Saving Seafood

New Blueline Tilefish Regs Proposed

May 10, 2016 — The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council has approved measures to establish management of blueline tilefish in Federal waters off the Mid-Atlantic and New England coasts. Blueline tilefish are managed by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council from Florida to North Carolina, and there are currently no regular federal regulations north of the North Carolina/Virginia border. Last year, after catches of blueline tilefish off the Mid-Atlantic increased markedly, the Council requested that the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) implement emergency measures to constrain landings of blueline tilefish in the Mid-Atlantic. These measures, which include a commercial trip limit of 275 pounds (gutted) and a recreational bag limit of 7 fish per person, are set to expire on June 3, 2016.

If approved by the Secretary of Commerce, the amendment would establish a separate blueline tilefish management unit in Federal waters north of the North Carolina/Virginia border extending up to the boundary with Canada. The management objectives for blueline tilefish would be the same as for golden tilefish, with the addition that “management will reflect blueline tilefish’s susceptibility of overfishing and the need for an analytical stock assessment.”

Read the full story at The Fisherman

Council Approves Changes to Scup Gear-Restricted Areas

April 21, 2016 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

During a meeting last week in Montauk, New York the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council approved a framework action to modify the boundary of one of the region’s two Scup Gear Restricted Areas (GRAs). The proposed change to the Southern Scup GRA boundary is expected to increase the availability of longfin squid to small-mesh fisheries.

The GRAs were implemented in 2000 and are intended to reduce discard mortality of juvenile scup. The current GRA regulations include a Northern GRA, which is effective from November 1 through December 31, and a Southern GRA, which is effective from January 1 through March 15. Trawl vessels which fish for or possess longfin squid, black sea bass, or silver hake (also known as whiting) are required to use mesh 5 inches or larger in the GRAs during those times of the year. The scup stock has expanded substantially since the GRAs were first implemented, and analysis conducted by scientists at the Northeast Fisheries Science Center indicate that the GRAs were partially responsible for this rebuilding.

The GRAs have been modified several times in response to requests from commercial fishermen. In recent years, advisors have recommended further modification of the GRAs to restore access to certain areas for longfin squid fishing, arguing that modifications to the GRA boundaries would not harm the scup stock

In response to an industry request, the Council initiated a framework action in 2014 to address potential changes to the scup GRAs. The framework considered a range of alternatives, including modifications to the GRA boundaries and elimination of one or both GRAs.

After a lengthy discussion of the impacts of the proposed alternatives, the Council voted to modify the boundary of the Southern Scup GRA. The proposed change, shown in Figure 1, is based on a proposal developed by members of the Council’s Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Advisory Panel.

“By increasing access to important fishing grounds, the Council balanced the concerns of the squid industry with the possible impacts on the scup stock,” said the Council’s Executive Director, Chris Moore. “If the modification is approved by NMFS, the Council will be working closely with NMFS to monitor scup discards to make sure that mortality of juvenile scup does not increase as a result.”

Read the release and see the chart at the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council

North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for March 14, 2016

March 15, 2016 — The following was released by the North Carolina Fisheries Association:

KENDALYN ROSE LEWIS:

As noted in a separate message yesterday, Capt. Kenny Lewis and his wife Lynda, lost their daughter, Kendalyn Rose, earlier this week. Words cannot begin to express our sadness and disbelief at the loss of a vibrant young lady who was known and loved by so many. Please keep the family in your thoughts and prayers. Visitation will be on Wednesday, March 16th, from 6:00 till 8:00pm at the Munden Funeral Home in Morehead City. The funeral service will be on Thursday, March 17th, at 2:00pm at the funeral home.  

May her soul and the souls of all of the faithful departed, rest in peace.

BLUELINE TILEFISH:

Below is part of an article that is on the NC Coastal Federation website about commercial fishermen donating to a local food pantry. Dewey Hemilright, an NCFA Board member, is one of those fishermen.

You can see the entire Coastal Federation article here: http://www.nccoast.org/2016/03/paying-it-forward-in-blueline-tilefish/

Here are some excerpts from the article:

Blueline tilefish are commercially harvested off the N.C. coast, provide lean, white meat and delicately flavor.

