Webinar Summary, posted 11/28/2017
The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold a public webinar on Thursday November 9, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm.
- Webinar link: http://mafmc.adobeconnect.com/chub_hms_diet/
- Audio can be accessed through the webinar link or by dialing 1-800-832-0736 and entering meeting room number 5068871.
The goal of this webinar is to understand the importance of Atlantic chub mackerel (Scomber colias) to the diets of highly migratory species (HMS) predators in U.S. waters, with a focus on recreationally-important predators such as large tunas and billfish. The objectives of the meeting are to:
- Convene a panel of scientific experts on HMS diets,
- Clarify what is known about the importance of chub mackerel to HMS diets based on currently available data, and
- Develop recommendations for future studies to quantify the role of chub mackerel in HMS diets.
Meeting these objectives will help the Council analyze the potential impacts of chub mackerel management alternatives on HMS predators as well as on recreational fisheries for those predators. The Council is developing a chub mackerel amendment to the Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan. More information on the amendment is available here.
Meeting Materials
- Dr. John Graves letter to Council on small scombrids in HMS diets
- Trophic Dynamics of Pelagic Fishes in the U.S. South Atlantic Inferred from Diet and Stable Isotope Analysis, Stephen J. Poland
- Feeding Ecology of Blue Marlins, Dolphinfish, Yellowfin Tuna, and Wahoos from the North Atlantic Ocean and Comparisons with Other Oceans, Rudershausen et. al
Public Participation
To facilitate productive discussions among the invited experts, public participation during this webinar will be limited to designated question and answer and comment periods. Members of the public are invited to email questions for the invited experts to Council staff (jbeaty@mafmc.org) in advance of the meeting.
These meetings are physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aid should be directed to M. Jan Saunders, (302) 526-5251, at least 5 days prior to the meeting date.