Saving Seafood

NOAA Fisheries Seeks Comments on Proposed Rule for Mid-Atlantic Council Fishery Management Plans

July 19, 2017 — The following was released by NOAA:

NOAA Fisheries is requesting comments on a proposed rule to implement the Omnibus Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC) Framework Adjustment for the Mid-Atlantic Council’s fishery managing plans (FMPs). We are proposing to:

  • Modify the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s risk policy to allow use of constant multi-year ABCs if the average overfishing probability adheres to the appropriate risk policy goal.
  • Automatically incorporate new or updated biological data at the conclusion of stock assessment peer reviews for all the Mid-Atlantic Council’s FMPs.
  • Add regulatory language clarifying the assessment level designations for the Council’s ABC control rule.

We are accepting comments through August 18, 2017.

Read the proposed rule and supplemental documents.

Please submit comments either through the online e-rulemaking portal or by mailing your comments to:

John Bullard, Regional Administrator

National Marine Fisheries Service

55 Great Republic Drive

Gloucester, MA, 01930.

Please mark the outside of the envelope, “Comments on the Proposed Rule for ABC Omnibus Amendment.”

ASMFC Reacts to Commerce Secretary Decision to Reject Commission Advice on Summer Flounder

July 14, 2017 — ARLINGTON, Va. — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

On July 11th, Secretary of Commerce, Wilbur Ross, notified the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission that he has found the State of New Jersey to be in compliance with Addendum XXVII to the Summer Flounder Fishery Management Plan. According to the letter sent to the Commission, Secretary Ross’s decision was based on the assertion that “New Jersey makes a compelling argument that the measures it implemented this year, despite increasing catch above the harvest target, will likely reduce total summer flounder mortality in New Jersey waters to a level consistent with the overall conservation objective for the recreational fishery.” This is the first time since passage of the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act (Atlantic Coastal Act) in 1993 and the Atlantic Striped Bass Conservation Act in 1984 that the Secretary of Commerce failed to uphold a noncompliance recommendation by the Commission.

“The Commission is deeply concerned about the near-term impact on our ability to end overfishing on the summer flounder stock as well as the longer-term ability for the Commission to effectively conserve numerous other Atlantic coastal shared resources,” stated Commission Chair Douglas Grout of New Hampshire. “The Commission’s finding of noncompliance was not an easy one. It included hours of Board deliberation and rigorous Technical Committee review, and represented, with the exception of New Jersey, a unanimous position of the Commission’s state members. Our decision was based on Technical Committee’s findings that New Jersey’s measures were not conservationally-equivalent to those measures in Addendum XXVIII and are projected to result in an additional 93,800 fish being harvested. Additionally, we had an obligation as a partner in the joint management of summer flounder with the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) to implement measures to end overfishing immediately or face the possibility of summer flounder becoming an overfished stock.”

Based on the latest stock assessment information, summer flounder is currently experiencing overfishing. Spawning stock biomass has been declining since 2010 and is just 16% above the threshold.  The vast majority of fishery-independent surveys show rapidly declining abundance. Any increase in overall mortality puts the stock at risk for further declines and increases the probability of the stock becoming overfished. If the stock falls below the biomass threshold, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act requires the Council to initiate a rebuilding program, which could require more restrictive management measures.

New Jersey was not the only state to be concerned about the impact of the approved measures to its recreational fishing community. Two other states submitted alternative proposals that were rejected in favor of the states equally sharing the burden of needed reductions. Those states, as well as other coastal states, implemented the approved measures in order to end overfishing and support the long-term conservation of the resource.

“The states have a 75-year track record of working together to successfully manage their shared marine resources,” continued Chairman Grout. “We are very much concerned about the short and long-term implications of the Secretary’s decision on interstate fisheries management. Our focus moving forward will be to preserve the integrity of the Commission’s process, as established by the Atlantic Coastal Act, whereby, the states comply with the management measures we collectively agree upon. It is my fervent hope that three-quarters of a century of cooperative management will provide a solid foundation for us to collectively move forward in achieving our vision of sustainably managing Atlantic coastal fisheries.”

