Saving Seafood

Reminder: Mid-Atlantic Council Solicits Public Input on Essential Fish Habitat Amendment

December 2, 2025 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold five public hearings to gather public input on a draft amendment to update Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) descriptions and maps for all 14 Council-managed species. The first hearing will be held by webinar today, December 2, at 6:00 p.m. 

More information about the proposed EFH updates can be found in the Public Hearing Document and on the Amendment Webpage. An interactive EFH Demo App allows users to view EFH by species and life stage, compare current and proposed EFH designations, and explore the underlying data and methodology. Click here to watch a video walkthrough of the app’s main features.

Comments may be submitted at any of the following public hearings. Two hearings will focus on specific species, while others will be “all species” sessions. If you are only interested in a particular species, we encourage you to join one of the species focus webinars.

  1. December 2, 2025, 6:00 p.m. (Webinar) – All Species: Open Discussion – Registration
  2. December 9, 2025, 6:00 p.m. (Webinar) – Focus: Summer Flounder, Scup, Black Sea Bass, Bluefish, and Spiny Dogfish – Registration
  3. January 6, 2026, 6:00 p.m. (Webinar) – Focus: Mackerels, Squids, Butterfish, Tilefishes, Surfclam, and Ocean Quahog – Registration
  4. January 13, 2026, 6:00 p.m. (Webinar) – All Species: Open Discussion –Registration
  5. February 3, 2026, 6:30 p.m. (In-Person) – Westin Crystal City (1800 Richmond Hwy, Arlington, VA 22202). All Species: Open Discussion.

Written comments are being accepted until Tuesday, February 11, 2026.

Questions? Contact Jessica Coakley at jcoakley@mafmc.org or (302) 526-5252.

Mid-Atlantic Council Solicits Public Input on Essential Fish Habitat Amendment

November 18, 2025 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold five public hearings to gather public input on a draft amendment to modify Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) designations and descriptions for 14 of the Council’s managed species. Hearings will be held between December 2, 2025 and February 3, 2026, and written comments will be accepted through February 11, 2026.

EFH is defined as “those waters and substrates necessary to fish for spawning, breeding, feeding, or growth to maturity.” Regional fishery management councils are required to identify and describe EFH for each species managed under a federal FMP. Once Councils have identified EFH, federal agencies must consult with NOAA Fisheries regarding whether their actions may adversely affect EFH.

In April 2025, the Council completed a review of EFH designations in collaboration with the New England Fishery Management Council. Based on the information and methods developed during this review, the Council is proposing to revise EFH designations and descriptions for its entire portfolio of managed species. These updates incorporate fish abundance data from multiple inshore and offshore surveys, as well as environmental data from several sources. Additional details can be found in the in the Public Hearing Document and on the Amendment Webpage.

Members of the public are invited to comment on any aspect of the draft amendment. Following a review of comments received, the Council will select a preferred alternative and submit the amendment to NOAA Fisheries for review and rulemaking.

Public Hearings

Comments may be submitted at any of the following public hearings. Two of the hearings will focus on specific species, while others will be “all species” sessions. If you are only interested in a particular species, we encourage you to join one of the species focus webinars.

  1. December 2, 2025, 6:00 p.m. Webinar Registration. All Species: Open Discussion.
  2. December 9, 2025, 6:00 p.m. Webinar Registration. Focus: Summer Flounder, Scup, Black Sea Bass, Bluefish, and Spiny Dogfish.
  3. January 6, 2026, 6:00 p.m. Webinar Registration. Focus: Mackerels, Squids, Butterfish, Tilefishes, Surfclam, and Ocean Quahog. 
  4. January 13, 2026, 6:00 p.m. Webinar Registration. All Species: Open Discussion.
  5. February 3, 2026, 6:30 p.m. In-Person: Westin Crystal City (1800 Richmond Hwy, Arlington, VA 22202). All Species: Open Discussion.

Written Comments

Written comments may be submitted by any of the following methods. Comments must be received by Tuesday, February 11, 2026.

  • Email to jcoakley@mafmc.org (use subject “EFH Amendment”)
  • Online at https://www.mafmc.org/comments/efh-amendment
  • Mail to Chris Moore, Ph.D., Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 800 North State Street, Suite 201, Dover, DE 19901. Mark the outside of the envelope “EFH Amendment.”

October 2025 Council Meeting Summary

October 16, 2025 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council met October 7-9, 2025, in Philadelphia, PA. A summary of key actions and discussions from the meeting is now available.

Read the October 2025 Council Meeting Summary

Additional materials, including briefing documents, presentations, motions, and webinar recordings, can be found on the Meeting Page.

