the assessment or attending the peer review, please contact Caitlin Starks, Senior Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at cstarks@asmfc.org.
 
* 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.

Quota Update to Area 1A 2025 Effort Controls – July 2025

July 23, 2025 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Atlantic Herring Management Board members from Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts met on May 13, 2025 to set the effort control measures for the 2025 Area 1A (inshore Gulf of Maine) fishery for June 1 – September 30.

Quota levels for Area 1A have been updated to reflect the lower quotas that are still in place. Higher revised quotas were expected to be implemented by NOAA Fisheries in July, however, they have not yet been implemented and there is no estimated implementation date.

The Area 1A sub-annual catch limit (ACL) is 692 metric tons (mt) after adjusting for the 30 mt fixed gear set-aside and the fact that Area 1A closes at 92% of the sub-ACL. In October 2024, the Board established the following seasonal allocations for the 2025 Area 1A sub-ACL: 72.8% available for season 1 (June 1 – September 30) and 27.2% available for season 2 (October 1 – December 31).

2025 Atlantic Herring 1A Quota Allocation by Season:

Season Current Area 1A Quota Revised Area 1A Quota yet to be Implemented by NOAA Fisheries
1. June 1-September 30 504 mt 862 mt
2. October 1-December 31 188 mt 322 mt

When landings are projected to reach the current Season 1 quota of 504 mt, the fishery will be adjusted to zero landing days. If NOAA Fisheries implements the revised quota before the fishery moves to zero landing days, then the fishery can operate to the revised 862 mt for Season 1. If the revised quota is implemented after the fishery moves to zero landing days, a days out call will be scheduled as soon as possible to discuss potential re-opening of the Season 1 fishery and/or possible rollover to the Season 2 fishery.

The following Area 1A measures remain the same for June 1-September 30:

Days Out of the Fishery

  • Landing days will be set at zero (0) from June 1 until the start of the fishery on July 27 at 6:00 p.m.
  • Landing days begin on Sunday of each week at 6:00 p.m. starting July 27.
  • Vessels with an Atlantic herring Limited Access Category A permit that have declared into the Area 1A fishery may land herring five (5) consecutive days a week. The week shall begin at 6:00 p.m. on Sundays and conclude at 6:00 p.m. on Fridays. One landing per 24 hour period. Vessels are prohibited from landing or possessing herring caught from Area 1A during a day out of the fishery.
  • Small mesh bottom trawl vessels with an Atlantic herring Limited Access Category C or Open Access D permit that have declared into the fishery may land herring six (6) consecutive days a week. The week shall begin at 6:00 p.m. on Sundays and conclude at 6:00 p.m. on Saturdays.

Weekly Landing Limit

  • Vessels with an Atlantic herring Category A permit may harvest up to 240,000 lbs. (6 trucks) per harvester vessel, per week starting July 27.

At-Sea Transfer and Carrier Restrictions

The following applies to harvester vessels with an Atlantic herring Category A permit and carrier vessels landing herring caught in Area 1A to a Maine, New Hampshire, or Massachusetts port.

  • A harvester vessel may transfer herring at-sea to another harvester vessel.
  • A harvester vessel may not make any at-sea transfers to a carrier vessel.
  • Carrier vessels may not receive at-sea transfers from a harvester vessel.

Harvesters are prohibited from landing more than 2,000 pounds of Atlantic herring per trip from Area 1A until July 27, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. Landings will be closely monitored and the fishery will be adjusted to zero landing days when the season 1 quota is projected to be reached.

Please contact Emilie Franke, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at efranke@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740 for more information.

Motions

Move to implement for the 2025 Area 1A herring fishery in Season 1:

  • Zero landing days before Sunday, July 27 at 6:00 pm;
  • For Category A vessels, 5 landing days per week;
  • For Category A vessels, a 6 truck (240,000 lbs.) weekly landing limit;
  • Allow harvester-to-harvester transfers but not allow transfers to carriers;
  • For Category C/D SMBT vessels, 6 landing days per week.

Motion made by Ms. Ware and seconded by Mr. Abbott. Motion passes by unanimous consent.

ASMFC Seeks Contractor to Facilitate a Stakeholder Workshop and Engagement Process

July 9, 2025 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission) is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a contractor to design and conduct a stakeholder engagement process to inform revisions to the Delaware Bay Horseshoe Crab Adaptive Resource Management (ARM) Framework using structured decision making methods. The contractor would facilitate educational meetings, design and facilitate a stakeholder workshop, meet with the Commission’s horseshoe crab technical committees to develop potential modifications to the ARM Framework based on stakeholder input, and develop a report of workshop conclusions and recommendations to the Commission’s Delaware Bay Ecosystem Technical Committee and Horseshoe Crab Management Board (Board).