The Commission is currently reviewing its options in light of Secretary Ross’s action, and the member states will meet during the Commission’s Summer Meeting in early August to discuss the implications of the Secretary’s determination on the summer flounder resource and on state/federal cooperation in fisheries management under the Atlantic Coastal Act.

For more information, please contact Toni Kerns, Director, Interstate Fisheries Management Program, at tkerns@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.

NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Administrator Announces Retirement

July 12, 2017 — The following was released by NOAA:

NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Administrator John Bullard today formally announced he will retire on January 5, 2018. Bullard, who took the top job in the agency’s Gloucester-based office in 2012, will leave a legacy of improved relationships with the regulated community, the research community, environmentalists, local, state, and federal officials and agency partners, including the New England and the Mid-Atlantic fishery management councils and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.

As the regional administrator responsible for leading the agency’s approach to fisheries, habitat, sea turtle, and marine mammal issues from Maine to North Carolina as well as the Great Lakes region, Bullard also provided a much-needed conduit helping the regulated communities understand the critical role of science in informing management decisions.

“As the former Mayor of New Bedford, Bullard brought with him a unique connection to the fishing industry, and used that connection to improve communication with all aspects of the industry and Congress during a very challenging period for the agency,” said Sam Rauch, NOAA Fisheries Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs.

As Regional Administrator, Bullard worked with the fishery management councils and the commission to manage 44 fish stocks, including two, scallops and lobster, worth more than $500 million each.

During his tenure, he faced the daunting New England groundfish crisis. Bullard met the challenge head on, making the tough and unpopular decision to impose emergency closures when the New England Council failed to act.

“I know how difficult these issues are, and I tried to tackle them with courage and compassion,” says Bullard.

Bullard worked with Congress and state directors to deliver $32.8 million in disaster assistance to affected fishing families and communities. In close collaboration with the New England Council, Bullard then put quotas and closures in place to protect cod and other depleted fish stocks.

“We wish John well,” said New England Council Executive Director Tom Nies. “He is always willing to work with the council to find management solutions and empowers those around him to actively participate in the process, which is one of his key accomplishments. That may go unnoticed by many, but it is one of the reasons our council has been able to complete so many management actions during his tenure.”

Bullard’s leadership in protecting living marine resources included removing approximately 30,000 miles of rope from Atlantic coastal waters to reduce whale entanglements and expanding critical habitat for North Atlantic right whales in the region by more than 25,000 nautical miles. He also oversaw development of a strategy to restore river herring populations, imposed catch caps on mackerel and herring fisheries, and removed dams and created fish passages to double fish runs in key Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts rivers.

“For me, John is an example of public service and more importantly, an example of working with stakeholders to have a positive impact on tough issues,” said Dr. Jon Hare, science and research director at NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center. “I will miss working with him and am thankful for his time as regional administrator.”

Bullard strongly supported groundbreaking actions created to bolster the Mid-Atlantic region’s important recreational and commercial fisheries. In 2016, he approved the Mid-Atlantic Council’s deep-sea coral amendment that protects 15 deep-sea canyons and a total area of 24 million acres, about the size of Virginia, where fragile, slow-growing corals live. These hotspots of biodiversity provide important habitat, refuge, and prey for fish and other marine life. Bullard has also advanced an action to protect small schooling fish, also known as forage fish, which serve as prey for larger fish, marine mammals, and sea birds. This would be the first ever action on the Atlantic coast to designate forage fish as important parts of the ecosystem and provide protection for them.

“Throughout his tenure as regional administrator, John has been an engaged and dedicated participant in the council process, and he has played an important role in increasing focus on the Mid-Atlantic portion of the Greater Atlantic Region,” said Chris Moore, executive director of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council. “His insight and leadership have been especially valuable to the Mid-Atlantic Council during the development of several new initiatives such as the Deep Sea Corals Amendment, the Unmanaged Forage Fish Amendment, and the development of an ecosystem approach to fisheries management.”

