Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council to meet August 8 - 10, 2017 in Philadelphia, PA
The public is invited to attend the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's August 2017 meeting to be held August 8-10, 2017 in Philadelphia, PA. The meeting will be held at the Courtyard Marriott, 21 N. Juniper St., Philadelphia, PA 19107, Telephone 215-496-3200.
Meeting Materials: Briefing documents will be posted at http://ww.mafmc.org/briefing/august-2017 as they become available.
Public Comments: Written comments must be received by Wednesday, July 26, 2017 to be included in the Council meeting briefing book. Comments received after this deadline but before close of business on Thursday, August 3, 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.
Webinar: For online access to the meeting, enter as a guest at: http://mafmc.adobeconnect.com/august2017.
Agenda
Tuesday, August 8th
9:00 a.m. Council Convenes
9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Surfclam/Ocean Quahog
- Excessive Shares Amendment
- Review scoping comments for excessive shares alternatives
- Discuss next steps for amendment development
- Surfclam OFL/ABC discussion
11:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m. Risk Policy Framework – Meeting 1
- Initiate framework
- Review risk policy and ABC framework alternatives
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Lunch
1:00 p.m. Demersal Committee Meeting as a Committee of the Whole with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass and Bluefish Boards
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Bluefish Specifications
- Review SSC, Monitoring Committee, Advisory Panel, and staff recommendations for 2018 specifications
- Recommend any changes if necessary
- ASMFC Bluefish Fishery Management Plan review
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Scup Specifications
- Review SSC, Monitoring Committee, Advisory Panel, and staff recommendations for 2018 – 2019 specifications
- Recommend changes to 2018 specifications if necessary and consider setting specifications for 2019
3:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Summer Flounder Amendment
- Approve Demersal Committee and ASMFC Board recommendations regarding alternatives
Wednesday, August 9th
9:00 a.m. Demersal Committee Meeting as a Committee of the Whole with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass and Bluefish Boards
9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Summer Flounder Specifications
- Review SSC, Monitoring Committee, Advisory Panel, and staff recommendations regarding previously implemented 2018 specifications
- Recommend any changes if necessary
10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Summer Flounder Recreational Issues
- Report from Board’s Summer Flounder Recreational Working Group on work toward short- and long-term improvements to recreational specifications process
11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Black Sea Bass Specifications
- Review SSC, Monitoring Committee, Advisory Panel, and staff recommendations regarding previously implemented 2018 specifications
- Recommend changes if necessary
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Lunch
1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Black Sea Bass Recreational Issues and Amendment Consideration
- Discuss potential opening of black sea bass wave 1 fishery in 2018
- Report from Board on addendum for 2018 black sea bass recreational management
- Report from Board on potential reconsideration of northern states’ wave 6 measures
- Review initiation of black sea bass amendment (December 2015 motion)
3:00 p.m. Council Convenes
3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Law Enforcement Reports
- NOAA Office of Law Enforcement
- U.S. Coast Guard
3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management Risk Assessment
- Review and approve draft risk elements for risk matrix
Thursday, August 10th
9:00 a.m. Council Convenes
9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Business Session
- Committee Reports
- SSC
- Executive Director's Report, Chris Moore
- Chub mackerel amendment update
- MAFMC involvement in NEFMC Groundfish Framework 57 (southern windowpane flounder accountability measures)
- Review timing of the Nantucket/Martha’s Vineyard Squid Buffer Framework Action
- 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
The above agenda items may not be taken in the order in which they appear and are subject to change as necessary. Other items may be added, but the Council cannot take action on such items even if the item requires emergency action without additional public notice. Non-emergency matters not contained in this agenda may come before the Council and / or its Committees for discussion, but these matters may not be the subject of formal Council or Committee action during this meeting. Council and Committee actions will be restricted to the issues specifically listed in this agenda. Any issues requiring emergency action under section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act that arise after publication of the Federal Register Notice for this meeting may be acted upon provided that the public has been notified of the Council’s intent to take final action to address the emergency. The meeting may be closed to discuss employment or other internal administrative matters.