September 28, 2018 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:   

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s 77^th Annual Meeting will be held October 21-25, 2018 at The Roosevelt Hotel, Madison Avenue. The room block is now closed. Please notify Cindy Robertson (crobertson@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740) if you need assistance reserving a room.

Please note: The preliminary agenda has been revised with the following changes: (1) meeting times have changed on Monday, October 22 for the American Lobster Board, Atlantic Herring Section, and the American Eel Board; and (2) the Atlantic Menhaden Board, previously scheduled for October 23^rd, and the Shad and River Herring Board, previously scheduled for October 25^th, have both been cancelled. Meeting times on those days have shifted to reflect those cancellations. The revised agenda is attached and follows below.

All meetings throughout the week are open to the public, free of charge. However, if you are planning on attending any of the meeting events (Sunday and Monday Receptions, Tuesday Dinner, or Wednesday Hart Award Luncheon), please register as soon as possible; simply fill-in and submit the registration form to Lisa Hartman at lhartman@asmfc.org. Events are filling up quickly and we cannot guarantee you space unless you register. The meeting registration fee is $200/per participant and $150/per spouse or guest if you register by October 15, 2018. After October 15^th and in New York the fees will be $225 and $175, respectively. The registration fee will be used to defray the cost of the Sunday and Monday night receptions, the Tuesday night dinner, and the Wednesday Hart Award Luncheon, as well as event materials. Payment is not required until you arrive at the meeting; however, we ask that you please assist us in planning for the meeting by registering as soon as possible.

If you are driving to the meeting, we strongly encourage you to park in New Jersey at the Port Imperial/Weehawken Terminal and take a short ferry to Midtown Manhattan since parking in NYC is exorbitant.  Directions are attached and can also be found here.

The final agenda and meeting materials will be available on October 10^th on the Commission website at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2018-annual-meeting.

ASMFC 77^th Annual Meeting:

October 21 – 25, 2018

The Roosevelt Hotel
Madison Avenue @ 45th Street
New York, NY

Revised Preliminary Agenda

Please note: The preliminary agenda has been revised with the following changes: (1) meeting times have changed on Monday, October 22 for the American Lobster Board, Atlantic Herring Section, and the American Eel Board; and (2) the Atlantic Menhaden Board, previously scheduled for October 23^rd, and the Shad and River Herring Board, previously scheduled for October 25^th, have both been cancelled. Meeting times on those days have shifted to reflect those cancellations.

The agenda is subject to change. Bulleted items represent the anticipated major issues to be discussed or acted upon at the meeting. The final agenda will include additional items and may revise the bulleted items provided below. The agenda reflects the current estimate of time required for scheduled Board meetings. The Commission may adjust this agenda in accordance with the actual duration of Board meetings. Interested parties should anticipate Boards starting earlier or later than indicated herein.

Sunday, October 21

6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Hosts’ Reception

Monday, October 22

8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. American Lobster Management Board:

• Review of the NOAA Fisheries Technical Memo on Right Whale Status and Recovery
• Report on the October 2018 Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Team Meeting
• Review American Lobster Addendum XXVII Timeline
• Discuss Protocols to Evaluate Bait Sources
• Progress Update from the American Lobster Electronic Tracking and Reporting Subcommittees
• Consider Approval of 2018 Fishery Management Plan Reviews and State Compliance Reports for American Lobster and Jonah Crab

12:30 – 1:30 p.m. Lunch (On Your Own)

1:30 – 3:30 p.m. Atlantic Herring Section:

• Review 2018 Atlantic Herring Benchmark Assessment Peer Review Report
• Review and Consider Approval of Benchmark Stock Assessment and Peer Review Report for Management Use
• Review and Discuss White Paper on Atlantic Herring Spawning Protections
• Update on 2019-2021 Fishery Specifications Process
• Set 2019 Specifications for Area 1A
• Review and Populate Atlantic Herring Advisory Panel

3:45 – 4:45 p.m. American Eel Management Board:

• Presentation on Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species Workshop and Discuss Next Steps
• Consider Approval of 2018 Fishery Management Plan Review and State Compliance Reports

6:30 – 8:00 p.m. Welcome Reception

Tuesday, October 23

8:00 – 10:15 a.m. Strategic Planning Workshop

10:15 – 11:15 a.m. Business Session:

• Review and Consider Approval of the 2019 Action Plan
• Elect Chair and Vice-Chair

11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Coastal Sharks Management Board:

• Review and Consider Addendum V for Final Approval
• Review Proposed 2019 Coastal Sharks Fishery Specifications
• Consider Approval of 2018 Fishery Management Plan Review and State Compliance Reports

12:30 – 1:30 p.m. Lunch (On Your Own)

12:30 – 5:00 p.m. Law Enforcement Committee:

(A portion of this meeting may be a closed session for Committee members only)

• Review 2018 Action Plan and New Tasks for 2019
• Progress Report on Enforcement of the Offshore American Lobster Fishery
• Update on American Eel Addendum V and State Aquaculture Proposals
• Review Federal Transit Zone Proposal for Striped Bass in Block Island Sound
• Review Transit Zone Proposal for Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass
• Review Tautog Commercial Tagging Program
• Review ASMFC Managed Species
• Review Ongoing Enforcement Issues (Closed Session)
• Federal and State Agency Reports

1:30 – 2:30 p.m. Spiny Dogfish Management Board:

