Saving Seafood

GSI’s Walk On the Hill Important For Survival of Gulf Fisheries

January 25, 2016 — Even before members of the Gulf Seafood Institute (GSI) took their first steps toward Capitol Hill, they realized this year’s “Walk on the Hill” would be extremely important for the survival of commercial fishing in the Gulf of Mexico.

“The surprise that state boundary limits for all fisheries going to nine miles introduced into the Sportsman’s package has dire consequences for a lot of seafood sectors that haven’t been vetted,” said GSI Florida Board Member David Krebs, president of Ariel Seafood. “I think we are all surprised these amendments have been attached to an Environment and Public Works bill instead of through the Commerce Committee. Hopefully GSI will be able to circumvent the damage before it is done.”Hours before GSI members were scheduled to leave their D.C. headquarters at the Hotel George, GSI received word that two amendments would be offered to the Bipartisan Sportsmen’s Act being heard at the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee that would negatively impact the harvesting of commercial seafood in the Gulf of Mexico. One of these amendments would have permanently extended state waters in the Gulf of Mexico to nine miles, effectively rescinding the Magnuson Stevens Act for all commercial, charter-for-hire and recreational fishing out to 9 miles – an outcome that would imperil consumers’ access to Gulf fisheries.

With a telephone glued to his ear, GSI President Harlon Pearce, owner of Harlon’s LA Fish in New Orleans, made call after call to other organizations to raise awareness of the proposed amendments. The organization made last minute changes to its legislative agenda as it prepared to meet with the Gulf Congressional Delegation, as well as Maryland’s Senator Barbara Mikulski and Alaska’s Senator Dan Sullivan.

“We often meet with legislators outside of the Gulf,” said Pearce. “It was a stroke of luck that we were in the right place at the right time to bring this important information on the proposed amendments to their attention. We also thanked them for all they have done for our industry in the past. It is important to meet with legislators outside of the Gulf to educate them that what affects our fisheries eventually affects their constituents.. We want to keep Gulf fish available for all Americans.”

Read the full story at Gulf Seafood Institute

 

Could invasive lionfish end up in Chesapeake Bay?

December 29, 2015 — Few fish are as lovely as the lionfish. Few are as venomous.

A frilly, colorful native of the clear tropical waters and reefs of the South Pacific and Indian oceans, the lionfish has been a favorite of aquarium hobbyists for years.

In the Atlantic, however, it was unknown.

Then in the 1980s genetic researchers believe a handful of hobbyists in Florida, perhaps thinking it a kindness, released their aquarium pets into the wild ocean.

At that point, the lionfish proved they aren’t just lovely and venomous — they also breed like rabbits on Viagra. Ravenous eaters, they gobble up any smaller fish they spot and easily displace native species. And because nothing in this part of the Atlantic recognizes them as prey, their population has exploded into a serious and unfortunate marine invasion.

“It’s gotten really bad,” said Richard Brill, fishery biologist at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science in Gloucester Point.

“There’ve been some efforts in Florida and some parts of the Caribbean to get people to eat them. And there’s been some efforts — and this is pretty crazy — but groups of recreational spear fishermen have been spearing them and then feeding what they catch to sharks, trying to convince the local shark population to eat these things.”

The hardy little invaders have established year-round populations from the Gulf of Mexico to the Outer Banks. They’ve been spotted in warmer months as far north as Massachusetts, although they can’t survive the northern winters.

Read the full story at the Hampton Roads Daily Press

 

Rep. Jolly teams with GSI’s Hogarth on Gulf Red Snapper Legislation

November 30, 2015 — One of the largest issues both commercial and recreational fishers face is getting both fishermen and regulators to have faith in the data, especially when it comes to Gulf of Mexico reef fish. Recently introduced legislation by Congressman David Jolly of Florida will hopefully lead to a more accurate count of red snapper and other reef fish in the Gulf of Mexico.

The Gulf Red Snapper Data Improvement Act recently introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep. Jolly will allow for third-party data collection of fish populations to be used for federal stock assessments, which could ultimately lead to longer red snapper fishing seasons for the recreational sectors.