Bullard also led the charge to modernize access and sharing of fishery dependent data in cooperation with the Northeast Fisheries Science Center, the fishing industry, the councils and the Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program. He championed electronic monitoring pilot projects on fishing vessels with partners in the industry and environmental non-government organizations to increase coverage and improve the data on which our science is based.

“It’s been an honor and pleasure to work with John. He has been a strong supporter of state/federal cooperation in the management of our shared marine resources,” said Bob Beal, executive director of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. “We are grateful for his contributions to sustainable management and wish him the very best.”

“I’m really proud of the work I’ve done with the GARFO team. They are intelligent, hard-working, and caring professionals, and I rely on them every day to make me smart on the many issues we face,” said Bullard, who has no plans to slow down before he leaves. “There is work left to do before I leave—very important work. Still on my list are the Omnibus Habitat Amendment, the New England Council’s Deep Sea Coral Amendment, some critical dam removals, electronic monitoring, the Carlos Rafael situation, the summer flounder crisis, and the continuing groundfish challenge, among others.”

However, once he does bid the agency goodbye, he plans to literally sail into the sunset, provided the weather is warm enough!

The agency will launch a search for Bullard’s replacement within the next several months.

Read the full release here

U.S. Commerce Department Announces Appointments to Regional Fishery Management Councils for 2017

June 29, 2017 — The following was released by NOAA:

The U.S. Commerce Department today announced the appointment of 22 new and returning members to the eight regional fishery management councils that partner with NOAA Fisheries to manage ocean fish stocks. The new and reappointed council members begin their three-year terms on August 12.

The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act established the councils to prepare fishery management plans for their regions. NOAA Fisheries works closely with the councils through this process and then reviews, approves and implements the plans. Council members represent diverse groups, including commercial and recreational fishing industries, environmental organizations and academia. They are vital to fulfilling the act’s requirements to end overfishing, rebuild fish stocks and manage them sustainably.

Each year, the Secretary of Commerce appoints approximately one-third of the total 72 appointed members to the eight regional councils. The Secretary selects members from nominations submitted by the governors of fishing states, territories and tribal governments.

Council members are appointed to both obligatory (state-specific) and at-large (regional) seats. Council members serve a three-year term and can be reappointed to serve three consecutive terms. Asterisks preceding a member’s name indicate a reappointment.

New England Council (*denotes reappointment)

The New England Council includes members from Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. 2017 appointees will fill four at-large seats.

  • Peter Kendall* (New Hampshire)
  • Elizabeth Etrie* (Massachusetts)
  • John Pappalardo* (Massachusetts)
  • Ernest F. Stockwell (Maine)

Mid-Atlantic Council

The Mid-Atlantic Council includes members from the states of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Virginia. 2017 appointees will fill obligatory seats for Maryland, North Carolina, New York, Pennsylvania and one at-large seat.

Obligatory seats:

  • Earl Gwin (Maryland)
  • Francis Hemilright* (North Carolina)
  • Steven Heins (New York)
  • G. Warren Elliott* (Pennsylvania)

At-large seat:

  • Laurie A. Nolan* (New York)

NOAA Seeks Comments on Proposed Rule Adding Blueline Tilefish to Golden TIlefish Management Plan

June 28, 2017 — The following was released by NOAA:

NOAA Fisheries is asking for comments on a proposed rule to add blueline tilefish to the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s Golden Tilefish Fishery Management Plan.

Blueline tilefish have been managed for many years under the South Atlantic Council’s Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan, whose measures only apply south of the Virginia/North Carolina border. The fishery in the Mid-Atlantic was considered very small and remained unregulated until recently.

Recreational and commercial blueline tilefish catch has been increasing steadily in the Greater Atlantic Region (Virginia to Maine) since 2011. In 2014, commercial landings increased more than 20-fold from the previous several years’ average. This rapid increase in unregulated harvest represented a risk to the long-term sustainability of the stock, and triggered the Mid-Atlantic Council to request emergency management measures in 2015. Interim management measures took effect in June 2016, while the Council developed this proposed amendment.

