August 2024 Council Meeting

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council met Monday, August 12 – Thursday, August 15, 2024 in Philadelphia, PA.

• Meeting Recordings

• Meeting Motions

• Meeting Report

Agenda and Briefing Materials

• Agenda

• Stock Status

• Combined Briefing Book

Monday, August 12

1:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Swearing in of new Council members / Election of officers

• Briefing Materials (Tab 1)

1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. 2025-2027 Golden Tilefish Specifications

• Briefing Materials (Tab 2)

• Presentation

• Presentation - Management Track Assessment

2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. 2025 Blueline Tilefish Specifications

• Briefing Materials (Tab 3)

• Supplemental:

  • Additional Advisory Panel Comments

• Presentation

3:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) Electronic Monitoring and Reporting Grant Program
Willy Goldsmith, Pelagic Strategies

• Briefing Materials (Tab 4)

• Presentation

4:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. NOAA Fisheries Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management (EBFM) Road Map

• Briefing Materials (Tab 5)

• Presentation

4:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Northeast Trawl Advisory Panel (NTAP) Updates

• Briefing Materials (Tab 6)

• Supplemental:

  • Draft Meeting Summary

• Presentation

Tuesday, August 13

9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Council Process Review - Final Report
Brett Wiedoff, Parnin Group

• Briefing Materials (Tab 7)

• Presentation

10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. 2025 Atlantic Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Specifications Review

• Briefing Materials (Tab 8)

• Presentation

12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. ---------- LUNCH ----------

1:00 p.m. Council Convenes with the ASMFC Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board

1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. MRIP Update and Listening Session
Katherine Papacostas, NOAA Fisheries MRIP Program Manager

• Briefing Materials (Tab 9)

• Presentation

2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. 2025 Summer Flounder Specifications Review

• Briefing Materials (Tab 10)

• Supplemental:

  • Monitoring Committee Summary

• Presentation

3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Summer Flounder Mesh Exemptions Framework/Addendum - Approve draft addendum for public comment

• Briefing Materials (Tab 11)

• Presentation

4:30 p.m. Council and Board Adjourn

Wednesday, August 14

9:00 a.m. Council Convenes with the ASMFC Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board

9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. 2025 Scup Specifications Review

• Briefing Materials (Tab 12)

• Supplemental:

  • Monitoring Committee Summary

• Presentation

10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. 2025 Black Sea Bass Specifications

• Briefing Materials (Tab 13)

• Supplemental:

  • Monitoring Committee Summary

  • UPDATED 8/13/24: Summer Flounder, Scup, Black Sea Bass AP Meeting Summary 8/5/24

  • Additional Public Comments Received through Aug 8, 2024

  • Additional Comments

• Presentation - Management Track Assessment

• Presentation

11:30 a.m. Council Adjourns

11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ASMFC Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Board Only FMP Review and Vice-Chair Elections

• Summer Flounder FMP Review

• Scup FMP Review

• Black Sea Bass FMP Review

12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. ---------- LUNCH ----------

1:00 p.m. Council Convenes with ASMFC Interstate Fishery Management Program Policy Board

1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Recreational Measures Setting Process Framework/Addenda

• Briefing Materials (Tab 14)

• Presentation

3:30 p.m. Council Convenes with ASMFC Bluefish Management Board

3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. 2025 Bluefish Specifications Review

• Briefing Materials (Tab 15)

• Supplemental:

  • Monitoring Committee Meeting Summary

  • ASA Letter Regarding Bluefish Specifications

• Presentation

5:00 p.m. Council Adjourns

5:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. ASMFC Bluefish Board Only - FMP Review and Vice-Chair Elections

• Bluefish FMP Review

Thursday, August 15

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Business Session

• Committee Reports - (Tab 16)

  • Executive Summary of the July 2024 Scientific and Statistical Committee Meeting

  • Full report of the July 2024 SSC Meeting (posted 8/8/24)

  • Report on Proposed Approaches to Setting Recreational Measures in the Mid-Atlantic Fisheries for Summer Flounder, Black Sea Bass, Scup and Bluefish

• Executive Director’s Report (Tab 17)

  • Supplemental: Mid-Atlantic Council Invites Public Input on 5-Year Strategic Plan

• Organization Reports:

  • NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office - GARFO Status of Actions Report

  • NOAA Fisheries Northeast Fisheries Science Center

  • NOAA Office of General Counsel

  • NOAA Office of Law Enforcement

  • US Coast Guard

• Liaison Reports (Tab 18)

  • New England Council - NEFMC June 2024 Agenda and Press Releases

  • South Atlantic Council - SAFMC June 2024 Liaison Report

• Other Business and General Public Comment