Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council Archives

MAFMC and ASMFC Approve Changes to Process for Setting Recreational Management Measures for Summer Flounder, Scup, Black Sea Bass, and Bluefish

April 14, 2025 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Interstate Fisheries Management Program Policy Board (Policy Board) have approved modifications to the process for setting recreational measures (bag, size, and season limits), as well as the recreational accountability measures, for summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, and bluefish. The Council recommended these changes through a framework action, and the Policy Board adopted these changes through Addendum XXXVI to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan (FMP) and Addendum III to the Bluefish FMP. These changes are part of a broader long-term effort by both the Council and Commission to improve recreational management of these jointly managed species.

The current process for setting recreational measures, referred to as the Percent Change Approach, was implemented in 2023 and will sunset at the end of 2025. During a joint meeting last week in Galloway, New Jersey, the Council and Policy Board discussed several options to improve or replace the Percent Change Approach for 2026 and beyond. After reviewing public comments and recommendations from technical committees and advisory panels, the Council and Policy Board agreed to maintain the current process with several modifications based on lessons learned over the past few years. These changes will be implemented in two phases.

The first phase of changes aims to better account for stock status when setting measures and will create more opportunities for stability in management measures. The current system uses three biomass categories to guide whether measures should change; the revised approach adds a fourth category for stocks near their biomass target and establishes a separate process for overfished stocks. These changes will take effect starting with the 2026 recreational measures for summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass. The Council and Policy Board delayed the implementation of these changes for bluefish until 2028 to allow time for development of an appropriate methodology for evaluating the impacts of measures on bluefish harvest and discards. The bluefish stock has been under a rebuilding plan since 2022, and recreational measures will continue to be set based on the rebuilding plan until the stock is declared rebuilt.

The second phase of modifications, which will be implemented for setting 2030 recreational measures and beyond, will update the process to use a catch-based target. Unlike the current process – which focuses on achieving a specific level of predicted harvest – a catch-based approach aims to achieve a target level of total dead catch, including both harvest and dead discards. This approach will allow for more explicit consideration of how measures affect discards. Some advisors and members of the public raised concerns about the potential for this change to create greater instability in management measures. After extensive discussion of each approach, the Council and Policy Board delayed the transition to a catch-based target until 2030 to allow time for additional analysis on the potential impacts to measures.

The Council and Policy Board also approved changes to the recreational accountability measures. These changes will be effective starting in 2026 for all four species. Under these revisions, when an accountability measure is triggered due to recent overages of the recreational annual catch limits, managers will also consider if those overages contributed to overfishing when determining the appropriate response.

The Council will submit the framework to the National Marine Fisheries Service for review and implementation, while the Commission’s measures are final for state waters. Additional information about this action is available on the Council and Commission websites.

Recreational Sector Separation and Data Collection Amendment

In other related business, the Council and Policy Board also reviewed scoping comments on the Recreational Sector Separation and Data Collection Amendment from public hearings and written comments, as well as input provided by the joint Summer Flounder, Scup, Black Sea Bass and Bluefish Advisory Panels and the Fishery Management Action Team/Plan Development Team. Based on these comments, the Council and Policy Board agreed that recreational sector separation and recreational data collection should be addressed separately. Further development of the amendment will focus on management options for recreational sector separation, including mode management, as well as consideration of for-hire permitting and reporting requirements.

The Council and Policy Board separated out the recreational data collection and use issue from the amendment due to concerns that the complexity of this issue would cause significant delays in the amendment timeline. Council and Policy Board members also noted there is a need to more clearly define the objectives for recreational data collection improvement. This issue will be explored through a white paper which will consider the feasibility of various approaches and help the Council and Policy Board clarify goals for a potential future action. Additional information and updates are available on the Council and Commission action pages.

Reed renews bid for Rhode Island on MAFMC

April 1, 2025 — U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island) has reintroduced legislation to add the state of Rhode Island to the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC), one of the eight regional fishery councils that manage commercial fishing in the United States.

The Mid-Atlantic Council holds primary management authority over federal waters off the coasts of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia.

Rhode Island currently sits on the New England Fishery Management Council, which governs fishing to the north of the Mid-Atlantic Council area along the United States’ Atlantic coast. However, Reed claims that Rhode Island would be better served by a seat on the MAFMC, since the commercial fisheries Rhode Island fishers are most actively participating in are managed by the MAFMC, not the NEFMC.