“Nobody trusts the data anymore,” said Dr. Bill Hogarth, Director of the Florida Institute of Oceanography and a Board member of the Gulf Seafood Institute. “Fishermen are on the water everyday and they see what is happening. When you are doing a stock assessment now, you are working with data that is at least two years old. Things change. We have to get more real time data, and this legislation is a good start.”

Rep. Jolly’s bill designates $10 million annually for third-party data collection of Gulf Red Snapper and other Gulf reef species. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Southeast Regional Office located in St. Petersburg, Florida would manage the data collection program. A member of the powerful House Committee on Appropriations, Jolly was able to secure similar language in the fiscal year 2016 House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Bill earlier this year.

Read the full story at Gulf Seafood Institute

 

 

FLORIDA: Waters close to gill nets

November 5, 2015 — Waters in the Pamlico Sound and the northern portion of Core Sound will close to anchored, large-mesh gill nets starting this morning due to interactions with sea turtles.

The closure impacts Management Unit B under the state’s Sea Turtle Incidental Take Permit, which includes all of Pamlico Sound and the northern portion of Core Sound down to a line from Club House on Core Banks to a point on the shore at Davis near Marker 1, according to a North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries news release.

The closure took effect beginning one hour after sunrise.

DMF staff have observed numerous interactions with sea turtles in the management unit since it reopened Nov. 2. The closure is meant to avoid exceeding the allowed number of sea turtle interactions for the management unit.

Read the full story at Jacksonville Daily News

 

SAFMC: Proposed Commercial Trip Limit for the Atlantic Coast Dolphin Fishery

October 27, 2015 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is soliciting public input in November on measures affecting fishermen as far north as New England. Commercial fishermen that target dolphin (fish) in federal waters along the Atlantic coast may be operating under a new commercial trip limit if measures proposed by the Council are approved during its December 7-11, 2015 meeting in Atlantic Beach, NC. The Council is developing Regulatory Amendment 1 to the Dolphin Wahoo Fishery Management Plan with trip limit alternatives designed to help extend the commercial season. On June 30, 2015, the commercial dolphin fishery was closed for the first time when NOAA Fisheries projected that the annual catch limit of 1,157,001 pounds would be met. Dolphin are managed from New England to the Florida Keys under the fishery management plan, and the closure impacted the commercial fishery along the entire Atlantic coast. The Council approved measures in December 2014 to modify the allocation between commercial and recreational sectors, increasing the commercial allocation to 10% and the annual catch limit by 377,484 pounds. NOAA Fisheries is currently reviewing the measures approved by the Council. As proposed, the trip limit would become effective once a designated portion of the commercial annual catch limit is reached. Fishermen and other interested members of the public are being asked to provide their comments on various alternatives by participating in public hearings being held via webinar or by submitting written comments (see details below).

The Council is also requesting public input on proposed management measures for blueline tilefish, yellowtail snapper and black sea bass in Regulatory Amendment 25 to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan. New annual catch limits for blueline tilefish in the South Atlantic and other management parameters are being considered based on a new Acceptable Biological Catch of 224,100 pounds. Changes to commercial trip limits and recreational bag limits for blueline tilefish are also being considered. For yellowtail snapper, a species commonly targeted off the southeastern coast of Florida, the amendment includes alternatives to change the fishing year and modify accountability measures. The change in the current fishing year is being requested by fishermen in order to allow harvest during the winter season and have any closures that may occur due to meeting the annual catch limit coincide with the spring/summer spawning season. The final action in Regulatory Amendment 25 would allow an increase in the current recreational bag limit for black sea bass of 5 fish per person per day. Alternatives range from increasing the bag limit to 6 fish up to a total of 10 fish per person per day. Once overfished, the stock was deemed rebuilt based on the 2013 stock assessment and the annual catch limit more than doubled. The Council is scheduled to approve measures in Regulatory Amendment 25 during its December meeting in Atlantic Beach, NC.

The public is encouraged to provide written comment and participate in upcoming public hearings scheduled via webinar with concurrent comment stations at various locations. A public hearing scheduled for Monday, November 9th will address actions proposed in Snapper Grouper Regulatory Amendment 25. A public hearing scheduled for Thursday, November 12th will address commercial trip limits for dolphin through Dolphin Wahoo Regulatory Amendment 1 and measures proposed in Snapper Grouper Regulatory Amendment 25. The public hearings begin at 6:00 PM.