Amendment 6 to the Tilefish Fishery Management Plan would manage the federal waters blueline tilefish fishery north of the Virginia/North Carolina border. We are proposing these management measures for blueline tilefish as part of the Tilefish Fishery Management Plan.

Through this action, we are proposing a commercial possession limit of 300 pounds per trip. 

We are also proposing a recreational season from May 1-October 31 and limits of:

  • 7 fish per person on Coast Guard inspected for-hire vessels (party boats)
  • 5 fish per person on uninspected for-hire vessels (charter boats), and
  • 3 fish per person on private recreational vessels.

The proposed rule would require fishermen to hold a valid Greater Atlantic Region open access tilefish commercial or charter/party permit to ensure adequate reporting and monitoring of blueline tilefish fishing activity. We also recommend requirements for new permits and catch reporting for private recreational fishermen.

More information is available in the proposed rule and Notice of Availability, along with the draft Environmental Assessment and preliminary Regulatory Impact Review. 

You may submit comments on either through the e-rulemaking portal or by mailing your comments to: John Bullard, Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office, 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. Please mark the outside of the envelope: “Comments on Blueline Tilefish Amendment.”

The comment period closes for the proposed rule on July 28, 2017 and for the Notice of Availability on August 14, 2017.

Questions? Contact Jennifer Goebel at 978-281-9175 or jennifer.goebel@noaa.gov

JOHN BULLARD: There Is No Silver Bullet for Groundfish

June 16, 2017 — The great philosopher Yogi Berra said, “You can observe a lot by watching.” You can also learn a lot by listening. I try to do a lot of listening. I think it’s the most important part of my job, and of all of our jobs at the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office and the Northeast Fisheries Science Center.

With all of the activity in the last couple of months, there has certainly been a LOT to listen to. For example, we held recreational roundtable meetings in New Jersey and New Hampshire and a commercial roundtable in New Bedford. We also attended the New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council meetings and an Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission meeting. And let’s not forget the daily meetings, emails, and phone calls with stakeholders.

What did we hear? We heard about recreational catch estimates and allocations among different fishing sectors. We heard reports on the Standardized Bycatch Reduction Methodology and observer coverage for last year and next. We heard progress reports on electronic monitoring projects. And, in every hallway, there has been talk of the Carlos Rafael case and its potential impact on the groundfish industry.

While obviously I can’t comment on the specifics of an ongoing case, I am going to comment on a larger issue that I think is important. To put it briefly: There’s no such thing as a silver bullet.

When people come up to me passionately lamenting that Amendment 18 will not do enough to address consolidation within the groundfish fleet, I understand their passion. The power of a very large fleet can be misused. But, I wonder if they are looking to Amendment 18 to be a silver bullet that will singlehandedly solve this problem.

Some blame sector management for our troubles. I don’t buy it. Instead, I see the ability of the private sector to manage quota with accountability, flexibility, and initiative. All of these are necessary ingredients for a healthy fishing industry, especially in tough times.

At many meetings, people line up to decry the science and management. And yet, some of the same people who condemn the status quo are the ones who advocate for no action. It causes me to wonder whether or not we share the same sense of urgency towards improving the accuracy of our data, which is needed to gain more confidence in our scientific models, which is needed to improve our management. The status quo is short-sighted and leaves us with few options.

I see a system under a lot of stress. When there is a lot of stress, there is a tendency to blame:  Blame the science. Blame woeful observer coverage levels. Blame errors in reporting or illegal discarding. Blame the management. Blame fleet consolidation or the sector system. Blame overfishing over the years. Blame warming ocean waters. Blame NOAA Fisheries. Blame the Councils. Point the finger somewhere.

Just as there is the tendency to blame, there is also the quest for the silver bullet. While understanding causes is essential to providing solutions, an emphasis on blame can be distracting and destructive, especially if the fingers never point in the mirror. The solution is likely to be a network of responses rather than a single answer. A network that will provide accuracy, accountability, and efficiency.