Several commercial fishermen from the Outer Banks have been paying it forward this winter with donations of fish to a local food pantry. Buddy Coppersmith (F/V Emily Shay), Jimmy Taylor (F/V Windy Gale), and Dewey Hemilright (F/V Tar Baby), have been commercial fishermen for most of their lives. Recently, they’ve been working under a cooperative research grant collecting data that will improve future stock assessments for blueline tilefish.

Hemilright, an avid community outreach volunteer with the Coastal Federation’s office in Manteo is well-known for leading education lessons for students and adults and was recognized for his outstanding contributions to the Coastal Federation’s northeast education program with a Pelican Award in 2015.

While participating in the cooperative research project to gather fisheries- independent data on blueline tilefish and snowy grouper, the fishermen were sent out to fish and collect samples. Since the fishermen were receiving payment through the cooperative research grant, they could not sell their catch. Nor did they want to see it go to waste, and so sought out other options for it.

HEARINGS FOR BLUELINE TILEFISH:

And speaking of blueline tilefish, there are some hearings coming up about it. From the Mid Atlantic Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council is soliciting public input on a draft amendment to address management and conservation of blueline tilefish in the Mid-Atlantic. Four public hearings will be held between March 21 and March 29, 2016. Written comments will be accepted until Wednesday, March 30, 2016.

The draft amendment considers adding blueline tilefish (Caulolatilus microps) as a managed species in the Golden Tilefish Fishery Management Plan, effectively turning that plan into the Golden and Blueline Tilefish Fishery Management Plan. The management measures proposed in the amendment are needed to constrain fishing mortality on the blueline tilefish stock and effectively manage the blueline tilefish fishery in waters off the Mid-Atlantic and New England coasts.

Additional information and documents, including a public hearing document (to be posted by March 14), may be obtained from http://www.mafmc.org/actions/blueline-tilefish.

Members of the public are invited to comment on any aspect of the draft amendment. Following a review of comments received, the Council will choose preferred management measures and submit the Amendment to the Secretary of Commerce for approval and publication of proposed and final rules, both of which have additional comment periods.

For more information, contact Jason Didden at (302) 526-5254 or jdidden@mafmc.org.

Hearings for our area are listed below in the Calendar section.

SOUTHERN FLOUNDER:

Thanks to those of you who have contributed to our Southern Flounder Fund. Those funds will be used exclusively for issues related to southern flounder, either legally or other avenues to address the situation.

If you have not yet contributed, please do so ASAP!

Send your donations to:

NCFA 2807 Neuse Blvd; Suite 11

New Bern, NC 28562

Please make your check out to NCFA/Southern Flounder Fund or to the NC Fisheries Association and be sure to put Southern Flounder Fund in the memo.

God bless, Jerry

CALENDAR

Mar 17; 4:00pm; MFC Sea Turtle Advisors; DEQ office; Washington, NC

Mar 21; 6:00pm; Blueline tilefish; Dare County Admin Bldg; Manteo

Mar 22; 7:00pm; Blueline tilefish; Hilton Oceanfront; Virginia Beach

Apr 4; Noon; NCFA Board meeting; Civic Center; Washington NC

Apr 6; 5:30pm; MFC Southern Advisory Cmte; DMF office; Morehead City

Apr 7; 5:30pm; MFC Northern Advisory Cmte; DEQ office; Washington

Apr 11; 6:00pm; Oyster/Hard Clam Advisors; DMF office; Morehead City

Apr 12-14; MAFMC meeting in Montauk, NY

Apr 14; 6:00pm; Shellfish/Crustacean Advisors; DMF office; Morehead City

Apr 25; North Carolina General Assembly convenes for the Short Session

May 2-5; ASMFC Spring Meeting; Westin; Alexandria, VA

May 18-20; MFC meeting; Civic Center; Morehead City

View a PDF of the Weekly Update

MAFMC Solicits Public Input on Blueline Tilefish Management

March 9, 2016 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council is soliciting public input on a draft amendment to address management and conservation of blueline tilefish in the Mid-Atlantic. Four public hearings will be held between March 21 and March 29, 2016. Written comments will be accepted until Wednesday, March 30, 2016.  