Learn More – Q&A Webinar

Monday, November 2, 2015 at 6:00 PM – Question and Answer Webinar for Snapper Grouper Regulatory Amendment 25. Registration for the webinar is required and information is available from the Public Hearing and Scoping Meeting page of the Council’s website at www.safmc.net. Public Hearing Summary documents for each amendment and other materials will be posted on the same page by October 30, 2015.

Submit Written Comment

Written comments for both amendments can be submitted via mail, fax, and email and will be accepted until 5:00 PM on November 16, 2015. Instructions for submitting comments are available from the Public Hearing and Scoping Meeting page of the website or by contacting the Council office at 843/571-4366 or Toll Free 866/SAFMC-10.

Public Hearing Webinars and Comment Stations

Public hearings will be held via webinar in conjunction with comment stations throughout the region beginning at 6:00 PM. Stakeholders have two options for participating in the public hearings: Option1) Participate via webinar on the scheduled dates listed below; and Option 2) Participate in person at one of the designated comment stations in NC, SC, GA and FL on the scheduled dates listed below. Registration is required for each webinar. Webinar registration links are available from the Public Hearing and Scoping Meeting page of the Council’s website at www.safmc.net. Council staff will be available one hour prior to each webinar to assist with setup if needed. Call 843/571-4366 or Toll Free 866/SAFMC-10 for assistance. Council staff will review the amendments via webinar beginning at 6:00 PM and local Council members will be on hand at each comment station and tuned into the webinar. Members of the public on the webinar and at comment stations will then have an opportunity to go on record to provide comments for consideration by the Council.

 

SAFMC November 2015 Public Hearings Webinar and Comment Station Dates 6:00 PM

 

Snapper Grouper Regulatory Amendment 25 

 

Monday, November 9th

 

Public Hearing via Webinar

Register at www.safmc.net

 

Comment Stations:

GA Department of Natural Resources

Coastal Resources Division

One Conservation Way

Brunswick, GA 31520-8687

Phone: 912/264-7218

 

Hilton Garden Inn Charleston Airport

5265 International Boulevard

North Charleston, SC 29418

Phone: 843/308-9330

 

Dolphin Wahoo Regulatory Amendment 1 and Snapper Grouper Regulatory Amendment 25 

 

Thursday, November 12th

 

Public Hearing via Webinar

Register at www.safmc.net.

 

Comment Stations:

Dare County Government Complex

Room 168, 1st Floor

954 Marshall C. Collins Drive

Manteo, NC 27954

Phone: 252/475-5000

 

Wingate by Wyndham (Hotel)

2465 State Route 16

St. Augustine, FL 32092

Phone: 904/824-9229

 

View a PDF of the release here

Cuba launches shark protection plan produced with US group

October 21, 2015 — HAVANA (AP) — Cuba announced Wednesday that it is launching a long-term plan to preserve its sharks in cooperation with a U.S. environmental group, part of a rapidly accelerating partnership between the two countries aimed at preserving their shared waters in the Gulf of Mexico and Florida Straits.

Nearly a year after Presidents Barack Obama and Raul Castro announced that they would end a half-century of official hostility and start moving toward normalization, the most visible progress has been in the realm of environmental protection.

The shark plan announced by Cuba after two years of work with the U.S -based Environmental Defense Fund commits Cuba to recording shark catches by fishing vessels and eventually implementing stricter rules that would limit shark fishing and protect shark nurseries.

Secretary of State John Kerry announced in Valparaiso, Chile this month that the U.S. and Cuba were signing an accord to work together on protecting marine preservation areas in far western Cuba located a relatively short distance from Texas and Florida across the Gulf of Mexico and Florida Straits.

In April, a research vessel operated by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration carried marine scientists from Cuba and other countries on a research cruise aimed at gathering information about the spawning of blue-fin tuna, a commercially valuable and highly threatened species.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at the New Bedford Standard – Times

 

 

What Will Florida’s Stone Crab Season Bring? It’s Complicated

October 14, 2015 — FLORIDA — Today, hundreds of fishing boats heaped with traps will race shoreward from the Gulf of Mexico with the season’s opening day bounty of stone crabs, one of Florida’s highest-grossing fisheries.

