Saving Seafood

ASMFC and MAFMC Schedule Public Hearings on Draft Addendum XXXIII/Black Sea Bass Commercial State Allocation Amendment

September 9, 2020 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission) and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) have scheduled a series of public hearings to gather public input on the Commission’s Draft Addendum XXXIII and the Council’s Black Sea Bass Commercial State Allocation Amendment. The Commission initiated the Draft Addendum in October 2019 to consider adjusting the commercial black sea bass allocations based on current distribution and abundance of the stock. In December 2019, the Council initiated an amendment, which will consider including the allocations in the Council fishery management plan (FMP), modifying the state-specific allocations, and other changes to federal regulations.

Overview of Proposed Action

The draft amendment and addendum propose alternative approaches for allocating the coastwide black sea bass commercial quota among the states. The following options are proposed: A) status quo; B) increasing Connecticut’s allocation to 5%; C) dynamic allocations partially based on regional stock distribution and partially on historic allocations; D) a trigger-based approach where only coastwide quota above a certain level would be distributed according to a different allocation scheme; E) another trigger-based approach where quota above the trigger would first be used to increase Connecticut and New York’s allocations to 5% and 9%, respectively; and F) distributing a percentage of coastwide quota using initial allocations and the remaining proportion differently. A variety of sub-options are included to set the scale and pace of the allocation changes. Several options incorporate information on regional stock biomass; therefore, options are also proposed to define regions.

This action also considers changes to federal regulations and Council management of state allocations. These options address whether the state allocations should be added to the Council’s FMP or remain only in the Commission’s FMP, whether changes should be made to the regulations regarding paybacks of state quota overages if added to the Council’s FMP, and whether to modify regulations regarding federal in-season closures.

Read the full release here

ASMFC and MAFMC Schedule Public Hearings on Draft Addendum XXXIII/Black Sea Bass Commercial State Allocation Amendment

September 8, 2020 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission) and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) have scheduled a series of public hearings to gather public input on the Commission’s Draft Addendum XXXIII and the Council’s Black Sea Bass Commercial State Allocation Amendment. The Commission initiated the Draft Addendum in October 2019 to consider adjusting the commercial black sea bass allocations based on current distribution and abundance of the stock. In December 2019, the Council initiated an amendment, which will consider including the allocations in the Council fishery management plan (FMP), modifying the state-specific allocations, and other changes to federal regulations.

Overview of Proposed Action

Draft Addendum XXXIII proposes alternative approaches for allocating the coastwide black sea bass commercial quota among the states. The following options are proposed: A) status quo; B) increasing Connecticut’s allocation to 5%; C) dynamic allocations partially based on regional stock distribution and partially on historic allocations; D) a trigger-based approach where only coastwide quota above a certain level would be distributed according to a different allocation scheme; E) another trigger-based approach where quota above the trigger would first be used to increase Connecticut and New York’s allocations to 5% and 9%, respectively; and F) distributing a percentage of coastwide quota using initial allocations and the remaining proportion differently. A variety of sub-options are included to set the scale and pace of the allocation changes. Several options incorporate information on regional stock biomass; therefore, options are also proposed to define regions.

The Draft Addendum and Council Amendment also propose options to consider changes to federal regulations and Council management of state allocations. These options address whether the state allocations should be added to the Council’s FMP or remain only in the Commission’s FMP, whether changes should be made to the regulations regarding paybacks of state quota overages if added to the Council’s FMP, and whether to modify regulations regarding federal in-season closures.

Hearing Schedule

The Commission and Council have scheduled seven public hearings to gather public input on the Draft Addendum and Council Amendment. Members of the commercial fishing industry and other stakeholders are encouraged to provide input either by participating in the public hearing webinars or providing written comment. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all hearings will be conducted via webinar, with designated hearings for individual states and regions. You are encouraged to participate in the hearing for your state or region; however, all hearings are open to all individuals. Please note that in order to comment during the hearings you will need to use GoToWebinar. If you call in without using GoToWebinar, you will be in listen only mode and will not be able to provide input. Webinar registration links and call-in information are provided in the Webinar Instructions below.

Webinar Instructions

You can access GoToWebinar through your computer, tablet, or smartphone. If you are new to GoToWebinar, you can download the software (click here) or via the App store under GoToWebinar. We recommend you register for the hearing well in advance. GoToWebinar will provide you with a link to test your device’s compatibility with the webinar. If you find your device is not compatible, please contact the Commission at info@asmfc.org (subject line: GoToWebinar help) and we will try to get you connected. We also strongly encourage participants to use the computer voice over internet (VoIP) so you can ask questions and provide input at the hearing. Those joining by phone only will be limited to listening to the presentation and will not be able to provide input. In those cases, you can send your comments to staff via email, mail, or fax at any time during the public comment period.