The draft amendment considers adding blueline tilefish (Caulolatilus microps) as a managed species in the Golden Tilefish Fishery Management Plan, effectively turning that plan into the Golden and Blueline Tilefish Fishery Management Plan. The management measures proposed in the amendment are needed to constrain fishing mortality on the blueline tilefish stock and effectively manage the blueline tilefish fishery in waters off the Mid-Atlantic and New England coasts. 

Additional information and documents, including a public hearing document (to be posted by March 14), may be obtained from http://www.mafmc.org/actions/blueline-tilefish.

Members of the public are invited to comment on any aspect of the draft amendment. Following a review of comments received, the Council will choose preferred management measures and submit the Amendment to the Secretary of Commerce for approval and publication of proposed and final rules, both of which have additional comment periods. 

For more information, contact Jason Didden at (302) 526-5254 or jdidden@mafmc.org. 

Public Hearing Schedule

There will be four hearings with the following dates/times/locations:

  1. Monday March 21, 2016, 6 pm.  Dare County Administration Building, Commissioners Meeting Room, 954 Marshall C. Collins Drive, Manteo, NC 27954; telephone: (252) 475-5700.
  2. Tuesday March 22, 2016, 7 pm.  Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront, 3001 Atlantic Ave, Virginia Beach, VA 23451; telephone: (757) 213-3001.
  3. Monday, March 28, 2016, 7 pm.  Hilton Suites Oceanfront, 3200 Baltimore Ave., Ocean City, MD 21842; telephone: (410) 289-6444.
  4. Tuesday, March 29, 2016, 7 pm.  Hilton Garden Inn Lakewood, 1885 Route 70, Lakewood, NJ 08701; telephone (732) 262-5232.

Written Comments

Written comments will be accepted until Wednesday, March 30, 2016, 11:59 pm. Comments may be sent by any of the following methods:

  • Email – jdidden@mafmc.org (Include “Blueline Tilefish Comments” in the subject line)
  • Mail – send comments to: Dr. Christopher Moore, Executive Director, MAFMC, 800 North State St., Suite 201, Dover, DE 19901 (Mark the outside of the envelope “Blueline Tilefish Comments”)
  • Fax – (302) 674–5399.

These public hearings are accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids should be directed to M. Jan Saunders, (302) 526-5251, at least 5 days prior to the meeting date.

View this press release on our website or as a PDF

North Carolina Fisheries Association Releases Weekly Update for March 7, 2016

March 7, 2016 — The following was released by the North Carolina Fisheries Association:

INFO NEEDED!

Thanks to the efforts of Aundrea O’Neal at Beaufort Inlet Seafood, NCFA now has the information needed to plug into our database for vital information for those fishermen who pack at that facility. Our biologist, David Bush, needs that information to quantify how regulations may impact fishermen. For example, our new database will include the fishermen’s name, address, phone, email if any, gear type used, areas fished and targeted species.

Whether it’s to assess potential regulations or to fight what we perceive as overzealous regulations by state and/or federal regulators, we need this data to make it easier for David to compile it.

We appeal to you to make this information available, so if you need more information, please contact Aundrea at Beaufort Inlet Seafood and she’ll tell you how it’s done. Her contact info is: Beaufort Inlet Seafood: (252) 504-2036 Cell: (252) 503-8302

MONKFISH & REGULATIONS:

Monkfish, or the “poor man’s lobster” is really good! For those that appreciate monkfish but can’t find it at your favorite fish market, consider this:

Last week I was in Dare County and one of the meetings I attended was the monkfish meeting on Thursday evening at the DMF office in Manteo. There were a total of 4 at the meeting: 3 DMF employees and me. One might wonder why fishermen aren’t taking the time to attend an information meeting about monkfish. Consider this: by law, they can only fish for about 4 weeks in March/April. They can only fish between 2 & 3 miles in the ocean. It’s illegal to fish for monkfish in federal waters, which begins at the 3 mile mark. They can only fish if the water temps are under 52 degrees.