So, as the boats head toward shore, seafood wholesalers, retailers and stone crab enthusiasts engage in a bit of prognostication about what this season may bring. Will there be lots? And what will they cost?

It’s complicated.

Last year, the stone crab season set a new record: More than $31 million worth of crab claws were pulled from Florida waters from Oct. 15 to May 15.

But before you start melting celebratory butter, that record was not a good one for Florida diners. The record just means that crabs cost more last year; yields were nearly at a record low, said Ryan Gandy, a crustacean researcher with the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in St. Petersburg.

The stone cold fact about stone crabs: Demand exceeds supply. Landings of stone crabs last year were 2.2 million pounds — the only worse year in the past decade was the previous season, with just under 2 million pounds landed. A decent year historically is a landing of more than 3 million pounds of claws (one claw is removed, and crabs are returned alive to the water).

Gandy, whose group runs eight trap lines throughout the fishery from Steinhatchee down to Key West, said he has seen a slight increase in their catch per trap. This is what gives them a sense for how the population is doing.

“We’re starting to see some higher numbers coming in, so we’re thinking there’s some population recovery. To the north, we’re seeing some larger crabs, but we won’t know what it looks like until they start pulling traps.”

Read the full story at Tampa Bay Times

NILS E. STOLPE: FishNet-USA/Who’s really in charge of U.S. fisheries?

September 14, 2015 — An Oligarchy is defined as “a country, business, etc., that is controlled by a small group of people” 

Ancient City Shrimp is an eight minute YouTube video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WepRokGO8d8) produced by the St. Augustine Lighthouse Museum that examines St. Augustine’s past as one of several centers of commercial shrimping in Florida.

Unfortunately – or perhaps tragically is a better fit – Florida’s shrimp fleet is only a shadow of what it once was. One of the reasons for this is the imposition of unrealistic regulations on U.S. shrimpers that has made the fishery much less profitable than it used to be.

The video’s producers don’t really focus on this as one of the reasons for this decline, rather emphasizing the impacts of cheaper – and generally inferior – shrimp from abroad. This is understandable. You can only cover so much ground in a short video. Opening the can of worms that fishery regulation in the Southeast has become is a guarantee of complication and controversy, things which few museums would willingly get involved in.

In spite of a really good job overall I found part of the final narration troubling. Almost at the end (7 minutes and 50 seconds or so in) the narrator in his wrap-up states “while we can’t change federal regulations we can change our purchasing habits. Demand local shrimp(my emphasis added).” He’s on target with the “demand local shrimp” but it’s hard to imagine anything more antithetical to the principles that our country was founded upon than his acceptance of the idea that we can’t, or that we shouldn’t, change federal regulations.

While it seems unlikely, apparently he missed out on any exposure to or consideration of the words “government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth.”

As close to immortal as any words spoken in the last half a millennium, they are from Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. In a commemoration of the sacrifices of Union soldiers in the battle of Gettysburg, on November 19, 1863, President Lincoln expressed what governance in the United States was all about. To repeat those words, “government of the people, by the people, for the people.”

It kind of makes you wonder how the documentarians who put together Ancient City Shrimp became convinced that we (the people, I presume, as in the U.S. Citizenry) can’t or shouldn’t change federal regulations. One possibility is that they weren’t aware that Aldous Huxley’s 1984 was a work of fiction. Another would be that they have been exposed to the bottomless morass that federal fisheries management has been turned into.

A history lesson or two

Back in 1976 (this was before the existence of a multi-billion dollar environmental industry so thankfully they weren’t there ti impede the process) the Magnuson-Stevens Act became law. It brought fishing in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone under federal control and established a management regime that would eventually phase out virtually all foreign commercial fishing in U.S. waters.

It was generally agreed that one of the strongest features of the Act was the determination that fishermen were an integral part of the federal fishery management process. This was achieved by mandating that fishermen were voting members on each regional Fishery Management Council.

This was in recognition of a number of factors that the public, or at least the majority of the involved politicians and bureaucrats, have subsequently turned – or been turned – away from. Among these were the relative lack of knowledge of our fisheries and what affects them, the value to fisheries managers of the knowledge that has been accumulated by a multigenerational fishing industry over many years, and the belief in and the commitment of fishermen to the long term sustainability of the fisheries they participate in.