To register for a public hearing please click here: Public Hearing Registration 

As part of the registration process, you must select the date and time of the hearing you wish to attend (see Table above). To attend the webinar in listen only mode, you may dial this number: 562.247.8422; Access Code: 412-241-258. Please note that those joining by phone only will be limited to listening to the presentation and will not be able to provide input. In those cases, you can send your comments to staff via email, mail, or fax at any time during the public comment period.

Learn More

Draft Addendum XXXIII is available athttp://www.asmfc.org/files/PublicInput/BSB_DraftAddendumXXXIII_PublicComment.pdf or via the Commission’s website at http://www.asmfc.org/about-us/public-input. A recording of the hearing presentation will be posted on the Commission’s YouTube channel in late September. A subsequent press release will announce the availability of the recording.

Submit Written Comments

In addition to providing comments at any of the scheduled hearings, written comments will be accepted until 11:59 PM (EST) on November 13, 2020 and should be sent to Caitlin Starks, FMP Coordinator, at 1050 N. Highland St., Suite 200 A-N, Arlington, Virginia 22201; 703.842.0741 (fax) or at comments@asmfc.org (Subject line: Black Sea Bass Addendum XXXIII).  All comments will be made available to both the Commission and Council for consideration; duplicate comments do not need to be submitted to both bodies.

For more information, please contact Caitlin Starks, ASMFC FMP Coordinator, at cstarks@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.

Mid-Atlantic Council Announces New Mobile App for Recreational Tilefish Reporting

August 24, 2020 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

NOAA Fisheries recently implemented new permitting and reporting requirements for recreational tilefish fishermen. All recreational vessel operators (including for-hire operators using their vessels on recreational trips) targeting or retaining golden or blueline tilefish from Virginia to Maine are now required to obtain a free permit from NOAA Fisheries and submit electronic vessel trip reports (eVTRs) within 24 hours of returning to port.

A new app has been released to make the reporting process easy and convenient. Harbor Light Software’s eFin Logbook has received certification from NOAA Fisheries as an approved application through which anglers can report their trips. Funded by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, eFin Logbook is a user-friendly application designed specifically for recreational tilefish anglers. The app is available for use on all Apple and Android mobile devices (iPhone, iPad, Android phone, and Android tablet).

“During our initial outreach efforts, many anglers told us that the existing NOAA-approved reporting systems were too complicated for recreational reporting,” said Mid-Atlantic Council Executive Director Chris Moore. “Recreational stakeholders are generally supportive of the need for improved data collection on tilefish but have stressed the need for a simpler, more user-friendly interface. In response to this feedback, we collaborated with Harbor Light Software on the development of eFin Logbook, the first NOAA-approved electronic reporting system designed specifically for recreational fishermen.”

At present, eFin Logbook can only be used by tilefish recreational anglers to satisfy reporting requirements. Future modifications may expand its capabilities to other reporting and personal fishing log applications. For-hire operators, many of whom have other reporting requirements, are encouraged to choose different software. To learn more about other electronic reporting options and decide which one is right for you, visit the NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Region Electronic Reporting Web Page.

Mid-Atlantic council calls for extending observer waiver through 2020

August 17, 2020 — On the eve of NMFS resuming at-sea observer coverage, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council asked the agency to again extend its covid-19 waiver on deploying observers in the Greater Atlantic region.

“Given the continued transmission of the covid-19 virus, we do not believe the observer program can be safely operated at this time,” wrote council chairman Michael Luisi in an Aug. 13 letter to NMFS regional director Michael Pentony and Jon Hare, science and research director at the Northeast Fisheries Science Center.

“According to the Centers for Disease Control, when we last communicated on this issue (June 23, 2020), the 7-day new case average was under 30,000 new cases per day. On August 11, 2020, the national 7-day average of new cases was over 52,000 new cases per day,” the letter states.

“Given the ongoing community transmission of the virus and the particularly high risk of transmission in the close quarters onboard a vessel, we believe that deploying observers on fishing vessels at this time poses an unwarranted risk to fishermen, observers, and associated communities.”