Rationale? Not so much for monkfish, but “other issues”, such as sea turtles. If the temps are above 52 degrees, there is a better possibility of interaction with sea turtles, so the fishery closes. Inside of 2 miles there is a possibility of interaction with marine mammals.

Point being this: with the restrictions outlined above, there is not much of an incentive for a fishermen to target monkfish. As a result, the landings will be minimal in North Carolina, not because there aren’t any monkfish, but because there is not an adequate economic incentive to fish for them. Those who are always proclaiming that the sky is falling will then cite the declining landings and allege that commercial fishermen are catching them all! It’s a vicious cycle that is not unique to monkfish!

Meanwhile, a rash of letters to the editor recently allege that commercial fishermen in North Carolina have few regulations!

SOUTHERN FLOUNDER:

Thanks to those of you who have contributed to our Southern Flounder Fund. Those funds will be used exclusively for issues related to southern flounder, either legally or other avenues to address the situation.

If you have not yet contributed, please do so ASAP!

Send your donations to:

NCFA

2807 Neuse Blvd; Suite 11

New Bern, NC 28562

Please make your check out to NCFA/Southern Flounder Fund or to the NC Fisheries Association and be sure to put Southern Flounder Fund in the memo.

God bless, Jerry

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CALENDAR

Mar 7-11 SAFMC meeting in Jekyll Island, GA

Mar 17; 4:00pm; MFC Sea Turtle Advisors; DEQ office; Washington, NC

Apr 12-14; MAFMC meeting in Montauk, NY 

View a PDF of the weekly update

Mid-Atlantic Council Announces Policies on Non-Fishing Activities that Threaten Fish Habitat

February 17, 2016 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council has released a series of policy documents focused on non-fishing activities that threaten fish habitat. These documents outline the Council’s positions on five anthropogenic (human) activities: wind energy, offshore oil, marine transport, liquefied natural gas, and coastal development.

Productive commercial and recreational fisheries are inextricably linked to healthy habitat. Multiple factors are contributing to the degradation or destruction of fish habitat, such as coastal development, land-based pollution, and dams and other blockages that restrict the movement of migratory fish species and can alter the delivery of freshwater to estuaries.

The Council is limited in its ability to address these threats, as its authority is largely restricted to the development of fishing regulations. However, the Council is involved in a range of habitat management and conservation initiatives through collaboration with its partners in the Greater Atlantic region.

Development of habitat policy documents is one component of the Council’s ongoing Habitat Pilot Project, which was initiated in July 2014 with support from NOAA Fisheries. The project is focused on strengthening the use of existing habitat authorities and tools to address threats to fish habitat more effectively.

“Habitat is essential to the health and productivity of our marine fisheries, and is susceptible to a wide range of anthropogenic impacts, and emerging risks, including oil and gas development in the Mid-Atlantic region,” said Rick Robins, Council Chairman. “The Council’s habitat conservation policies recognize the foundational importance of habitat to our marine fisheries and the coastal communities that depend on a healthy marine ecosystem.”

Policy development was spearheaded by the Council’s Ecosystem and Ocean Planning (EOP) Committee in conjunction with input from members of the public, the Council’s EOP Advisory Panel, and subject matter experts on state coastal zone management, energy issues, and habitat.

By clearly communicating its positions on anthropogenic activities, the Council hopes to work more effectively with its management partners to mitigate and avoid adverse impacts to fish habitat. The Council is currently developing an additional set of policies focused on fishing impacts on fish habitat.

The habitat policies can be downloaded as a single document here. Individual policy sections and supporting documents are available on the Council’s website at www.mafmc.org/habitat.

Mid-Atlantic Council Names Deep Sea Coral Protection Area in Honor of Senator Frank Lautenberg

February 16, 2016 — The following is a release from the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council has voted to name a new deep sea coral protection area in honor of the late Senator Frank Lautenberg, a five-term United States senator from New Jersey who was responsible for several important pieces of ocean conservation legislation. The proposed Frank R. Lautenberg Deep Sea Coral Protection Area encompasses more than 38,000 square miles of federal waters off the Mid-Atlantic coast.