I think that network of answers has several fundamental elements:

  • A renewed management focus on optimum yield and business flexibility that follows on the heels of improved monitoring and complete accountability, and that provides diversity and stability to the groundfish fleet.
  • A revamped Office of Law Enforcement that will continue to help fishermen comply with the rules and root out the few bad apples. Nearly every single fisherman works hard to comply with complicated regulations to bring quality seafood to the consumer. So when the occasional violator decides the rules don’t apply to him, that person is stealing from his neighbors and emboldening others to cheat, and needs to be brought to justice. Our Law Enforcement team is doing just this with increasing efficiency.
  • An improved monitoring program that will provide full accountability and full coverage. The program will tap into emerging technologies with increased use of electronic monitoring coverage by either the “trust but verify model” or “maximized retention/ dockside sampling model.” The resulting increase in accuracy and shared sense of responsibility for effective monitoring and management of this fishery may allow uncertainty buffers to be reduced, which could then allow us to increase quotas.
  • Improved and integrated science that includes fishermen and their insights into the design, implementation, and interpretation of science, a wider understanding of ecosystem changes, and better communication and coordination with stakeholders, all of which ultimately leads to wider acceptance of results. The best science is transparent, timely, adaptable to our rapidly changing environment, and allows us to make better management decisions.

There is no silver bullet. Each of these elements is equally important in transforming the groundfish fishery into a one that provides a stable source of protein for U.S. consumers, and a stable source of jobs for New England fishermen.

New England groundfish is certainly not the only fishery with high profile enforcement cases or challenging scientific questions. But these issues are most acute in groundfish—one of the most iconic and complex fisheries in the world. The fishery has been dealt a series of devastating blows, and the cumulative effects have finally caught up to us.

Yogi Berra also said, “When you come to the fork in the road, take it.” Well we’re at a fork in the road in groundfish management. The status quo has gotten us record low abundance in some stocks, arguments about the science, pressures to discard legal fish that have proven as irresistible to avoid as they are to acknowledge, and all of us skirting the truth in many ways at a cost to the fishery and future generations. Seeking accuracy should not be something that anyone gets penalized for. Rather, we must remove the disincentives for full accountability and full coverage. We have to bring illegal discarding out of the shadows. Talk about it. Acknowledge it. Account for it.

If anyone thinks that the status quo is good enough, then they haven’t been paying attention.

Read the full statement here

Mid-Atlantic Council Approves Squid Amendment

June 12, 2017 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council approved the Squid Amendment to the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan during a meeting last week in Norfolk, Virginia. The amendment includes measures to reduce latent (unused) permits in the longfin squid fishery and modify management of longfin squid during Trimester 2.

After considerable discussion and consideration of public comments, the Council selected preferred alternatives and adopted the amendment for Secretarial review and implementation. Below are summaries of the issues addressed and the Council’s preferred alternatives.

Longfin Squid Moratorium Permit Requalification

In recent years, a relatively small portion of vessels with limited access (“moratorium”) squid permits have accounted for most of the landings. Some fishery participants have expressed concern that activation of latent permits could lead to excessive fishing effort. The amendment considered options for removing latent permits from the directed fishery to limit derby fishing.

Under the alternative selected by the Council, current longfin squid/butterfish limited access moratorium permits would be allowed to retain their permit if they landed at least 10,000 pounds of squid in one year from 1997 to 2013. This would reduce the number of moratorium squid permits by more than 40% but would not affect vessels that have been historically active in the fishery. However, moratorium permit holders that do not requalify to retain the longfin squid moratorium permit would be eligible for a permit that allows a 5,000-pound longfin squid trip limit when the fishery is open. In addition, the Council recommended separating the butterfish part of the longfin squid/butterfish moratorium permit to allow current moratorium permits the opportunity to continue to target and land butterfish.