Read the full op-ed at FisheryNation.com

ASMFC 74th Annual Meeting Details, Preliminary Agenda and Public Comment Guidelines

August 28, 2015 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Please find below the preliminary agenda and public comment guidelines for the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s 74th Annual Meeting, which will be held November 2-5, 2015 at the World Golf Village Renaissance Resort in St. Augustine, FL. This email contains meeting details, including the preliminary agenda. All of the business meetings scheduled during this week (with the exception of closed sessions) are open to the public, free of charge.

Our Florida Commissioners have been working hard on the meeting details and are looking forward to welcoming you all to St. Augustine. Similar to our previous Annual Meetings in Florida, this meeting will be held jointly with the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission’s 66th Annual Meeting. We have scheduled some overlapping events to allow for you all to spend time with your colleagues from the Gulf.  Our nation’s oldest city, St. Augustine was founded 450 years ago along Florida’s historic coast. Here, history comes alive in red-brick lanes leading to centuries-old churches, in forts where soldiers still walk the grounds, and on horse-drawn carriage rides through time. Head just out of town and back to nature along 42 miles of pristine Atlantic beaches.

ACCOMODATIONS: A block of rooms is being held at the World Golf Village Renaissance St. Augustine Resort (500 South Legacy Trail, St. Augustine, FL).  Lisa Hartman(lhartman@asmfc.org) will make Commissioner/Proxy reservations and will contact you regarding the details of your accommodations. Please notify Lisa of any changes to your travel plans that will impact your hotel reservations (including late arrivals), otherwise you will incur no-show penalties. We greatly appreciate your cooperation in this matter.

For all other attendees, please make your reservations online at http://tinyurl.com/nlnogfn as soon as possible to obtain the negotiated room rate of $119.00 plus tax. Hotel reservations must be made before September 30, 2015. Room availability will not be guaranteed beyond this date.  Please be aware that you must guarantee your room reservation with a major credit card or one night’s advance payment and you must notify the hotel of any cancellation prior to 72 hours before arrival or you will be billed one night’s room plus tax. If you have any problems regarding accommodations, please contact Lisa at 703.842.0740 or lhartman@asmfc.org. 

PLEASE NOTE: The negotiated room rate will be available from October 30th through November 8th. If you plan on arriving on Saturday, you should make your reservation as soon as possible since the hotel will also be hosting the Georgia Football Team following Saturday’s Georgia-Florida game.

 GETTING TO ST. AUGUSTINE: The World Golf Village Renaissance Resort is located in St. Augustine off of Interstate 95, and is easily accessible by either car or air. From the Jacksonville International Airport, take I-95 south to exit 323, International Golf Parkway. Following the exit, turn right onto International Golf Parkway, and right again into the main entrance to World Golf Village. Then follow signs to Hotel. The nearest major airport is Jacksonville International Airport (JAX). This airport is 45 miles from the Resort. Self-parking is complimentary for overnight guests.

REGISTRATION:  The meeting registration fee is $200/per participant and $150/per spouse or guest if you register by October 26, 2015. After October 26th and in St. Augustine the fees will be $225 and $175, respectively. The registration fee covers the Monday night reception, the Tuesday night dinner, and the Wednesday Hart Award Luncheon, as well event materials. Payment is not required until you arrive at the meeting; however, we ask that you please assist us in planning for the meeting by registering as soon as possible. You may register by returning the attached registration form (by email, fax, or US mail) or online at http://mahi.accsp.org:8080/myJSPs/registration74thAnnualMtg.html. Once you have registered, payment can be made in several ways (1) check, cash or credit card at the ASMFC Registration Desk at the Annual Meeting; (2) credit card by calling Lisa Hartman at 703.842.0744; or (3) mail a check to ASMFC at 1050 N. Highland Street, Suite 200A-N, Arlington, VA 22201. Please note all board/committee members attending the Annual Meeting will be reimbursed for the full pre-registration fee. However, late registration fees will not be reimbursed. 

