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MAFMC: Council to Offer Webinar on Electronic Vessel Trip Reporting for For-Hire Vessel Operators

February 23, 2018 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold a public webinar on Friday, March 2, 2018, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., to help for-hire vessel operators prepare for upcoming electronic reporting requirements. This webinar will be recorded and made available on the Council’s website for later viewing for those who cannot attend.

Beginning March 12, 2018, all vessels with Federal charter or party permits for species managed by the Mid-Atlantic Council will be required to submit electronic vessel trip reports (eVTRs) while on trips carrying passengers for hire. eVTRs must be submitted through a NOAA-approved software application within 48 hours following the completion of a fishing trip. This action only changes the required method of transmitting VTRs and the submission date; the required data elements and all other existing reporting requirements will not change. This regulation impacts any for-hire vessel holding Federal charter or party permits for Council-managed species, regardless of home port or fishing location. For more information about for-hire electronic reporting requirements, visit the For-Hire eVTR page or review the For-Hire eVTR Q&A summary.

This webinar will provide participants with information on the new requirements and training on select systems in preparation for this action. While all options for electronic reporting will be briefly discussed, the webinar will focus primarily on training for the SAFIS eTrips/mobile system developed by the Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program (ACCSP). Instruction will be led by Rick Bellavance, Owner/Operator of Priority Fishing Charters in Point Judith, Rhode Island, and ACCSP staff.

Registration: Pre-registration is encouraged at www.mafmc.org/for-hire-evtr/. Pre-registration will allow us to assist you with setting up accounts and systems needed to comply with this requirement.

To join the webinar, go to http://mafmc.adobeconnect.com/evtr2018/, select “Enter as Guest,” and type your name in the box. Telephone instructions are provided upon connecting, or you can call direct: 800-832-0736, Rm: *7833942#.

View the release from the MAFMC in its entirety here.

 

NEFMC Initiates Skate Framework Adjustment 6; Discusses Industry-Funded Monitoring and Research Steering

January 31, 2018 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council today initiated Framework Adjustment 6 to the Northeast Skate Complex Fishery Management Plan to consider alternatives for prolonging the skate wing fishery. The intent of this action is to better utilize total allowable landings and keep the fishery open as long as possible. The Council agreed to take this step at the request of industry. Many skate fishermen approached the Council during its December 2017 meeting asking that the framework be a 2018 priority.

The Skate Plan Development Team – with considerable input and guidance from the Skate Committee and Advisory Panel – will work over the next few months to analyze possession limit alternatives and other approaches that would help meet the framework’s goals and objectives. The Council will receive a progress report at its April meeting in Mystic, CT. Final action will occur either in April or June with the intent of having new measures in place during the second half of the 2018 fishing year, which ends April 30, 2019.

Industry-Funded Monitoring

The Council also received an update from the National Marine Fisheries Service’s (NMFS) Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO) on an electronic Skates captured during a cooperative research trip. – Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) photo monitoring (EM) project that GARFO and the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) conducted from August 2016 to January 2018 aboard 11 midwater trawl vessels participating in the Atlantic herring and mackerel fisheries. An estimated 1,000 hours of EM footage was collected on 126 herring trips, and 32 of those trips also were monitored by at-sea observers. The project was designed to evaluate whether or not electronic monitoring is an effective tool for tracking catch, discards, and slippage events on midwater trawl vessels involved in these fisheries.

In April 2017, the Council took final action on an Omnibus Industry-Funded Monitoring (IFM) Amendment that contains alternatives for potentially allowing EM and portside sampling as monitoring options for the Atlantic herring midwater trawl fishery. Mackerel is managed by the Mid-Atlantic Council, which has not acted yet on this amendment. The proposed rule for the New England Council’s action is being developed by NMFS and has a target implementation date of fall 2018.

Once the amendment is in place, herring fishermen will need to pay a substantial portion of the costs associated with monitoring the fishery, as implied in the term “industry-funded monitoring.” NMFS’s final report and recommendations resulting from the EM project will be presented to the Council at its April 17- 19 meeting.

Herring industry members also are interested in learning whether or not these new tools can be more cost effective than at-sea monitoring.

Setting Research Priorities

Based on recommendations from its Research Steering Committee (RSC), the Council endorsed several improvements to its research priority-setting process. It also provided guidance on improving the format for listing and tracking the priorities.