“For years now, Rhode Island’s landings of stocks managed by the MAFMC have outpaced the landings of those managed by the New England Fishery Management Council, where Rhode Island is represented,” Reed said on the floor of the U.S. Senate on March 26. “Moreover, Rhode Island has a larger stake in the mid-Atlantic fishery than many of the States that currently hold seats on the MAFMC.”

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

Rhode Island lawmakers continue push for seat on Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council

March 28, 2025 — U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island) has reintroduced legislation to add the state of Rhode Island to the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC), one of the eight regional fishery councils that manages commercial fishing in the United States.

The Mid-Atlantic Council holds primary management authority over federal waters off the coasts of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Reminder: Scoping Comments on Recreational Sector Separation and Data Collection Amendment due March 20, 2025

March 14, 2025 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission) are accepting comments through Thursday, March 20, 2025, on the range of issues and information to be considered in the Recreational Sector Separation and Data Collection Amendment to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan (FMP) and the Bluefish FMP.

The proposed amendment may consider options for managing for-hire recreational fisheries separately from other recreational fishing modes (referred to as sector separation), as well as options related to the collection and use of recreational data, such as private angler reporting and enhanced for-hire vessel trip reporting requirements. The Council and Commission are currently conducting scoping for this action. Input provided in this phase will help the Council and Commission identify issues of concern and determine which types of management alternatives should be further developed.

Written comments can be submitted by any of the following methods:

ONLINE at https://mafmc.knack.com/public-comments#rec-sector-separation-data-collection/
EMAIL to kdancy@mafmc.org (subject: Recreational Sector Separation and Data Collection)
MAIL to Dr. Christopher Moore, Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 800 North State Street, Suite 201, Dover, DE 19901 (Please write “Recreational Sector Separation and Data Collection” on the envelope)

The Public Information/Scoping Document provides a broad overview of the issues identified for consideration in the amendment, management approaches that may be considered, and a series of questions to guide public comment. For more information, visit the Council or Commission websites.

If you have any questions, please contact Kiley Dancy (kdancy@mafmc.org, 302-526-5257) or Tracey Bauer (tbauer@asmfc.org, 703-842-0723).

NEW JERSEY: Should recreational fisheries be split into two management sectors? Public input sought

February 7, 2025 — Should party boats have different regulations for fluke than, say, surf fishermen?

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council are floating an idea to split several recreational fisheries into two separate management sectors, a strategy that fishermen have raised before at fishery meetings but never really got any air under it.

The federal regulatory bodies are currently scoping the idea and has opened the question to comment, giving the public until March 20 to submit their opinions. The separate management would just be for the summer flounder, porgy, sea bass and bluefish fisheries.

Read the full article at Asbury Park Press

Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council to Meet February 11-12, 2025

January 24, 2025 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will meet Tuesday, February 11 – Wednesday, February 12, 2025. This will be a fully virtual meeting. Briefing materials will be posted on the February 2025 Council Meeting Page 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 conducted on the Webex meeting platform. No pre-registration is required. Connection instructions are available on the meeting page. The meeting will also be live streamed to the Council’s YouTube channel.

Agenda: A detailed agenda is available here. Key actions and topics for consideration at the meeting include:

Spiny Dogfish Accountability Measures Framework – review framework purpose and range of alternatives that may be considered
Recreational Sector Separation and Data Collection Amendment – consider requesting that NOAA Fisheries publish control dates for recreational for-hire permits for summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, and bluefish
Legal Review, Financial Disclosure and Recusal Training (NOAA Fisheries General Counsel)
Northeast Fisheries Science Center survey updates
Presentation: Fishing Gear Effects on Marine Habitats Database
Presentation: Locking Away Carbon on the Northeast Shelf and Slope (LOC-NESS) project
Standardized Bycatch Reduction Methodology (SBRM) 3-Year Review
SSC Membership Appointments

Reminder: Applications for Scientific and Statistical Committee Due January 17

January 10, 2025 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) is seeking qualified candidates for two openings on its Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC). Successful candidates will serve a three-year appointment beginning in March of 2025.

The SSC serves as the Council’s primary scientific/technical advisory body and provides independent scientific advice for fishery management decisions, including recommendations for acceptable biological catch and rebuilding targets. The SSC also provides science advice and information on stock status, bycatch, habitat, social and economic impacts of management measures, and research priorities. SSC members are also expected to serve on various technical working groups and peer review panels. The SSC typically meets 4-5 times per year, with meetings lasting from one to three days. Meetings may be held in-person or via webinar, and in-person meetings are usually held in the Mid-Atlantic region (e.g., Philadelphia, PA or Baltimore, MD).