Council members talked about that concern during their online August meeting this week and approved a recommendation to extend the observer and monitor waiver on permitted commercial fishing vessels through Dec. 31.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

MAFMC: Due to COVID-19, Redeployed Observer Program Isn’t Safe

August 17, 2020 — The following letter was written by Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council Administrators to the National Marine Fisheries Service:

On behalf of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council), I am writing to express our deep concern about the plan to redeploy observers on vessels in the Greater Atlantic Region on August 14, 2020. Given the continued transmission of the COVID-19 virus, we do not believe the observer program can be safely operated at this time.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, when we last communicated on this issue (June 23, 2020), the 7-day new case average was under 30,000 new cases per day. 1 On August 11, 2020, the national 7-day average of new cases was over 52,000 new cases per day. 1 Given the ongoing community transmission of the virus and the particularly high risk of transmission in the close quarters onboard a vessel, we believe that deploying observers on fishing vessels at this time poses an unwarranted risk to fishermen, observers, and associated communities.

During our August 2020 Meeting the Council discussed these concerns and approved a motion to recommend that you extend the observer/monitor waiver granted to vessels with Greater Atlantic Region fishing permits through December 31, 2020. This recommendation aligns with the Council’s position regarding in-person meetings, which prioritizes the health and safety of participants. It also appears to align with NOAA Fisheries’ recent decision to cancel several at-sea surveys “due to the uncertainties created by the COVID-19 pandemic and the unique challenges those are creating for NOAA Fisheries.”

In evaluating when and how to redeploy observers, we encourage you to consider not only the health risks to individuals onboard the fishing vessels but also the potential lost wages/revenues and liabilities if a vessel cannot operate due to an infection caused by an observer. We still have not yet received an official response to the following question posed to you in our June 23, 2020 letter: “Given the known risks of the ongoing pandemic, is NOAA planning to assume liability for the health costs and other legal or financial ramifications resulting from an infection transmitted by an observer?” (The same question would apply to an infection transmitted to an observer.)

Read the full release here

It’s nice to share: NMFS, Mid-Atlantic council propose more flounder quota for states

August 14, 2020 — With the East Coast summer flounder stock on an upswing, more states could share when the annual commercial quota can be raised above 9.55 million pounds, under a proposal by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and NMFS.

Amendment 21 to the council’s summer flounder management plan “would change the state-by-state commercial quota allocations when the coastwide quota exceeds 9.55 million pounds,” according to a rulemaking notice from NMFS in the Aug. 12 federal Register.

“When the coastwide quota is 9.55 million pounds or less, the quota would be distributed according to the current allocations,” held mostly by North Carolina, Virginia, New Jersey and Rhode Island, under historic allocation splits that date back to 1993, the notice explains.

Now, with the flounder biomass and the fishery in good shape, fishermen and their state governments have been pressing to share the benefits.

Under the proposed amendment, “in years when the coastwide quota exceeds 9.55 million pounds, any additional quota, beyond this threshold, would be distributed in equal shares to all states except Maine, Delaware, and New Hampshire, which would split 1 percent of the additional quota,” the notice states.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

Meeting Summaries and Motions from the Joint ASMFC/MAFMC August Meeting Webinar

August 14. 2020 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Meeting summaries and motions from the Joint meeting of the MAFMC and ASMFC Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass and Bluefish Boards are now available at http://www.asmfc.org/files/Meetings/ASMFC_Bluefish_SFlounderScupBSBBoard_MAFMCMtgSummary_Aug2020.pdf. The document can also be obtained on the Commission website on the Meeting Archives page at http://www.asmfc.org/home/meeting-archive.  Presentations and briefing materials are available on the MAFMC website at: https://www.mafmc.org/briefing/august-2020.

MAFMC News Roundup – 8/5/20

August 5, 2020 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Last Chance to Submit Comments on Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth: The Council is seeking ideas and suggestions for reducing burdens on domestic fishing and increasing production within sustainable fisheries. Input will help inform the Council’s development of a prioritized list of recommended actions as required under Section 4 of Executive Order 13921. Learn more and submit comments here. Comments are due today, August 5, at 5:00 p.m.

August 6 Joint MAFMC/ASMFC Meeting: The Council will meet jointly via webinar with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (ASMFC) Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board and Bluefish Management Board on August 6, 2020. An agenda and other details related to the joint portion of the meeting are available on the August 6, 2020 Joint MAFMC/ASMFC Meeting Page. Webinar connection information is available on the ASMFC’s Summer 2020 Meeting page.

August 2020 Council Meeting: The Council’s August 2020 Council Meeting will be held via webinar next week, August 10-13. A portion of the meeting will be conducted jointly with the ASMFC’s Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board and Bluefish Management Board. An agenda, briefing materials, and webinar connection details are available on the August 2020 Council Meeting Page.

