July 8, 2020 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Interstate Fisheries Management Program Policy Board will be meeting via webinar on July 14th (1-2 PM) to review and consider approval of proposed guidance on adjusting recreational measures due to COVID-19 impacts. The Draft Agenda and materials are available at http://www.asmfc.org/files/
Webinar link: https://attendee.
June 17, 2019 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:
Please find attached and below the preliminary agenda and public comment guidelines for the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s 2019 Summer Meeting, August 6-8, 2019, in Arlington, VA. The agenda is also available at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2019-summer-meeting. Materials will be available on July 24, 2019 on the Commission website at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2019-summer-meeting.
A block of rooms is being held at The Westin Crystal City, 1800 S. Eads Street, Arlington, VA 22202. Cindy Robertson will make Commissioner/Proxy reservations and will contact you regarding the details of your accommodations. Please notify Cindy of any changes to your travel plans that will impact your hotel reservations, otherwise you will incur no-show penalties. We greatly appreciate your cooperation.
For all other attendees, please reserve online via Star Group Website at http://www.starwoodhotels.com/ or call The Westin Crystal City at 703.486.1111 as soon as possible and mention the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to obtain the group room rate of $179.00 plus tax single/dbl. Please be aware you must guarantee your room reservation with a major credit card or one night’s advance payment. Hotel reservations must be made by Sunday, July 7, 2019. Room availability will not be guaranteed beyond this date. If you are being reimbursed by ASMFC for your travel, please make your reservation directly with the hotel. Reservations made through travel websites do not apply toward our minimum number of required reservations with the hotel. Please note, cancellations at The Westin must be made by 4:00 p.m. two days prior to arrival to avoid penalty and an early departure fee of $100.00 will apply when checking out prior to the confirmed date. If you have any problems at all regarding accommodations please contact Cindy at 703.842.0740 or at crobertson@asmfc.org.
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
Summer Meeting
August 6-8, 2019
The Westin Crystal City
Arlington, Virginia
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 the 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.
Tuesday, August 6
8:00 – 10:00 a.m. Executive Committee
(A portion of this meeting may be a closed session for Committee members and Commissioners only)
10:15 a.m. – Noon South Atlantic State/Federal Fisheries Management Board
Noon – 1:00 p.m. Lunch
1:00– 2:00 p.m. American Eel Management Board
2:15 – 3:15 p.m. Horseshoe Crab Management Board
3:30 – 5:00 p.m. Atlantic Menhaden Management Board
Wednesday, August 7
8:30 – 11:15 a.m. Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Committee on Economics and Social Sciences
11:30 – 12:30 Spiny Dogfish Management Board
12:30 – 1:15 p.m. Lunch
1:15 – 3:15 p.m. Interstate Fisheries Management Program Policy Board
3:15 – 3:30 p.m. Business Session
3:45 – 4:45 p.m. Tautog Management Board
Thursday, August 8
8:30 – 11:30 a.m. Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board
Main Motion: Move to initiate an Amendment to the Atlantic Striped Bass Fishery Management Plan to address the needed consideration for change on the issues of fishery goals and objectives, empirical/biological/spatial reference points, management triggers, rebuilding biomass, and area-specific management. Work on this Amendment will begin upon the completion of the previously discussed Addendum to the Management Plan.
Motion made by Mr. Luisi and seconded by Mr. Clark.
Motion to Amend: Move to amend to add reallocation of commercial quota between states.
Motion made by Mr. Pugh and seconded by Mr. Reid.
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Lunch
12:30 – 5:00 p.m. NOAA Fisheries Wind Power Workshop for New England and Mid-Atlantic Commissioners
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 an opportunity for 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 immediately preceding the scheduled ASMFC Meeting (in this case, the Tuesday deadline will be July 30, 2019) 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, July 30, 2019 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.
April 24, 2019 — The following was published by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:
Supplemental materials for the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Spring Meeting are now available at http://www.asmfc.org/home/