Saving Seafood

MAFMC and ASMFC to Hold Public Hearings for Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Commercial/Recreational Allocation Amendmen

January 15, 2021 — 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 (Commission) are seeking public comment on the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Commercial/Recreational Allocation Amendment. Comments may be submitted at any of five virtual public hearings to be held between February 17 and March 2, 2021 or via written comment until March 16, 2021.

The Council and Commission are developing this joint amendment to consider adjusting the allocations of catch or landings between the commercial and recreational fisheries for summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass. The commercial and recreational allocations for all three species are currently based on historical proportions of landings (for summer flounder and black sea bass) or catch (for scup) from each sector. Recent changes in how recreational catch is estimated have resulted in a discrepancy between the current levels of estimated recreational harvest and the allocations of summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass to the recreational sector. Some changes have also been made to commercial catch data since the allocations were established. This amendment considers whether modifications to the allocations are needed in light of these and other changes in the fisheries. The amendment also considers options that would allow a portion of the allowable landings to be transferred between the commercial and recreational sectors each year, in either direction, based on the needs of each sector.

We encourage you to visit the Council’s Summer Flounder, Scup, Black Sea Bass Commercial/Recreational Allocation Amendment web page or the Commission’s Public Input web page, where you can read the Public Hearing Document, the Draft Amendment, and watch the public hearing presentation (to be posted by Friday, February 12, 2021). The Council’s Public Hearing Document is an abbreviated version of the amendment which summarizes proposed management options and impacts. The Commission’s Draft Amendment is a more comprehensive management document that will resemble the Commission’s final amendment once approved. Both documents contain identical options for public input, but each have been developed according to each management body’s differing requirements.

Read the full release here

Draft Biological Opinion on 10 Fishery Management Plans Released for Feedback

January 15, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Today, we shared our draft Biological Opinion that examines the effects of 10 fishery management plans on threatened and endangered species in the Greater Atlantic Region and also examines the effects of the New England Fisheries Management Council’s Omnibus Essential Fish Habitat Amendment 2 on these species. The purpose of sharing the draft Opinion is to allow interested parties, including the New England Fishery Management Council, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, to provide feedback on the Biological Opinion.

We are accepting feedback on the draft Biological Opinion until February 19, 2021. For more information, please read our information bulletin.

Send feedback (or questions) to: nmfs.gar.fisheriesbiopfeedback@noaa.gov

Rutgers Cooperative Extension to Host Introductory Fisheries Science for Stakeholders (IFISSH) Course

January 12, 2021 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Rutgers Cooperative Extension is offering an introductory fisheries science course for stakeholders of New Jersey’s marine fisheries. The Introductory Fisheries Science for Stakeholders (IFISSH) course covers topics related to fisheries biology, oceanography, surveys of marine fishery resources, collection of commercial and recreational fishery catch data, stock assessments, and fisheries management.

Classes will be held weekly via Zoom on Tuesday evenings (6:30 – 9:00 p.m.) from February 16 through April 20. The program fee is $25.00 per person. Register by February 9 at this link or by contacting Kelly Jurgensen at kjurgensen@co.ocean.nj.us or 732-349-1152.

Visit the IFISSH web page or download the course flyer for additional details.

If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Douglas Zemeckis (County Agent III – Assistant Professor), Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Rutgers University at zemeckis@njaes.rutgers.edu or 732-349-1152.

Mid-Atlantic Council Seeks Stakeholder Input on Summer Flounder Recreational Management

January 12, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council is collecting public comments and suggestions regarding current and future management of the recreational summer flounder fishery. Input provided through the scoping comment form will help inform the development of a management strategy evaluation, which will evaluate different management strategies designed to minimize discards in the recreational summer flounder fishery. 

The Council is collecting this information as part of the continued progress and implementation of its Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management.

The Council encourages all stakeholders who have interest, knowledge, or experience related to the recreational summer flounder fishery to provide comments. The form should take 10-15 minutes to complete, and your answers are confidential. More information.

Provide comments on the MAFMC’s scoping comment form by Monday, January 25, 2021.

Read the full release here

Mid-Atlantic Council Seeks Stakeholder Input on Summer Flounder Recreational Management

January 12, 2021 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council is collecting public comments and suggestions regarding current and future management of the recreational summer flounder fishery. Input provided through the scoping comment form will help inform the development of a management strategy evaluation (MSE) which will evaluate different management strategies designed to minimize discards in the recreational summer flounder fishery.

The Council is collecting this information as part of the continued progress and implementation of its Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (EAFM) structured framework process (see: https://www.mafmc.org/eafm for more information).

The Council encourages all stakeholders who have interest, knowledge, or experience related to the recreational summer flounder fishery to provide comments. The form should take 10-15 minutes to complete, and your answers will be kept confidential. More information can be found here.

Click on the link below to provide comments by Monday, January 25, 2021.

Scoping Comment Form – Summer Flounder Recreational Management

Read the full release here

MAFMC/ASMFC 2020 December Meeting Webinar Meeting Summaries and Motions Now Available

December 21, 2020 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Meeting summaries and motions from the joint meeting of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass, Bluefish and ISFMP Policy Boards are now available at http://www.asmfc.org/files/Meetings/ASMFC_MAFMC_December2020.pdf.  The document can also be obtained on the Commission website on the Meeting Archives page at http://www.asmfc.org/home/meeting-archive.

Meeting materials and presentations can be found on the MAFMC’s December meeting page at https://www.mafmc.org/briefing/december-2020.

NOAA Fisheries Announces 2021 and 2022 Golden Tilefish Specifications and Emergency Action

December 18, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries announces final quota specifications for the 2021 mid-Atlantic golden tilefish fishery and projected specifications for 2022. These catch limits are mostly status quo, with only a slight change in the final incidental quota to account for updated discard estimates.

ABC=Acceptable Biological Catch, ACL=Annual Catch Limit, ACT=Annual Catch Target, TAL=Total Allowable Landings

Additionally, we are implementing the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s request for emergency action to allow a one-time 5-percent carryover of unharvested individual fishing quota (IFQ) into the 2021 fishing year. This carryover allowance will help mitigate the adverse impact of regional closures of restaurants and fish markets during 2020. We will send IFQ quota shareholders a letter indicating how much quota they may carryover.

All other management measures and requirements remain unchanged. This includes the incidental landing limit of 500 lb (whole weight) or 50 percent (by weight) of all fish being landed, including tilefish, whichever is less. The recreational trip limit of eight fish per angler is also unchanged.

For more details on these specifications, read the final rule as filed in the Federal Register and our bulletin.

NOAA Fisheries Announces Final 2021 Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Specifications

December 18, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

We are implementing the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s recommended 2021 summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass specifications. The final 2021 catch limits are increasing relative to previously approved 2021 quotas because the Council revised its risk policy, which defines the acceptable risk of overfishing. The revised catch limits still minimize the chance of overfishing, while providing more opportunities for fishermen. No additional changes to the federal commercial management measures were made.

Read the full release here

NOAA Fisheries Implements Adjustments to the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s Risk Policy

December 14, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries is implementing a final rule that adjusts the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s risk policy. This action modifies the Council’s risk policy by accepting a higher level of risk for stocks that are at or above biomass targets, resulting in the ability for the Council to set higher catch limits for healthy fisheries. This action also removes the typical/atypical species designation when applied to the current risk policy allowing the Council to better use improvements in stock assessment and modeling approaches that can more appropriately account for and address overfishing vulnerability.

For more details, please read the rule as filed in the Federal Register and our bulletin. This rule is effective on December 15, 2020.

Read the full release here