If you have any questions, please contact Mary Sabo (msabo@mafmc.org, 302-526-5261) or another member of Council staff.

Next Meeting: 

The next Council meeting will be held December 15-18, 2025, in Washington, DC.A full list of upcoming meetings can be found at https://www.mafmc.org/council-events.

Council Operations During Federal Government Shutdown

October 1, 2025 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council is continuing normal operations during the federal government shutdown. The Council’s next meeting, scheduled for October 7–9, 2025 in Philadelphia, PA, will proceed as planned. Additional information can be found on the October 2025 Council Meeting Page.

Most of the Council’s federal partners at the NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO) and the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) are currently on furlough. If the shutdown remains in place, the Council will conduct as much business as possible, recognizing that the absence of federal partners may require some meetings or events to be rescheduled. Any changes will be posted on the Council event calendar.

Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council to Meet October 7-9, 2025, in Philadelphia, PA

September 16, 2025 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will meet October 7-9, 2025, at the Notary Hotel (21 North Juniper Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, 215-496-3200). A webinar option will be available for those who wish to participate virtually.

Meeting Materials: A detailed agenda is available on the October 2025 Council Meeting Page. Briefing materials and presentations will be posted as they become available.

Public Comment: The Council welcomes public comment from in-person and remote participants. Instructions and deadlines for submitting comments are available on the meeting page.

Webinar and Live Stream: The webinar will be hosted via Webex. No pre-registration is required. Connection details are available on the meeting page. The meeting will also be live streamed on the Council’s YouTube channel.

Agenda Highlights: Key topics and actions for consideration include:

  • 2026 Implementation Plan (Executive Committee) – Review draft actions and deliverables for 2026
  • Recreational Tilefish Permitting and Reporting Framework (including river herring and shad cap) – Review preliminary draft alternatives
  • Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) – Review recent program actions, including Fishing Effort Survey (FES) improvements
  • Mackerel Rebuilding and 2026–2027 Specifications Framework – Review draft alternatives
  • Essential Fish Habitat Amendment – Approve public hearing document
  • Gear Marking/On-Demand Gear Framework – Consider final action
  • Spiny Dogfish Framework (Accountability Measures & 2026–2027 Specifications) – Consider final action
  • NEFMC Omnibus Management Flexibility Amendment (monkfish provisions only) – Select preferred monkfish alternatives and take final action
  • Habitat activities update (GARFO) – Presentation on activities of interest in the region
  • Atlantic Coast Regional Fisheries Compensation Program – Updates on development of a regional offshore wind fisheries compensation program

Announcing the 2026 Marine Resource Education Program Greater Atlantic Workshop

September 3, 2025 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Marine Resource Education Program (MREP) is accepting applications for the next Greater Atlantic Fisheries Science and Management Workshop, scheduled for January 12-16, 2026, in Falmouth, Massachusetts.

Created by fishermen, for fishermen, MREP offers a neutral look into regional fishery science and management. MREP’s Greater Atlantic workshop is tailored to the area. It brings commercial, charter, and recreational fishermen from North Carolina to Maine together with regional scientists and managers to learn the processes, share insights, and network. This workshop will equip you with tools to engage in the management process and participate in collaborative science.

Attending the workshop is free for anyone who fishes or works in associated fishing industries. MREP reimburses travel costs and pays for hotel lodging and meals for accepted participants.

Space is limited, and preference will be given to applications received by November 10, 2025. Accepted participants will be notified by phone and email by late November 2025.

The regional program principals are available to respond to inquiries about the 2026 workshop series:
  • Hank Soule | Groundfish Sector Manager | (603) 781-9718
  • Rick Bellavance | Charter Captain | (401) 741-5648
  • Robert Ruhle | MAFMC, NC Rep. | (252) 305-0960

General questions about the program should be directed to Sophie Swetz, MREP Greater Atlantic Program Manager, at sswetz@gmri.org or (207) 772-2321 ext. 8104.

Visit mrep.gmri.org for more information.

Funding Opportunity: Pilot Regional Industry-Based Bottom Trawl Survey

August 20, 2025 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Northeast Fisheries Science Center and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) seek a science-industry team to conduct a pilot regional industry-based bottom trawl survey (RIBTS). This pilot survey will be used to define the operational requirements for a full scale, shelf-wide, multispecies, industry-based bottom trawl survey that will complement our federal Bottom Trawl Survey conducted aboard the NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow.

The Commission will issue a funding contract to a science and fishing industry team to conduct field work off the coast of southern New England to:

  • Collect catch, biological, and oceanographic data
  • Assess operational requirements
  • Produce documentation of best practices

The pilot survey will need to be conducted in the fall of 2025 or spring 2026. Data processing will need to be completed and standard operating procedures drafted within six months of field work completion.