Redeployment of Northeast Observers: NOAA Fisheries has announced that deployment of observers and at-sea monitors in the Northeast partial-coverage fisheries will resume on August 14. To improve transparency in its approach to observer deployment, NOAA Fisheries has established national-level criteria for vessels to be waived (released) from observer or at-sea monitor coverage.

Recreational Tilefish Permitting and Reporting: Beginning August 17, 2020, any recreational vessel that intends to target or retain blueline or golden tilefish north of the NC/VA border will be required to obtain a Federal private recreational tilefish vessel permit. In addition, recreational vessel operators will be required to submit electronic vessel trip reports (eVTRs) within 24 hours of returning to port from any recreational trip targeting or retaining tilefish. For more information, read the NOAA Fisheries announcement or visit the Council’s Recreational Tilefish Permitting and Reporting page.

Proposed Commercial eVTR Requirements: NOAA Fisheries has published a proposed rule to implement a framework jointly developed by the Mid-Atlantic and New England Fishery Management Councils which would require federally permitted commercial fishing vessels to submit vessel trip reports electronically within 48 hours of the end of a trip. For more details, please see the NOAA Fisheries announcement or visit the Council’s Commercial eVTR page. Comments must be submitted by August 17, 2020.

Chub Mackerel: NOAA Fisheries has published a final rule implementing Amendment 21 to the Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP). This action integrates Atlantic chub mackerel into the FMP and implements long-term conservation and management measures for the species from Maine through North Carolina.

Illex Squid Quota Increase: NOAA Fisheries has increased the 2020 acceptable biological catch for the Illex squid fishery from 26,000 mt to 30,000 mt. This quota increase was recommended by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council based on preliminary work by its Illex Squid Working Group, which concluded that the species continues to be lightly exploited and the fishery footprint is small. See the permit holder bulletin for more information.

Offshore Wind: The Coast Guard is conducting a Port Access Route Study (PARS) to evaluate the adequacy of existing vessel routing measures and determine whether additional vessel routing measures are necessary for port approaches to New York and New Jersey and international and domestic transit areas in the First District area of responsibility. A public comment period on this study is open through August 28. A virtual public meeting will be held via webinar and teleconference to provide an opportunity for oral comments on Tuesday, August 11, 2020, beginning at 6 p.m. EST. More information is available here.

Upcoming Webinars:

Questions? Contact Mary Sabo – msabo@mafmc.org, (302) 518-1143.

MAFMC: New Permitting and Reporting Requirements for Recreational Blueline and Golden Tilefish

August 4, 2020 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office published a final rule on July 16, 2020 establishing permitting and reporting requirements for recreational vessels fishing for tilefish north of the North Carolina/Virginia border. Beginning on August 17, 2020, any recreational vessel that intends to target or retain blueline or golden tilefish will be required to:

  • Obtain a Federal private recreational tilefish vessel permit through the GARFO Fish Online website.
  • Submit electronic vessel trip reports (eVTRs) through a NMFS-approved eVTR application within 24 hours of returning to port from any recreational trip targeting or retaining tilefish.

Recreational tilefish anglers will be able to choose between several eVTR applications, which currently include the NOAA Fish Online mobile app (for Apple iOS devices), the NOAA Fish Online web portal, the SAFIS eTrips/mobile 2 application (for Apple, Android, and Windows 10 devices), and SAFIS eTrips Online

Coming Soon: New Recreational Tilefish Reporting App

In response to feedback from recreational fishermen related to this permitting/reporting action, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council has been working with Harbor Light Software to develop a user-friendly application called “eFIN” where anglers can submit reports via Apple or Android devices. eFin was developed with input from private anglers and is designed to provide a simple, user-friendly interface. eFin is expected to be available for all users in the coming weeks. Updates on the availability of this application will be sent to the Council’s email list and posted on the Recreational Tilefish Permitting and Reporting page.

NOAA Fisheries Announces an Increase to the Illex Squid Annual Quota

August 3, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Effective August 4, 2020 

NOAA Fisheries announces an increase to the 2020 acceptable biological catch (ABC) for the Illex squid fishery from 26,000 mt to 30,000 mt. This quota increase was recommended by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council based on preliminary work by its Illex Squid Working Group, which concluded that the species continues to be lightly exploited and the fishery footprint is small. The Illex squid fishery has closed each summer in 2017, 2018, and 2019. This increase will enable full utilization of the available resource.  This rule is effective on August 4, 2020.

For more details, please read the rule as filed in the Federal Register, and our permit holder bulletin.