FISHING TOURNAMENT: Plans are well underway for the 24th Annual Laura Leach Fishing Tournament. Everyone is invited and encouraged to participate. You will receive a t-shirt with your $20 entry fee with 100% of the tournament proceeds going to kids’ fishing programs in Florida. If you intend to fish, a fishing license can be obtained at https://license.myfwc.com or by visiting a local tackle shop that sells licenses.  The tournament runs from Sunday (11/1) through Wednesday morning (11/4); the raffle drawing and tournament prizes will be awarded at Wednesday Awards Luncheon.  Additional information about kayak rentals, fishing locations, tackle shops, etc. will be provided to tournament anglers.

FOR SPOUSES/GUESTS: The Monday Morning Social for Spouses and Guests will be held at 9:30 a.m. at the hotel. On Tuesday, Ancient City Tours will take spouses and guests to some of the notable historic sites in St. Augustine, including the Fountain of Youth (remember to drink the water!), the Lightner Museum, and Castillo de San Marcos Fort.  Sit back as the driver shares the history and sights of our Nation’s Oldest City on the Old Town Trolley tour.  Lunch will be provided at the Five Flags Café.

The final agenda and meeting materials will be available on October 22, 2015 on the Commission website at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2015-Annual-Meeting. We look forward to seeing you all in St. Augustine in November!

Preliminary Agenda

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.

Sunday, November 1, 2015

 

2:00 – 5:30 p.m.                                Registration

 

Monday, November 2, 2015

 

7:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.                      Registration

 

8:00 – 10:30 a.m.                              American Lobster Management Board 

  • Discuss Management Response to the 2015 American Lobster Benchmark Stock Assessment and Peer Review Report

o   Report from Subcommittee (Subset of Board, Lobster Conservation Management Team and Technical Committee Members) Input on the Southern New England Stock

o   Technical Committee Report

  • Discussion and Initiation of an Addendum to Set Effort Controls for Jonah Crab-only Trap Fishermen
  • Review and Consider Approval of 2015 American Lobster Fishery Management Plan Review and State Compliance
  • Review and Consider Approval of Advisory Panel Membership

 

10:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.                  Atlantic Herring Section

  • Set Fishery Specifications for 2016-2018
  • Review and Consider Approval of Draft Amendment 3 for Public Comment

 

1:45 – 3:45 p.m.                                Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board

  • Review Wave 4 Data (if available) for Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Recreational Harvest and Discuss Potential Implications for 2016 Management
  • Consider Continuing the Ad-Hoc Approaches to Regional Management for Black Sea Bass
  • Consider Approval of the Terms of Reference for the Black Sea Bass Benchmark Stock Assessment
  • Review the  2015/2016 Black Sea Bass Quotas Based on the Outcome of the September 2015 Mid-Atlantic Fishery management Council Science and Statistical Committee Meeting
  • Update Board on Scup Scoping/Public Information Document for Amendment
  • Update Board on the Schedule of Assessment Updates for Summer Flounder and Scup

 

2:00 – 3:00 p.m.                                Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program (ACCSP) Executive Committee 

(A portion of this meeting may be a closed session for Committee members only)

  • Status Report (Program and Committee Updates)
  • Independent Program Review Progress
  • APAIS Update
  • Governance Update
  • Executive Committee Membership Standard Operating Procedures
  • Recommendations from the Operations and Advisory Committees on Project Funding

 

3:00 – 6:00 p.m.                                Registration

 

4:00 – 5:30 p.m.                                ACCSP Coordinating Council 

  • Status Report (Program and Committee Updates)
  • Independent Program Review Progress
  • Governance Update
  • Executive Committee Membership Standard Operating Procedures
  • Recommendations from the Operations and Advisory Committees on Project Funding
  • Election of Chair and Vice-Chair

 

6:30 – 8:00 p.m.                                 Welcome Reception 

 

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

 

7:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.                      Registration

 

8:00 – 10:00 a.m.                              Executive Committee

(A portion of this meeting may be a closed session for Committee members and Commissioners only)

  • Review Guidance Documents
  • Review Fiscal Year 2015 Audit

 

8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.                      Habitat Committee

  • Discuss Improvements to Habitat Factsheet Content and Rollout
  • Review 2015 Work Plan and Set 2016 Work Plan
  • Discuss Progress on Fishery Management Plan Amendments, Habitat Bottlenecks White Paper, and Sciaenid Habitat Source Document