  • The Council agreed that plan development teams should continue to have the lead in developing and updating research needs. The RSC and Scientific and Statistical Committee will review research priorities before the Council is asked to approve them. The RSC will take the lead in tracking whether or not research needs are being met.
  • The Council, as a first step, also supported using a spreadsheet rather than a Word document to list research priorities. However, it directed the Research Steering Committee to explore the feasibility of developing a searchable database as a longer-term goal.
  • The Council endorsed the use of a more informative labeling system to describe research priorities that includes:
    • A description/rationale for the work;
    • A priority category label such as near-term, long-term/strategic, or urgent/immediate;
    • An indication of the fishery management plan and/or species the work applies to;
    • An indication of whether or not the priority is included on other lists such as the research setaside program or stock assessment data collection; and
    • The research status, indicating whether or not the work is underway or has been completed.

In related actions, the Council agreed to: (1) ask the Council Coordination Committee to urge NMFS to require anyone applying for national research program funding to indicate if and how their proposals would meet a regional fishery management council research priority in addition to national priorities; and (2) add, as a Council research priority, a more thorough evaluation of methods to reduce seabed impacts by ground cables used in trawl fisheries.

The Council also received a short briefing from its Research Steering Committee on the Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s Northeast Cooperative Research Program activities, as well as and an overview of recent management reviews conducted for three completed projects. These were:

(1) the Seasonal Scallop Bycatch Survey;

(2) the River Herring Bycatch Avoidance project; and

(3) Effects of Fishing on Herring Aggregations.

View the release in its entirety by clicking here.

 

MAFMC: February 2018 Council Meeting in Raleigh, NC

January 23, 2018 — 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 2018 meeting to be held February 13-15, 2018 in Raleigh, NC. The meeting will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn Raleigh/Crabtree Valley, 3912 Arrow Drive, Raleigh, NC 27612, Telephone 919-703-2525.

Meeting Materials: Briefing documents will be posted at http://ww.mafmc.org/briefing/february-2018 as they become available.

Public Comments: Written comments must be received by Wednesday, January 31, 2018 to be included in the Council meeting briefing book. Comments received after this deadline but before Thursday, February 8, 2018 will be posted as “supplemental materials” on the Council meeting web page. After that date, all comments must be submitted using an online comment form available at available at http://www.mafmc.org/public-comment.

Webinar: For online access to the meeting, enter as a guest at: http://mafmc.adobeconnect.com/february2018.

Agenda: Click here to view the agenda for the February 2018 Council meeting.

Learn more about the MAFMC by visiting their site here.

 

Mid-Atlantic Council to Offer Training Workshops on Electronic Vessel Trip Reporting for the For-Hire Community

January 16, 2018 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold two workshops in February to help for-hire vessel operators prepare for upcoming electronic reporting requirements. Beginning March 12, 2018, all vessels with Federal charter or party permits for species managed by the Mid-Atlantic Council will be required to submit electronic vessel trip reports (eVTRs) while on trips carrying passengers for hire. eVTRs must be submitted through a NOAA-approved software application within 48 hours following the completion of a fishing trip.

While all software options for electronic reporting will be briefly discussed, the workshops will primarily focus on training for the SAFIS eTrips/mobile and eTrips Online systems developed by the Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program (ACCSP). Participants will receive hands-on assistance with navigating the eTrips application, setting up favorites, and creating and editing trip reports. Instruction will be led by Rick Bellavance, Owner/Operator of Priority Fishing Charters in Point Judith, Rhode Island, and ACCSP staff.

For more information about for-hire electronic reporting requirements and software options, visit http://www.mafmc.org/for-hire-evtr/.

Workshop Dates and Locations

  • Saturday, February 10, 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. DoubleTree by Hilton Boston North Shore, 50 Ferncroft Rd., Danvers, MA, 978-777-2500
  • Saturday, February 24, 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Clarion Hotel & Convention Center, 815 Route 37 West, Toms River, NJ, 732-341-6101

Instruction for SAFIS eTrips/mobile (for use on tablets) will begin at 9:00 a.m. and conclude at 12:30 p.m. Instruction for eTrips Online (for use on desktop or laptop computers) will begin at 1:00 and conclude by 4:30. Each session will be preceded by a discussion of all options for reporting. In the event that demand for eTrips Online instruction is low, a second eTrips/mobile session may be added in the afternoon.