Membership is composed of state and federal employees, academia, and independent experts with scientific and technical expertise in biology, statistics, stock assessments, economics, social science, and other relevant disciplines. Highly qualified candidates from all relevant fields are encouraged to apply. Special consideration will be given to applicants with expertise in fisheries ecology and life history, forage fish biology, recreational fisheries, survey design, and stock assessments.

Individuals interested in applying for nomination to the SSC must submit a current curriculum vitae (CV) or resume and a brief letter describing qualifications, relevant experience, and reason for interest in joining the SSC. All applications received will be reviewed by the Council’s Executive Committee. The Executive Committee will recommend up to two applicants for consideration and approval by the full Council.

Applications and materials may be submitted by email to Dr. Chris Moore, Executive Director, at admin@mafmc.org. All applications must be received by 5:00 P.M. on Friday, January 17, 2025. If you have any questions or need further information about the process, please contact Brandon Muffley at bmuffley@mafmc.org; 302-526-5260. Additional information about the SSC is available at https://www.mafmc.org/ssc.

Captain Dewey Hemilright Honored with Mid-Atlantic Council’s Ricks E Savage Award

December 20, 2024 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council has named Captain Dewey Hemilright, commercial fisherman and former Council member, as the recipient of the Ricks E Savage award. The award, which was presented during the Council’s December meeting in Annapolis, Maryland, is given annually to an individual who has made exceptional contributions to the management and conservation of fishery resources in the mid-Atlantic region.

Based out of Wanchese, North Carolina, Captain Hemilright is the owner/operator of the F/V Tarbaby. He was first appointed to the Council in 2012 to fill a mid-term vacancy and was reappointed for three additional full terms, serving for a total of 11 years. During this time, his on-the-water expertise and deep knowledge of the East coast fisheries enriched Council discussions and provided crucial perspective on how management decisions impact fishing communities.

“Dewey asked insightful questions and consistently shared his wealth of knowledge and experience with the Council and stakeholders,” said Council Chair Wes Townsend. “While he often served as a voice for the U.S. fishing industry, he did an outstanding job of balancing the interests of commercial fisheries and the sustainable management of the resources as required under the Magnuson-Stevens Act.”

Captain Hemilright chaired the Council’s Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Committee for seven years and served on most of the Council’s other committees at different times. He also represented the Council in other key roles, most notably as liaison to the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council and representative on NOAA Fisheries’ HMS Advisory Panel.

The Council extends its gratitude to Captain Hemilright for his years of service and congratulates him on this well-deserved honor.

MREP Fisheries Science and Management Workshop: January 13-17, 2025

October 22, 2024 — 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 in Falmouth, Massachusetts.

MREP is designed to equip fishermen with tools to engage in shaping regulatory action and to participate in collaborative science. Created by fishermen, for fishermen, MREP 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.

The workshop is free and includes hotel lodging, meals, and travel reimbursement for accepted participants.

Space is limited – the application takes 5-10 minutes to complete (click here). Applications received by Friday November 8 will be prioritized.

For more information about MREP, please visit https://mrep.gmri.org/faqs or email mrep@gmri.org. Regional industry involved with MREP can also share their experiences:

• Hank Soule, Groundfish Sector Manager – (603) 781-9718

• Rick Bellavance, Charter Captain, RI – (401) 741-5648

• Robert Ruhle, Commercial Fisherman, NC – (252) 305-0960

Mid-Atlantic Council Seeks Contractor to Develop a Framework to Evaluate Changes in Stock Distribution

September 16, 2024 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Climate-driven changes in species distributions create uncertainties in the fisheries management process, in some cases leading to governance challenges as species move across jurisdictional boundaries. Species distribution changes can also have important effects on fishery behavior, fishing locations, and market/shoreside trends. Understanding these dynamics and their impacts will be critical for reducing uncertainties in the management process and for developing climate resilient management and governance strategies.

The Mid‐Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) is seeking a highly qualified contractor to develop a framework for evaluating and monitoring species distribution changes. This project will be conducted in two phases. During the first phase, the contractor will develop a comprehensive synthesis of data and other information regarding stock and fishery distribution trends for Mid-Atlantic Council managed species. During the second phase, the contractor will develop a framework to monitor changes in species distributions and fishery locations, including appropriate indicators and metrics designed to indicate potential governance issues for managers. The contractor will test the application of this framework with a sub-set of species managed by, or of interest to, the Mid-Atlantic Council. The outcomes of this work will inform a Council policy for monitoring and responding to changes in stock and fishery distributions.

Complete details about the scope of work, contractor qualifications, and proposal submission instructions can be found in the request for proposals (RFP). Proposals are due October 18, 2024.