8:30 a.m. – Noon                              Joint Meeting of the SEAMAP-SA and GSMFC Crustacean Workgroups

 

10:15 – 11:15 a.m.                            American Eel Management Board

  • Technical Committee Report on Maine’s Life Cycle Survey Proposal
  • Review and Consider Approval of 2015 American Eel Fishery Management Plan Review and State Compliance

 

11:30 a.m. – Noon                           Weakfish Management Board

  • Review and Consider Approval of 2015 Weakfish Fishery Management Plan Review and State Compliance
  • Update on 2016 Benchmark Stock Assessment

 

Noon – 1:30 p.m.                             Legislators and Governors’ Appointees Luncheon

 

1:30 – 3:00 p.m.                                Winter Flounder Management Board

  • Review the Groundfish Assessment and Review Meeting Stock Assessment Update Results for the Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank, and Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic Stocks
  • Review and Consider Approval of 2015 Winter Flounder Fishery Management Plan Review and State Compliance

 

2:00 – 4:30 p.m.                                Registration

 

3:15 – 5:45 p.m.                                Atlantic Menhaden Management Board

  • Update on Working Group’s Progress for Ecosystem Management Objectives and Allocation
  • Discuss Allowance of Cast Nets Under the Bycatch Provision of Amendment 2
  • Provide Guidance to Plan Development Team on the Development of the Public Information Document for Draft Amendment 3

 

6:30 – 9:30 p.m.                                Annual Dinner at the Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park

 

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

 

8:00 – 10:00 a.m.                              Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board 

  • Review 2015 Stock Assessment Update and Projections on Reaching Coastwide Fishing Mortality Target with Addendum IV Regulations
  • Technical Committee Report on Coastwide and Fleet-specific Fishing Mortality Reference Points

 

8:30 a.m. – Noon                              Law Enforcement Committee

(A portion of this meeting may be a closed session for Committee members, authorized law enforcement personnel, and LEC Coordinators only)

  • ISFMP Species Board Issues
  • Federal and State Agency Reports
  • Discussion of Atlantic Striped Bass Compliance Report Needs for 2016
  • Review 2015 Action Plan Completion and 2016 Action Plan Items
  • Closed Session (as needed, to discuss ongoing enforcement activities)

 

10:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.                  Tautog Management Board

  • Review Public Comment on the Public Information Document to Draft Amendment 1
  • Provide Guidance to Plan Development Team on the Development of Draft Amendment 1
  • Review and Consider Approval of Advisory Panel Membership

 

12:15 – 1:45 p.m.                              ASMFC Captain David H. Hart & GSMFC Lyles-Simpson Awards Luncheon

 

1:45 – 5:45 p.m.                                Joint Meeting of the ASMFC Law Enforcement Committee and the GSMFC Law Enforcement Advisory Committee

 

1:45 – 2:45 p.m.                                Business Session

  • Review and Consider Approval of 2016 Annual Action Plan
  • Election of Chair and Vice-Chair
  • Review Non-compliance Findings (if necessary)

 

2:00 – 6:00 p.m.                                Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership (ACFHP) Steering Committee

  • Discuss Outcomes of the Recent Science and Data Committee Meeting and Next Steps for the Steering Committee
  • Receive Updates on the Implementation Plan
  • Discuss Potential Goals and Objectives for Next Conservation Strategic Plan
  • Approve FY2016 Projects for Recommendation to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

 

3:00 – 4:00 p.m.                                Coastal Sharks Management Board

  • Set 2016 Specifications Based on Federal Quotas (if available)
  • Update on NOAA Fisheries Highly Migratory Species Amendment 6 Final Rule and Draft Amendment 9
  • Review and Consider Approval of 2014 Coastal Sharks Fishery Management Plan Review and State Compliance

 

4:15 – 5:15 p.m.                                Spiny Dogfish Management Board

  • Set Specifications for Spiny Dogfish
  • Review and Consider Approval of 2014 Spiny Dogfish Fishery Management Plan Review and State Compliance

 

Thursday, November 5, 2015

 