Registration

To register for one of the workshops, complete the registration form at  http://www.mafmc.org/forms/evtr-workshop-registration or email the workshop coordinator at aloftus@andrewloftus.com. There are a limited number of spaces available. Participants are strongly encouraged to register early so that workshop personnel can work with each individual prior to the workshop to establish needed accounts for reporting systems.

What to Bring

Participants should bring an electronic tablet or laptop capable of connecting to the internet via W-Fi. For the mobile-based version, participants will need either a Google account (for Android systems) or an iTunes account (for Apple systems) to download the eTrips/mobile app. This will allow you to work along with the instructors and be set up and ready to begin electronic reporting once you leave the workshop.

Please direct any questions to workshop coordinator Andrew Loftus, aloftus@andrewloftus.com, (410) 295-5997.

PDF version / Web Version

NOAA Names Michael Pentony to Lead Greater Atlantic Region

January 11, 2018 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Today, NOAA Fisheries announced that Mr. Michael Pentony is the new Regional Administrator for NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office in Gloucester, Massachusetts. He will assume his new duties on January 22, 2018. Mr. Pentony has been with the agency since 2002, serving in a series of positions including as the Assistant Regional Administrator for the Sustainable Fisheries Division since 2014. He succeeds retiring Regional Administrator John Bullard who had been in the position since 2012.

“I am extremely pleased to announce this appointment,” said NOAA Fisheries’ director Chris Oliver. “Michael’s deep experience in every aspect of sustainable fisheries management, both commercial and recreational, positions him perfectly for this job. He is going to hit the ground running.”

In his new role, Mr. Pentony will head the agency’s regional office, which has responsibility for managing approximately 100,000 square miles of the Northwest Atlantic, the large marine ecosystem from Maine to Cape Hatteras and the Great Lakes. To do that, the office works closely with two fishery management councils, the states, the fishing industry, and other stakeholders to manage federal commercial and recreational fisheries, marine mammals, habitat, and much more. As Administrator, he will also oversee critical aspects of international fisheries conservation and management in the region.

Mr. Pentony has extensive experience leading the development and implementation of the fishery management plans and regulations established by the Mid-Atlantic and New England Fishery Management Councils and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. In his role as the region’s lead for sustainable fisheries management, he oversaw all aspects of 14 management plans targeting 42 species valued at nearly $1.6 billion annually. Prior to taking the Assistant Regional Administrator position in 2014, Mr. Pentony served for 12 years as a team supervisor in the sustainable fisheries division.

“Under Michael’s leadership, the region’s sustainable fisheries team worked hard to meet the needs of fishermen and fishing communities from Maine to North Carolina. In doing so, they have implemented successful, innovative approaches to protecting and restoring stocks, habitat, and marine mammals. They also paved the way for an expansion of the aquaculture industry in the region by working hard to break through barriers to that industry,” said Oliver.

Before joining NOAA Fisheries in 2002, Mr. Pentony worked for five years as a policy analyst for the New England Fishery Management Council, primarily on issues related to habitat, marine protected areas, and the deep-sea red crab fishery.

He has a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Duke University in North Carolina, and a Master’s of Environmental Management from the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University. Between college and graduate school, Mr. Pentony served for six years as an officer in the United States Air Force as an engineering project manager on a variety of military satellite and launch vehicle programs.

Michael grew up in the town of Point Pleasant, New Jersey, where he spent his summers fishing for bluefish and fluke at the Manasquan Inlet. He currently lives in New Hampshire with his family including his wife and daughter. In his free time he enjoys traveling with his family, cheering on his daughter at swim meets, cycling the back roads of New Hampshire, and trying to learn to play the bass guitar.

Learn more about NOAA’s Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office here.

 

South Atlantic Council Seeks Input on Proposed Changes for Atlantic Cobia Management

Public hearings scheduled via webinar with listening stations; written comment period open

January 10, 2018 — North Charleston, S.C. — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Members of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council are soliciting public input on proposed management changes for Atlantic cobia as they consider revising the current management system. Public hearings will be held via webinar with public listening stations beginning January 22, 2018. Information on the proposed changes is now available from the Council’s website at: http://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/public-hearings-scoping-meetings/. Written comments are also being solicited using the online comment form available from the website page.