Senator Lautenberg was a champion for ocean stewardship and worked with particular determination to establish protections for deep sea coral ecosystems. He authored several provisions included in the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act of 2006, including a discretionary provision which gave regional fishery management councils the authority to protect coral habitat areas from fishing gear.

Last year the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council became the first of the U.S. councils to use this authority when it approved an amendment to establish a deep sea coral protection area off the Mid-Atlantic coast. The Council’s Deep Sea Corals Amendment, which is pending review by the Secretary of Commerce, includes measures to restrict bottom-tending fishing gear such as trawls, dredges, bottom longlines, and traps within the bounds of the protection area.

“Senator Lautenberg was steadfast in his advocacy for the protection of deep sea corals in the marine environment,” said Rick Robins, Council Chairman. “Naming this deep sea coral protection area provides the Council with a rare opportunity to honor and memorialize Senator Lautenberg’s legislative leadership in this important area of marine science and conservation.”

Although he advocated for stronger measures to protect fragile deep sea habitats, Senator Lautenberg emphasized the importance of balancing conservation objectives with the needs of the fishing industry: “I do not want to prevent fishermen from trawling. There are many areas where it is appropriate, but surely we can set aside some of the most fragile coral habitats and protect them from destruction.”

The Council strived to achieve this balance by developing the amendment through a collaborative process involving participation from a wide range of stakeholders. The specific boundaries of the deep sea coral protection area were refined during a workshop attended by fishermen, advisory panel members, scientists, and environmental advocates, resulting in a broad consensus.

In 2011, remarking on the impact of the Magnuson-Stevens Reauthorization Act, Senator Lautenberg said: “I am proud that the law included my language to safeguard deep sea corals—which are sometimes known as the ‘rainforests of the ocean’ because of the diversity of species that call them home.  We know that we must ensure the sustainability of fisheries—not just for the health of our oceans, but for the continued success of the U.S. fishing industry.”

Senator Lautenberg passed away in 2013 at the age of 89 as the Senate’s oldest member and last surviving veteran of World War II.

 

MAFMC: Meetings this Week

February 8, 2016 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council: 

The public is invited to attend the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s February 2016 meeting to be held February 9-11, 2016 in New Bern, North Carolina. 

Tuesday, February 9, 2016 – Thursday, February 11, 2016

Double Tree by Hilton New Bern

100 Middle Street

New Bern, NC 28560

Telephone 252-638-3585

Webinar:  

For online access to the meeting, enter as a guest at: http://mafmc.adobeconnect.com/february2016/

Briefing Materials:

Briefing materials will be posted on the February 2016 Meeting page as they become available.

South Atlantic Fishery Management Council

Public Hearing via Webinar  

Today, February 8, 2016, 6:00 p.m.  

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold the final in a series of public hearings tonight via webinar to solicit public input on management measures that may affect fishermen fishing in federal waters (greater than 3 miles offshore) along the entire Atlantic coast. Join Council staff at 6:00 p.m. as they review proposed measures in the two amendments listed below. Then provide your formal comments via the webinar for Council consideration. 

  • Electronic Reporting Requirements for Federally-Permitted Charterboats – The Council is considering mandatory reporting requirements for charterboats (6-pack) with federal for-hire permits including Atlantic Dolphin Wahoo For-Hire and Coastal Migratory Pelagic For-Hire permits. The amendment also modifies existing requirements for headboat electronic reporting.
  • Changes to King Mackerel Management Measures – Changes are proposed for king mackerel management along the Atlantic coast and the Gulf of Mexico including changes to management zones, annual catch limits, commercial trip limits, split seasons, and other measures. 

NOTE: Registration for the webinar is required.  Click below to register and join us later today to learn more and provide your comments!

Register Here

Additional information, including public hearing summaries, video presentations for each amendment, and additional resources are available from the Public Hearing and Scoping Meeting page of the Council’s website.  Written comments may be submitted until Wednesday, February 10, 2016.  Email comments to mike.collins@safmc.net with “For-Hire Amend” and/or “Mackerel Amend 26” in the Subject line of the email.  