The Council also approved a one-time “permit swap” opportunity which would allow owners of multiple longfin squid moratorium permits as of May 26, 2017 to swap active requalifying and non-requalifying moratorium permits among their vessels.

Longfin Squid Incidental and Open Access Permits

The Council voted to replace the current open access incidental longfin squid permit with a limited access incidental permit. Qualifying vessels must have landed at least 5,000 pounds of longfin squid in one year during 1997-2013.  Currently about 1,400 vessels possess open access incidental permits, and about 325 are expected to qualify for the limited access incidental permit. The daily trip limit for the incidental permit would remain at 2,500 pounds. In addition, to minimize regulatory discarding of squid bycatch, non-qualifying vessels would still be able to obtain an open access permit that would allow up to 250 pounds of longfin squid per trip.

Trimester 2

The amendment also includes measures to modify management of longfin squid during Trimester 2. Currently, the trip limit in Federal waters after a Trimester closure is 2,500 pounds. Directed fishing after a closure can lead to substantial trimester quota overages, such as in 2016 when a 48% overage occurred. Because fishing during Trimester 2 occurs on the inshore spawning grounds for longfin squid, excessive fishing effort during Trimester 2 may adversely affect the overall productivity of the longfin squid stock by reducing spawning or egg hatching. To avoid future excessive longfin squid catch during Trimester 2, the Council voted to reduce the longfin squid trip limit to 250 pounds per day, a 90% reduction, for all permits once the Trimester 2 quota has been reached. The Council will also continue to work with relevant states to encourage them to match this limit after such a closure.

Illex Squid Moratorium Permit Requalification

Based on recent low landings and low participation in the Illex squid fishery, the Council recommended no changes to the current limited access permit system for this species.

For more information about this amendment, contact Jason Didden (jdidden@mafmc.org, 302-526-5254) or visit http://www.mafmc.org/actions/squid-capacity-amendment.

Read the Latest South Atlantic Update Newsletter; June Council Meeting Reminder

June 1, 2017 —  The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The fishermen and other experienced members of the Council’s 11 advisory panels have historically provided grass root recommendations for management measures considered by the Council. Advisory panel members can now also share their experience and observations to complement scientific and landings data through new Fishery Performance Reports.

The species-specific reports, modeled after those used by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, are designed to provide an annual description of factors that influence fishing effort and catch, market trends, environmental changes, and other factors that may not be fully accounted for in the stock assessment process. According to the Mid-Atlantic Council, the information provided in the reports can become particularly important during the process of setting quotas for data-poor stocks.

Advisory panel members represent a diversity of fishing interests, knowledge and regional experience – recreational, commercial and for-hire/charter captains, seafood dealers, bait & tackle manufacturers, chefs, and others provide input about fisheries in their area. The diversity of the advisory panels provides a unique opportunity to gather information from across the region.

During a series of advisory panel meetings held in April, members were asked to provide answers to specific questions about a fishery in their area. Questions included: “How would you rate the quality of the fishery? What factors have influenced recent landings (market or otherwise)? Are there recent changes you have observed in the fishery? Are current regulations appropriate? If not, how can they be improved?” Background information on the fishery is included in the initial report for discussion purposes.

Read the full newsletter here

MAFMC June 2017 Council Meeting in Norfolk, VA

May 16, 2017 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Meeting Materials: Briefing documents will be posted at http://www.mafmc.org/briefing/june-2017 as they become available.

Public Comments: Written comments must be received by Wednesday, May 24, 2017 to be included in the Council meeting briefing book. Comments received after this deadline but before close of business on Thursday, June 1, 2017 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. Comments submitted via the online form will be automatically posted to the website and available for Council consideration. Late comments will no longer be distributed to Council members via email.

Webinar: For online access to the meeting, enter as a guest at: http://mafmc.adobeconnect.com/june2017.