Atlantic cobia are managed in federal waters along the Atlantic coast from Georgia through New York in cooperation with the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council; two voting seats are provided to the Mid-Atlantic Council on the South Atlantic Council’s Mackerel Cobia Committee. This arrangement provides an opportunity to include the views of constituents from Virginia northwards. Cobia in federal waters off the east coast of Florida are considered part of the Gulf of Mexico migratory stock. The management boundary for the two stocks was modified following a 2013 stock assessment and annual catch limits for each stock were set. NOAA Fisheries determined the recreational catch limit for Atlantic cobia was exceeded in 2015, leading to a shortened season in 2016. Cobia harvested in both state and federal waters count toward the annual catch limit. Subsequent overages occurred during 2016 and the recreational fishery was closed in federal waters on January 24, 2017.

In order to provide for effective management and fair and equitable access to the Atlantic cobia fishery without reducing protection to the stock, the Council is considering a range of alternatives for managing Atlantic cobia, from complementary management with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) to removal of Atlantic cobia from the federal management unit. The ASMFC recently approved an Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Cobia that will be implemented in April 2018. Should the Council choose to remove Atlantic cobia from the current federal management unit, the ASMFC Interstate Plan would be applied to both state and federal waters, allowing for additional management flexibility.

Public Hearings for Atlantic Cobia Management 

(Amendment 31 to the Coastal Migratory Pelagics Fishery Management Plan)

Public hearings will be conducted via webinar with listening stations as noted below. Attendance at the listening stations is encouraged but not required. During the public hearings, Council staff will present an overview of the amendment and will be available to answer questions via webinar. Area Council members or state agency representatives will be present at each of the listening stations. Members of the public will have an opportunity to go on record via webinar or at the listening stations to record their comments for consideration by the Council.

January 22, 2018 Webinar – begins at 6:00 PM

Listening Stations:

  1. Port Royal Sound Maritime Center:310 Okatie Hwy, Okatie, SC29909
  2. North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries’ Central District Office: 5285

Highway 70 West, Morehead City, NC 28557

  1. Georgia Department of Natural Resources Coastal Division: One

Conservation Way, Brunswick, GA 31523

January 23, 2018 Webinar – begins at 6:00 PM

Listening Station:

Hatteras Community Center; 57689 NC Highway12, Hatteras, NC 27943

January 24, 2018 Webinar – begins at 6:00 PM

Listening Stations:

  1. Haddrell’s Point Tackle: 885 Ben Sawyer Blvd, Mt Pleasant, SC29464
  2. Virginia Marine Resources Commission (The Maritime Building); 2500

Washington Ave., 4th Floor, Newport News, VA 23607 *Note: The VA location is a state-organized listening station and was arranged to provide the public in Virginia the opportunity to attend and provide comments in-person.

Registration for each webinar is required. Registration information, along with public hearing documents, video presentations, and other materials is now available from the Council’s website at: http://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/public-hearings-scoping-meetings/. An online public comment form for written comments is also available. Comments must be received by 5 p.m. February 9, 2018 to be included in the briefing book materials for the Council’s March 5-9, 2018 meeting in Jekyll Island, GA.

The Council is also asking for public input on the timing of measures proposed in Amendment 31. A Stock Identification Workshop for Cobia is scheduled to begin in April 2018 as part of a benchmark stock assessment Atlantic cobia. For additional information, contact Christina Wiegand, Fishery Social Scientist at Christina.Wiegand@safmc.net or contact the Council office at 843/571-4366.

 

2018 will be good year for clam chowder, Bumble Bee, thanks to NOAA moves

January 9, 2018 — The makers and fans of New England clam chowder, including Bumble Bee Seafood, can feel confident that the kind of mollusk most often used to make the soup — ocean quahogs — will be in ample supply in 2018 thanks to two moves made recently by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Ocean conservationists, however, are not breaking out their party hats and noisemakers.

When John Bullard, NOAA’s northeast regional administrator, informed the New England Fishery Management Council last week that the agency will authorize the majority of NEFMC’s Omnibus Essential Fish Habitat Amendment 2 (OA2), many focused on the positive ramifications for scallop harvesters.

