Council Meeting in Annapolis, Maryland: December 11-14, 2017

The public is invited to attend the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's December 2017 meeting to be held December 11-14, 2017 in Annapolis, MD. The meeting will be held at The Westin Annapolis, 100 Westgate Circle, Annapolis, MD 21401, Telephone 410-972-4300.

Meeting Materials: Briefing documents will be posted at http://ww.mafmc.org/briefing/december-2017 as they become available.

Public Comments: Written comments must be received by Wednesday, November 29, 2017 to be included in the Council meeting briefing book. Comments received after this deadline but before Thursday, December 7, 2017, 5:00 p.m. 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.

Webinar: For online access to the meeting, enter as a guest at: http://mafmc.adobeconnect.com/december2017.

Download a PDF version of this announcement

Agenda

Monday, December 11

1:00 p.m. Council Convenes

1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management Risk Assessment

  • Review and approve EAFM based assessment

3:00 p.m. -4:00 p.m. Risk Policy Framework – Meeting 2

  • Review and approve recommended modifications to Council’s Risk Policy

4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Magnuson-Stevens Act Reauthorization

  • Review proposed MSA reauthorization legislation and CCC Working Paper

5:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Tilefish Survey Project Report, Michael Frisk, Jill Olin, Robert Cerrato

  • Update of the fisheries-independent pilot survey for tilefish

NOTE: COUNCIL WILL RECESS UNTIL 9:00 A.M. TUESDAY MORNING

Tuesday, December 12

8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Executive Committee (CLOSED SESSION)

  • Ricks E Savage Award

9:00 a.m. Council Convenes

9:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. Council Photo

9:15 a.m. Mackerel, Squid, Butterfish Meeting as a Committee of the Whole

9:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Squid Buffer Zone Framework – Meeting 1

  • Discuss framework goals
  • Review and approve preliminary alternatives

10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Chub Mackerel Amendment

  • Review scoping comments and discuss next steps

12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m. Law Enforcement Report

  • NOAA Office of Law Enforcement
  • U.S. Coast Guard

12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Lunch

1:30 p.m. Joint Meeting of the Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass and Bluefish Boards

1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Scup Recreational Specifications

  • Review Monitoring Committee and Advisory Panel recommendations
  • Adopt recommendations for 2018 Federal waters management measures

2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Summer Flounder Recreational Specifications

  • Review Monitoring Committee and Advisory Panel recommendations
  • Recommend Conservation Equivalency or coastwide management and associated measures for 2018

4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Summer Flounder Amendment

  • Review and approve November 2017 Demersal Committee recommendations for further staff analysis

Wednesday, December 13

9:00 a.m. Joint Meeting of the Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass and Bluefish Boards

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Black Sea Bass Recreational Specifications

  • Review Monitoring Committee and Advisory Panel recommendations
  • Adopt recommendations for 2018 Federal waters management measures
  • Review Wave 1 fishery implementation
  • Board Addendum XXX

12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Lunch

1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Black Sea Bass Wave 1 Letter of Authorization Framework

  • Review background and provide guidance for development of draft alternatives

2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Black Sea Bass Amendment

  • Review initiation of black sea bass amendment (December 2015 motion)

3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Bluefish Amendment

  • Initiate Bluefish Amendment and discuss next steps

4:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Presentation, Brian Hooker

  • Update of Atlantic Offshore Renewable Projects
  • Update on Atlantic Renewable Energy Studies

Thursday, December 14

9:00 a.m. Council Convenes

9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. 2018 Implementation Plan

  • Review and approve 2018 Implementation Plan

10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Business Session

  • Committee Reports
    • Mackerel, Squid, Butterfish Committee (Herring Amendment 8 Comments)
    • Executive Committee
  • Executive Director's Report, Chris Moore
    • Golden Tilefish IFQ review
    • NEFMC Framework 57 update
  • 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