The Spiny Dogfish and Monkfish Committees will meet jointly via webinar on Wednesday, May 17th, 2023 from 9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

The Spiny Dogfish and Monkfish Committee’s will meet to discuss:

• Recommendations from the Sturgeon Bycatch Fishery Management Action Team/Plan Development Team and the Joint Monkfish and Dogfish Advisory Panel;

• Potential measures to reduce bycatch of Atlantic sturgeon in the monkfish and spiny dogfish gillnet fisheries, developed from the recommendations in NOAA’s Action Plan to Reduce Atlantic Sturgeon Bycatch in Federal Large-Mesh Gillnet Fisheries;

• The range of alternatives recommended to the Councils (New England and Mid-Atlantic) to be considered for reducing bycatch of Atlantic sturgeon in the monkfish and spiny dogfish gillnet fisheries; and

• Other business, as necessary.

If you would like written comments to be considered at these meetings, they must be received at the NEFMC office no later than 8 a.m. on Monday, May 15, 2023. Please address them to Council Chair Eric Reid or Executive Director Tom Nies. Email submissions should be sent to comments@nefmc.org.

Meeting materials and webinar details are posted on the NEFMC meeting page here: https://www.nefmc.org/calendar/may-17-2023-joint-monkfish-and-spiny-dogfish-committee-webinar

MAFMC Contact: Karson Cisneros - kcisneros@mafmc.org; 302-526-5259

NEFMC Contact: Robin Frede – rfrede@nefmc.org; (978) 465-0492 (ext. 124)