But NOAA’s approval of the council’s new plan for balancing the conservation of different sea life with the concerns of local fishermen also came with good news for harvesters of ocean quahogs and surf clams. Bullard informed NEFMC that his agency also agrees with its suggestion to provide a one-year exemption for clam harvesters to prohibitions against the controversial use of hydraulic dredging gear in the Great South Channel habitat management area (HMA), a deep-water passage that cuts between Nantucket and Georges Bank.

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

 

MAFMC: NEFMC to Hold Mid-Atlantic Port Meetings to Gather Public Input for Independent Program Review

January 5, 2018 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council is currently undergoing an independent review to: (1) assess past performance; (2) gather feedback on strengths and weaknesses of the Council process and operations; and (3) identify potential areas for improvements. Twelve port meetings and one webinar meeting were held in November and December to gather public input.

Two additional port meetings have been scheduled in the Mid-Atlantic region:

  • Monday, January 8, Montauk, NY – Montauk Playhouse Community Center, 240 Edgemere Street, 5 p.m.
  • Tuesday, January 9, Cape May, NJ – Rutgers University, 1636 Delaware Ave., 5 p.m.

Stakeholders can also provide input through an online survey, which is available HERE.

More information can be found at Council Program Review.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council is one of eight regional councils established by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976.  The Council has primary responsibility for twelve species of fish and shellfish in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) between 3 and 200 miles off the Mid-Atlantic coast.  Member states include New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina.  Visit our website for more information.

 

SAFMC: Public Hearings Scheduled for Atlantic Cobia Management

January 5, 2018 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council: 

Fishermen and others interested in the management of Atlantic cobia are encouraged to provide recommendations to members of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council as they consider revising the current management system for the stock. Public hearings will be held via webinar with public listening stations. Written comments will also be accepted.

Atlantic cobia are managed in federal waters along the Atlantic coast from Georgia through New York in cooperation with the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council; two voting seats are provided to the Mid-Atlantic Council on the South Atlantic Council’s Mackerel Cobia Committee. This arrangement provides an opportunity to include the views of constituents from Virginia northwards. Cobia in federal waters off the east coast of Florida are considered part of the Gulf of Mexico migratory stock. The management boundary for the two stocks was modified following a 2013 stock assessment and annual catch limits for each stock were set. NOAA Fisheries determined the recreational catch limit for Atlantic cobia was exceeded in 2015, leading to a shortened season in 2016. Cobia harvested in both state and federal waters count toward the annual catch limit. Subsequent overages occurred the following year and the recreational fishery was closed in federal waters on January 24, 2017.

In order to provide for effective management and fair and equitable access to the Atlantic cobia fishery without reducing protection to the stock, the Council is considering a range of alternatives for managing Atlantic cobia, from complementary management with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) to removal of Atlantic cobia from the federal management unit. The ASMFC recently approved an Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Cobia that will be implemented in April 2018. Should the Council choose to remove Atlantic cobia from the current federal management unit, the ASMFC Interstate Plan would be applied to both state and federal waters, allowing for additional management flexibility.

Public Hearings for Atlantic Cobia Management

(Amendment 31 to the Coastal Migratory Pelagics Fishery Management Plan)

Public hearings will be conducted via webinar with listening stations as noted below. Attendance at the listening stations is encouraged but not required. The Council wants to ensure constituents from Virginia northwards are able to participate/comment and are encouraging them to participate in the hearing scheduled for January 23rd with a listening station available in Hatteras, NC (in-person or via webinar) or January 24th (via webinar).

During the public hearings, Council staff will present an overview of the amendment and will be available to answer questions via webinar. Area Council members will be present at each of the listening stations. Members of the public will have an opportunity to go on record via webinar or at the listening stations to record their comments for consideration by the Council.

January 22, 2018 Webinar – begins at 6:00 PM

Listening Stations:

  1. Port Royal Sound Maritime Center: 310 Okatie Hwy,Okatie, SC29909
  2. North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries’ Central District Office: 5285 Highway

70 West, Morehead City, NC 28557

  1. Georgia Department of Natural Resources Coastal Division: One Conservation

Way, Brunswick, GA 31523

January 23, 2018 Webinar – begins at 6:00 PM

Listening Station:

Hatteras Community Center; 57689 NC-12, Hatteras, NC 27943

January 24, 2018 Webinar – begins at 6:00 PM

Listening Station:

Haddrell’s Point Tackle: 885 Ben Sawyer Blvd, Mt Pleasant, SC 29464

Registration for each webinar is required. Registration information along with public hearing documents, video presentations and other materials will be posted on the Council’s website at: http://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/public-hearings-scoping-meetings/ as they become available. An online public comment form for written comments will also be available and additional details for submitting written comments posted two weeks prior to the hearings.