Agenda

PDF Version

Tuesday, June 6th

9:00 a.m. Council Convenes

9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. SARC Presentation – Surfclam/Ocean Quahog Assessments, Jim Weinberg – NEFSC

9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Surfclam/Ocean Quahog Specifications

  • Develop recommendations for 2018- 2020 specifications

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Surfclam/Ocean Quahog Excessive Shares Amendment

  • Approve scoping document

12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Lunch

1:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Lobster Standardized Bycatch Reporting Methodology Framework, GARFO Staff

  • Discuss alternatives

1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Risk Policy Framework – First Meeting

  • Review and approve options for potential revision to current MAFMC Risk Policy and ABC Control Rules

2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Climate Velocity Over the 21st Century and Its Implications for Fisheries Management in the Northeast U.S., James Morley – Rutgers

  • Review climate-velocity-driven species distribution projections for 2020 through 2100.
  • Identify potential propriety species for adaptation of fisheries management to climate change

3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Cooperative Research in the Mid-Atlantic

  • Review of NEFSC Cooperative Research and response to MAFMC request, Jon Hare – NEFSC
  • Mid-Atlantic Council approach to collaborative research

Wednesday, June 7th

9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Mackerel, Squid, Butterfish Committee, Meeting as a Committee of the Whole – Specifications

  • Review fishery performance and make recommendations for 2018-2020 specifications, including butterfish cap

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Shad/River Herring (RH/S) Committee, Meeting as a Committee of the Whole

  • Review RH/S cap operation and RH/S progress update
  • Make recommendations for RH/S cap amount modification if necessary

12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Lunch

1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Mackerel, Squid, Butterfish Committee, Meeting as a Committee of the Whole – Squid Amendment

  • Review alternatives, public comments, and staff recommendations
  • Select preferred alternatives and adopt amendment

3:30 p.m. Council Convenes

3:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Law Enforcement Reports

  • NOAA Office of Law Enforcement
  • S. Coast Guard

4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Data Modernization in the Northeast Region, Barry Clifford – NMFS and Mike Cahall – ACCSP

5:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Habitat Update

  • EFH review progress
  • Mid-Atlantic fish habitat assessment project

Thursday, June 8th

9:00 a.m. Council Convenes

9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Business Session

  • Committee Report
    • SSC Committee
  • Executive Director’s Report, Chris Moore
    • Review and approve SOPP revision regarding paid parental leave
  • Science Report,Rich Seagraves
  • Organization Reports
    • NMFS Greater Atlantic Regional Office
    • NMFS Northeast Fisheries Science Center
    • NOAA Office of General Counsel
    • Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
  • Liaison Reports
    • New England Council
    • South Atlantic Council
    • Regional Planning Body
  • Continuing and New Business

ASMFC Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Board Approves Scup Addendum XXIX & Finalizes 2017 Black Sea Bass Recreational Management Measures

May 12, 2017 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Management Board approved Addendum XXIX to the Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan. The Addendum shortens the length of the commercial scup summer period and extends the length of the winter II period (Table 1).

Table 1. New Quota Periods approved in Addendum XXIX

Winter I January 1-April 30 (120 days)
Summer May 1- September 30 (153 days)
Winter II October 1-December 31 (92 days)

This action seeks to allow for the better utilization of the commercial quota, which has been under-harvested since 2011. Specifically, the change in quota period length allows for higher possession limits for a longer period of time each year, thus increasing the likelihood the commercial fishery will fully harvest the quota. The quota allocation for each period remains unchanged. The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) also took the same action through Framework 10. The Council will forward its recommendation to NOAA Fisheries for final approval.The Board and Council’s action will not affect the 2017 quota period start and end dates; these changes will likely be implemented for 2018 commercial quota. The Addendum will be finalized and available on the Commission website, www.asmfc.org (on the Scup webpage), within the next few weeks.

The Board also reviewed the final 2016 black sea bass recreational harvest estimates and considered changes to current measures to meet the 2017 RHL. Based on the performance of the 2016 fishery, which indicated a reduction is needed to stay within the 2017 RHL, the Board set the possession limit for wave 6 (November/December 2017) at five fish in state waters from Rhode Island through New Jersey. All other state measures remain unchanged from 2016.