• Review 2018 Stock Assessment Update
• Set Spiny Dogfish 2019-2021 Fishery Specifications
• Discuss Adjustments to Federal Commercial Trip Limit
• Consider Approval of 2018 Fishery Management Plan Review and State Compliance Reports

2:45 – 4:00 p.m. Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board:

• Review Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Regarding Lifting the Ban on Atlantic Striped Bass Fishing in the Federal Block Island Sound Transit Zone
• Update on North Carolina Cooperative Winter Tagging Program
• Progress Update on the Benchmark Stock Assessment

6:15 – 9:00 p.m. Annual Dinner

Wednesday, October 24

8:00 – 10:00 a.m. Executive Committee: (A portion of this meeting may be a closed session for Committee members and Commissioners only)

• Consider Approval of FY18 Audit
• Discuss Priorities for Use of Plus-up Funding
• Consider Changes to the Appeals Process
• Appointment of Aquaculture Committee
• Report from the Awards Committee

8:30 a.m. – Noon Law Enforcement Committee (continued):

10:15 – 11:00 a.m. Weakfish Management Board:

• Review Technical Committee Report on Commercial Discards
• Consider Approval of 2018 Fishery Management Plan Review and State Compliance Reports
• Elect Vice-Chair

11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Horseshoe Crab Management Board:

• Set 2019 Delaware Bay Horseshoe Crab Fishery Specifications
• Progress Update on the Horseshoe Crab Benchmark Stock Assessment
• Consider Approval of 2018 Fishery Management Plan Review and State Compliance Reports
• Elect Vice-Chair

12:15 – 1:30 p.m. Captain David H. Hart Award Luncheon

1:30 – 3:30 p.m. Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board:

• Consider Approval of Draft Addendum XXXII (2019 Black Sea Bass and Summer Flounder Recreational Management) for Public Comment
• Progress Update on Black Sea Bass Commercial Working Group

3:45 – 4:45 p.m. Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program (ACCSP) Coordinating Council:

• Program/Committee Updates
• Progress Report on SAFIS Redesign
• Consider Recommendations of FY2019 Submitted Proposals
• Clarify Funding Decision Process
• Discuss Formation of Data Reporting Committee on Data Accountability

Thursday, October 25

8:00 – 9:00 a.m. Tautog Management Board:

• Progress Update on Development of the Commercial Harvest Tagging Program
• Technical Committee Report on Biological Sampling Requirements
• Consider Approval of 2018 Fishery Management Plan Review and State Compliance Reports

9:15 – 11:00 a.m. Interstate Fisheries Management Program Policy Board:

• Update from the Executive Committee
• Progress Update on Risk and Uncertainty Workgroup
• Review Recommendations of the October 2019 Atlantic LargeWhale Take Reduction Team Meeting and Possible Impact to Commission Species
• Review and Consider Approval of the Stock Assessment Schedule
• Update on the Northeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program
• Standing Committee Reports

o   Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership

o   Law Enforcement Committee

• Consider Noncompliance Recommendations (If Necessary)

11:00 – 11:15 a.m. Business Session (continued):

• Review Noncompliance Findings (If Necessary)

11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. South Atlantic State/Federal Fisheries Management Board:

• Review Public Comment Summary for Cobia Draft Amendment 1 Public Information Document
• Provide Guidance to the Cobia Plan Development Team on Options for Inclusion in Draft Amendment 1
• Consider Approval of 2018 Fishery Management Plan Reviews and State Compliance Reports for Black Drum, Spotted Seatrout, and Spanish Mackerel

Public Comment Guidelines

With the intent of developing policies in the Commission’s procedures for public participation that result in a fair opportunity for public input, the ISFMP Policy Board has approved the following guidelines for use at management board meetings:

For issues that are not on the agenda, management boards will continue to provide opportunity to the public to bring matters of concern to the board’s attention at the start of each board meeting. Board chairs will use a speaker sign-up list in deciding how to allocate the available time on the agenda (typically 10 minutes) to the number of people who want to speak.

For topics that are on the agenda, but have not gone out for public comment, board chairs will provide limited opportunity for comment, taking into account the time allotted on the agenda for the topic. Chairs will have flexibility in deciding how to allocate comment opportunities; this could include hearing one comment in favor and one in opposition until the chair is satisfied further comment will not provide additional insight to the board.

For agenda action items that have already gone out for public comment, it is the Policy Board’s intent to end the occasional practice of allowing extensive and lengthy public comments. Currently, board chairs have the discretion to decide what public comment to allow in these circumstances.

In addition, the following timeline has been established for the submission of written comment for issues for which the Commission has NOT established a specific public comment period (i.e., in response to proposed management action).

1.    Comments received 3 weeks prior to the start of a meeting week will be included in the briefing materials.

2.    Comments received by 5:00 PM on Tuesday, October 16, 2018 will be distributed electronically to Commissioners/Board members prior to the meeting and a limited number of copies will be provided at the meeting.

3.    Following Tuesday, October 16, 2018 5:00 PM deadline, the commenter will be responsible for distributing the information to the management board prior to the board meeting or providing enough copies for the management board consideration at the meeting (a minimum of 50 copies).

The submitted comments must clearly indicate the commenter’s expectation from the ASMFC staff regarding distribution.  As with other public comment, it will be accepted via mail, fax, and email.