Since 2013, the Board has used the Adaptive Resource Management (ARM) Framework to determine harvest levels for the bait fishery in the Delaware Bay states of New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia based on the abundance levels of horseshoe crabs and shorebirds. In 2021, a revision to the ARM Framework was completed to address feedback from the previous peer review panel, incorporate newly available data, and transition to new modeling software. The adoption of the 2021 ARM Framework Revision resulted in extensive public concern, focused in large part on the potential for female horseshoe crab harvest under the revised ARM Framework and its impact on the rufa red knot, a migratory shorebird listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act that depends on horseshoe crab eggs as a major food source in the Delaware Bay region during its migration. However, stakeholder groups in the Delaware Bay region hold diverging values and perspectives on management of the horseshoe crab resource. Commercial industry participants indicate they still value the harvest of female horseshoe crabs. Conversely, environmental groups have advocated for zero female horseshoe crab harvest from the Delaware Bay population.

Given these conflicting stakeholder goals and values, in July 2024, the Board convened a Horseshoe Crab Management Objectives Workshop to explore potential future objectives and management approaches for the Delaware Bay-origin horseshoe crab fishery. The workshop included a small group of stakeholders representing environmental NGO, fishing, biomedical, bird and horseshoe crab scientists, and management perspectives, and produced several recommended actions to address stakeholder concerns and values. A consensus recommendation from the workshop was that the Utility, Reward, and Harvest Policy (U/R/H) Functions of the ARM Framework (i.e., mathematical functions within the ARM Framework that reflect values placed on horseshoe crabs and red knots) be reevaluated and refined with stakeholder input. The structure of these functions is the key mechanism by which stakeholder values are translated into horseshoe crab harvest levels. Thus, increased stakeholder understanding, engagement, and input into these functions is the key mechanism by which ASMFC seeks to increase acceptance of the ARM across disparate groups and interests.

Proposals must be submitted, as a single file, an electronic proposal by email no later than 11:59 PM on August 8, 2025, to Caitlin Starks, Senior Fishery Management Plan Coordinator. Please see the RFP for more details, qualifying requirements, and submission instructions. The RFP is available athttps://asmfc.org/resources/rfp-for-horseshoe-crab-workshop/.

Please contact Caitlin Starks, Senior Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at cstarks@asmfc.org for questions regarding the request for proposals.

Non-Traditional Stakeholders Sought for Participation in ASMFC Horseshoe Crab Advisory Panel

June 17, 2025 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Horseshoe Crab Management Board is in process of re-configuring its Advisory Panel (AP). As part of that process, the Board is seeking nominations for non-traditional stakeholders. Examples of such stakeholders include, but are not limited to, environmental organizations, grassroots organizations, and individuals/groups with an interest in shorebirds or horseshoe crab conservation.

 
The intent of this action is to broaden the scope of public input to the Horseshoe Crab Management Board (Board) as it considers possible changes to the management program for the Delaware Bay region commercial horseshoe crab fishery. In July 2024, responding to substantial public input regarding the Adaptive Resource Management Framework Revision, the Commission convened a multi-stakeholder workshop to explore potential future objectives and management approaches for the Delaware Bay horseshoe crab fishery. One of the consensus recommendations from the workshop was to evaluate the Horseshoe Crab AP to determine if it has adequate representation across stakeholder groups, including fishing, biomedical, and environmental conservation interests. The Commission believes that input from non-traditional stakeholders will strengthen its efforts in successfully managing horseshoe crab. The Board has not determined the makeup of the revised AP but has committed to expanding the non-traditional stakeholder participation on the panel.
 
Interested stakeholders can fill-in and submit a nomination form (https://asmfc.org/resources/management/forms/horseshoe-crab-shorebird-advisory-panel-nomination-form/) by 11:59 PM on June 27, 2025 to info@asmfc.org (subject line: HSC AP nomination). Submitted nominations will be reviewed by a subgroup of the Board, which is also tasked with reviewing the AP’s composition and membership and providing recommendations to the Board for consideration.  
 
For more information, please contact Tina Berger, Director of Communications, at tberger@asmfc.org.