SAFMC Solicits Public Input on Proposed Electronic Reporting Requirements for Charterboats and Other Fisheries Issues

January 26,2016—The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Public Hearing Webinar to be Held February 8

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is soliciting public input through a series of public hearings on proposed measures that could affect federally permitted charter vessels along the Atlantic coast. For-hire vessels (charter and headboats) operating more than three miles offshore in federal waters must have specific federal permits to legally target dolphin and wahoo, Coastal Migratory Pelagics (mackerel and cobia), and snapper grouper species. The SAFMC is considering alternatives that would require electronic reporting for charter vessels with those federal permits, ranging from weekly reporting to daily reporting, through development of the Atlantic Generic Charterboat/Headboat Reporting Amendment. The SAFMC is also soliciting comments on Coastal Migratory Pelagic Amendment 26, which includes several proposed management actions for Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic migratory group king mackerel. Additional information about these actions and public comment opportunities is available here.

On Tuesday, February 9, at 5:00 PM, SAFMC staff will provide a brief presentation on the Generic Charter/For-Hire Reporting Amendment during the Mid-Atlantic Council’s February 2016 meeting in New Bern, North Carolina.

Public Hearings

​The South Atlantic Council will hold a series of public hearings to gather input on these proposed measures.

February 8, 2016, 6:00 PM – public hearing webinar – Click HERE to Register

January 25 – February 3 – In-person public hearings will be held throughout the South Atlantic region. See this page for date, time, and location details.

Submit Written Comments

Written comments for the amendments may be submitted via mail, fax, and email and will be accepted until 5:00 PM on February 10, 2016.

E-mail – mike.collins@safmc.net (Please reference the name of the amendment you are submitting comments about in the subject line of your e-mail.)

Fax – 843.769.4520

Mail – Send written comments to Gregg Waugh, Executive Director, SAFMC, 4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, N. Charleston, SC 29405.

Questions? For more information, please visit http://safmc.net/meetings/public-hearing-and-scoping-meeting-schedule or call 843/571-4366, (toll free) 866/SAFMC-10

MAFMC Meeting, February 9-11 in New Bern, North Carolina

January 21, 2016 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

 

Double Tree by Hilton New Bern

100 Middle Street

New Bern, NC 28560

Telephone 252-638-3585

Webinar:  

For online access to the meeting, enter as a guest at: http://mafmc.adobeconnect.com/february2016/

Briefing Materials:

Briefing materials will be posted on the February 2016 Meeting page as they become available.

Agenda

Tuesday, February 9th

9:00 – 10:00 a.m. Executive Committee – CLOSED SESSION

  • SSC membership and process

10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Collaborative Research Committee

  • Review and discuss preliminary alternatives for long-term collaborative research

12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Lunch

1:30 p.m. Council convenes

1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Unmanaged Forage Fish

  • Consider comments from the Fishery Management Action Team, Ecosystems and Ocean Planning Advisory Panel, and Ecosystems and Ocean Planning Committee meetings on list of species, management alternatives, and other aspects of the amendment
  • Review and approve public hearing document

4:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. NROC Party/Charter Electronic Reporting Project

George Lapointe

Wednesday, February 10th

9:00 a.m. Council convenes

9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management

  • Review Interactions White Paper Discuss EAFM Guidance Document (First Draft)

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Fisheries Dependent Data Project

Jen Anderson – GARFO

12:00 p.m. – 12:15 p.m. Ricks E Savage Award

12:15 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Lunch

1:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Law Enforcement Report

2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Scup Gear Restricted Areas – Framework Meeting 2

  • Review AP input
  • Review analysis of impacts
  • Select final alternative

4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Omnibus Industry Funded Monitoring Amendment

  • Select preferred alternatives for standard cost responsibilities, framework provisions for IFM programs, service provider requirements, a prioritization process to allocate federal funding, and monitoring set-asides

Thursday, February 11th

9:00 a.m. Council Convenes

9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Marine Recreational Information Program

  • Update on implementation activities

9:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Naming the Deep Sea Coral Protection Areas

10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Business Session

  • Organization Reports 
  • Liaison Reports 
  • Executive Director’s Report
  • Science Report
  • Committee Reports
  • Continuing and New Business 

View a PDF of the Agenda