Application Instructions

The deadline to submit proposals is midnight ET on September 5, 2025. Please see the RFP online for complete proposal details, qualifying requirements, and submission instructions.

Questions?

Please contact Anna Mercer at anna.mercer@noaa.gov.

Omega Protein urges scientific review before menhaden fishery cuts

July 31, 2025 — Menhaden processor Omega Protein and its harvesting partner Ocean Harvesters have urged the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) to conduct further scientific reviews before considering potential reductions to the Chesapeake Bay menhaden fishery.

In a letter to the ASMFC, Omega Protein Senior Scientific Advisor Peter Himchak argued that recent concerns linking menhaden fishing to declines in osprey populations are being overstated, calling for a broader investigation into possible causes.

Himchak, a former fisheries biologist with the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife and longtime advisor to the ASMFC and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, criticized what he called an “inordinate amount of focus on menhaden generally, and the reduction fishery in particular,” in discussions of osprey declines.

In particular, he pushed back against recommendations made by the ASMFC’s Work Group on Precautionary Management in the Chesapeake Bay, calling them “draconian” and warning that implementing restrictions without clear evidence of depleted menhaden stocks or proven impacts on osprey risks harming an industry that supports hundreds of jobs and has operated for over 150 years.

Read the full article at Aqua Feed

Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council to Meet August 11-14, 2025, in Annapolis, Maryland

July 25, 2025 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will meet August 11-14, 2025, at the Westin Annapolis (100 Westgate Circle, Annapolis, MD 21401, 410-972-4300). A webinar option will be available for those who wish to participate virtually.

Meeting Materials: A detailed agenda is available on the August 2025 Council Meeting Page. Briefing materials and presentations will be posted as they become available.

Public Comment: The Council welcomes public comment from in-person and remote participants. Instructions and deadlines for submitting comments are available on the meeting page.

Webinar and Live Stream: The webinar will be hosted via Webex. No pre-registration is required. Connection details will be posted on the meeting page. The meeting will also be live streamed on the Council’s YouTube channel.

Agenda Highlights: Key topics and actions for consideration include:

  • Executive Order on Seafood Competitiveness – Develop recommendations to reduce burdens and increase U.S. fishery production.
  • Blueline Tilefish – Review correspondence from the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council and consider next steps.
  • Illex Squid – Adopt 2026–2028 specifications and management measures.
  • Longfin Squid (SQUIBS Project) – Review outcomes from the longfin squid biological sampling program.
  • Atlantic Sea Scallops – Review results of the research track assessment and peer review.
  • Recreational Sector Separation Amendment – Review preliminary conceptual alternatives and discuss plans for addressing recreational data collection issues.
  • Bluefish – Adopt 2026–2027 specifications and recreational management measures.
  • Summer Flounder, Scup, Black Sea Bass – Adopt 2026–2027 specifications and review commercial management measures.
  • Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) White Paper – Review white paper on separate OFLs and ABCs for summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass and discuss next steps.
  • Council Membership and Officer Elections – Swear in new members and elect officers.

Portions of the meeting will be conducted jointly with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Interstate Fisheries Management Program (ISFMP) Policy Board, Bluefish Board, and Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board.

Questions? Contact Mary Sabo at msabo@mafmc.org or (302) 526-5261.

Mid-Atlantic Council Invites Public Input in Response to Executive Order 14276, “Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness”

June 17, 2025 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid‑Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) invites fishermen, processors, scientists, seafood businesses, non‑governmental organizations, and other interested parties to provide input on ways to reduce regulatory burdens and increase production in domestic fisheries. Submitted comments will inform the Council’s response to Executive Order (EO) 14276, “Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness.”

Background

Signed on April 17, 2025, EO 14276 directs federal agencies to “promote the productive harvest of our seafood resources; unburden our commercial fishermen from costly and inefficient regulation; combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing; and protect our seafood markets from the unfair trade practices of foreign nations.”

Section 4 of the order instructs the Secretary of Commerce to ask each Regional Fishery Management Council to provide updated recommendations that reduce burdens on domestic fisheries and increase production, building on lists first developed in 2020 under EO 13921 (see the Mid-Atlantic Council’s previous recommendations here). Recommended actions should stabilize markets, improve access, enhance economic profitability, and prevent closures. NOAA’s Office of Sustainable Fisheries has requested that Councils submit their updated recommendations by September 30, 2025.

How to Submit Comments

All comments must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, July 18, 2025. Submitted materials will be posted publicly on the Council’s website.