Learn more about the SAFMC by visiting their site here.

 

MAFMC: Request for Proposals For a Study to Assess the Importance of Atlantic Chub Mackerel to the Diets of Recreationally-Important Highly Migratory Species

January 2, 2018 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Proposal Submission Deadline: February 16, 2018

Term of Contract: 2 years

The Mid‐Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) seeks a highly-qualified contractor to design and carry out a study to assess the importance of Atlantic chub mackerel (Scomber colias) to the diets of recreationally-important highly migratory species (e.g. tunas, billfish, wahoo, dolphinfish) in the mid-Atlantic. Preference will be given to proposals which use genetic barcoding to identify degraded stomach contents to the species level. Based on stakeholder input, priority predator species include bigeye and yellowfin tunas and white and blue marlin. Priority sampling locations include Virginia Beach, VA and Ocean City, MD. However, other predator species and locations are also of interest.

Background

The Council is developing management measures for chub mackerel fisheries and will consider the potential ecosystem impacts of any management alternatives. However, limited quantitative scientific information on the role of chub mackerel as prey is available to support such considerations. Stakeholders have expressed concerns related to the potential impacts of a commercial chub mackerel fishery on recreationally-important predators such as tunas, marlins, wahoo, and dolphinfish. A literature review and a webinar with scientific experts identified quantitative information on the importance of the Scombridae family to the diets of several predators; however, limited quantitative information on the importance of chub mackerel has been identified. Identification of species such as chub mackerel, Atlantic mackerel, frigate mackerel, and bullet mackerel can prove challenging for traditional diet studies due to similarities in their appearance.

The Council is interested in funding a study using methods other than visual identification of stomach contents to quantify the importance of chub mackerel in the diets of recreationally-important predators. Based on the recommendations of experts who participated in a recent webinar on this topic, preference will be given to proposals which incorporate genetic barcoding techniques; however, other methods (e.g. examination of hard part morphology) will be considered. Please see http://www.mafmc.org/actions/chub-mackerel-amendment for more information.

Scope of Work

The contractor will be responsible for all aspects related to design of the study, data collection, analysis, and presentation of final results to the Council.

Contractor Qualifications

Applicants should have demonstrated experience with food habits research on marine fish.

How to Apply

Applicants should submit a proposal to Dr. Chris Moore, Executive Director, by email (cmoore@mamfc.org) by 11:59 pm on February 16, 2018. Proposals should include the following elements:

  • Executive Summary: A summary of the proposed scope of work as well as brief summary of the applicant’s qualifications.
  • Proposed Scope of Work: A detailed plan for addressing the scope of work described above. This should include a summary of potential analysis approaches, a project schedule, a brief summary of how the project will be managed, and a list of all personnel who may work on the project.
  • Qualifications of Applicant: A summary of the qualifications of the applicant and other team members, if applicable. Curriculum vitae should be included for all individuals who will work on the project.
  • Proposed Budget: A detailed budget, including the basis for the charges (e.g. hourly rates, fixed fees).
  • References: Names, full addresses, and phone numbers for three clients for whom the applicant has provided similar services to those requested.

Proposal Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on methodology, prior experience, references, qualifications, and budget. The Council may request additional information as deemed necessary or negotiate modifications to an accepted proposal.

Requests for Further Information

Christopher M. Moore, Ph.D., Executive Director
Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council
800 North State Street, Suite 201
Dover, DE 19901
tel: 302-526-5255
email: cmoore@mafmc.org

Disclaimer

  1. All costs associated with the preparation and presentation of the proposal will be borne by applicants.
  2. Proposals and their accompanying documentation will not be returned.
  3. Respondents must disclose any relevant conflicts of interest and/or pending civil/criminal legal actions.
  4. The Council reserves the right to accept or reject any or all applications received, negotiate with all qualified applicants, cancel or modify this request for proposals in part or in its entirety, or change the application guidelines, when it is in its best interests.

View/Download PDF Announcement

Learn more about the MAFMC by visiting their site here.

 

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