8:00 – 9:00 a.m.                 Horseshoe Crab Management Board

  • Horseshoe Crab Technical Committee Report

o   Shorebird and Horseshoe Crab Survey Reports Summary

o   Adaptive Resource Management Framework Harvest Output for 2016

  • Set Specifications for the 2016 Delaware Bay Fishery
  • Review and Consider Approval of 2015 Horseshoe Crab Fishery Management Plan Review and State Compliance
  • Update on the Virginia Tech Horseshoe Crab Trawl Survey

 

8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.                      ACFHP Steering Committee (continued)

 

9:15 – 11:15 a.m.                              Interstate Fisheries Management Program Policy Board

  • Atlantic Sturgeon Stock Assessment Update
  • Review and Consider Approval of 2015 Atlantic Sturgeon Fishery Management Plan Review and State Compliance Report
  • Habitat Committee Report
  • Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership Report
  • Law Enforcement Committee Report
  • Management and Science Committee Report

 

11:15 – 11:45 a.m.                            Business Session (if necessary)

 

12:15 – 1:45 p.m.                              South Atlantic State/Federal Fisheries Management Board 

  • Update on 2015 Red Drum Benchmark Stock Assessment and Peer Review
  • Review and Consider Approval of 2015 Spotted Seatrout Fishery Management Plan Review and State Compliance
  • Review and Consider Approval of 2015 Spanish Mackerel Fishery Management Plan Review and State Compliance
  • Discuss Black Drum Compliance Report Deadline

 

Public Comment Guidelines

With the intent of developing policies in the Commission’s procedures for public participation that result in a fair opportunity for public input, the ISFMP Policy Board has approved the following guidelines for use at management board meetings:

For issues that are not on the agenda, management boards will continue to provide opportunity to the public to bring matters of concern to the board’s attention at the start of each board meeting. Board chairs will use a speaker sign-up list in deciding how to allocate the available time on the agenda (typically 10 minutes) to the number of people who want to speak.

For topics that are on the agenda, but have not gone out for public comment, board chairs will provide limited opportunity for comment, taking into account the time allotted on the agenda for the topic. Chairs will have flexibility in deciding how to allocate comment opportunities; this could include hearing one comment in favor and one in opposition until the chair is satisfied further comment will not provide additional insight to the board.

For agenda action items that have already gone out for public comment, it is the Policy Board’s intent to end the occasional practice of allowing extensive and lengthy public comments. Currently, board chairs have the discretion to decide what public comment to allow in these circumstances.

In addition, the following timeline has been established for the submission of written comment for issues for which the Commission has NOT established a specific public comment period (i.e., in response to proposed management action).

1.    Comments received 3 weeks prior to the start of a meeting week will be included in the briefing materials.

2.    Comments received by 5:00 PM on the Tuesday, October 27, 2015 will be distributed electronically to Commissioners/Board members prior to the meeting and a limited number of copies will be provided at the meeting.

3.    Following the Tuesday, October 27, 2015 5:00 PM deadline, the commenter will be responsible for distributing the information to the management board prior to the board meeting or providing enough copies for the management board consideration at the meeting (a minimum of 50 copies).

The submitted comments must clearly indicate the commenter’s expectation from the ASMFC staff regarding distribution.  As with other public comment, it will be accepted via mail, fax, and email.

 

Scallops rebounding in Tampa Bay, count shows

August 26, 2015 — People are jumping into the waters north of here and hauling out scallops by the thousands this time of year, but the environmental group Tampa Bay Watch is rejoicing at a far smaller found number closer to home — just 233 of them.

It was a scientific undertaking by selected volunteers off Boca Ciega and Fort DeSoto that turned up the local scallops Saturday, rather than hungry snorkelers looking for their next meal from the Pasco-Hernando county line north during the Gulf harvest that runs through Sept. 24.

But 233 is nearly double the 112 found in local waters during last year’s Great Bay Scallop Search and represents an upward trend line that has local scallop watchers celebrating. Just five were counted in 2011.

Both Tampa Bay Watch and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission describe scallop populations as an indicator of water quality because of the shellfish’s sensitivity to pollution and their ability to filter and clean the water of nuisance species like phytoplankton.

Scallop numbers can be an indicator that something’s going on at a bigger level, and extreme changes mean the local population might collapse, said Sarah Stephenson, a scientist at the state’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute.

Read the full story at The Suncoast News