MAFMC and ASMFC to Hold Public Information/Scoping Hearings on Recreational Sector Separation and Data Collection Amendment

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission) have scheduled a series of scoping hearings to gather public input on the range of issues and information to be considered in the Recreational Sector Separation and Data Collection Amendment to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan (FMP) and the Bluefish FMP. Hearings will be held February 25 – March 5, 2025. Written comments will be accepted through March 20, 2025.

Amendment Overview

The purpose of the proposed amendment is to consider modifications to the recreational management program for summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, and bluefish. Specifically, the amendment may consider options for managing for-hire recreational fisheries separately from other recreational fishing modes (referred to as sector separation), as well as options related to the collection and use of recreational data, such as private angler reporting and enhanced for-hire vessel trip reporting requirements.

The Council and Commission are currently conducting scoping for this action. Scoping is the first and best opportunity to provide input on the scope of issues to be addressed. There will be additional comment opportunities; however, input provided early in the development of this action will help the Council and Commission identify issues of concern and determine which types of management alternatives should be further developed.

The Public Information/Scoping Document provides a broad overview of the issues identified for consideration in the amendment, management approaches that may be considered, and a series of questions to guide public comment. This document, along with additional information and updates, is available on the Council’s action page or the Commission’s public input page.  

How to Comment

All interested individuals are encouraged to provide comments at any of five public scoping hearings (details below) or by submitting written comments through one of the methods listed below. Comments must be received by 11:59 pm EST on Thursday, March 20, 2025.

1. ONLINE at https://mafmc.knack.com/public-comments#rec-sector-separation-data-collection/

2. EMAIL to kdancy@mafmc.org (subject: Recreational Sector Separation and Data Collection)

3. MAIL to: Dr. Christopher Moore, Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 800 North State Street, Suite 201, Dover, DE 19901
   (Please write “Recreational Sector Separation and Data Collection” on the envelope)

All comments, regardless of submission method, will be compiled into a single document for review and consideration by both the Council and Commission. 

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Webinar Instructions

All hearings except the hybrid Rhode Island hearing will be held via GoToWebinar, which can be accessed using a computer, tablet, or smartphone. To register, please click HERE and select the hearing(s) you plan to attend from the dropdown menu. When connecting to audio, we strongly encourage you to use your computer’s microphone and speakers (VoIP) so you can ask questions and provide comments. To attend the webinar in listen only mode, dial 415.655.0052 and enter access code 724-084-791. Those joining by phone only will be limited to listening to the presentation and will not be able to provide input. If you are new to GoToWebinar, you can download the software by clicking here or via the App store under GoTo. Before joining, we recommend testing your device’s compatibility with the webinar. If you need assistance, please contact the Commission at info@asmfc.org (subject line: GoToWebinar help).

For virtual participation at the hybrid Rhode Island public hearing, the Zoom meeting link is available here. The Meeting ID is 861 5076 1946 and the Passcode is 483668; if calling in dial 646-931-3860.

Hearing Presentation Recording

For those who cannot attend any in-person or virtual hearings, the Commission will also post a recording of the hearing presentation on the Commission’s YouTube page so that stakeholders may watch the presentation and submit comment at any time during the comment process. This recording will be available by late February, with the recording link provided at ASMFCvideos - YouTube.

Contacts

If you have any questions, please contact either:

• Kiley Dancy, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, kdancy@mafmc.org, 302-526-5257

• Tracey Bauer, Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, tbauer@asmfc.org, 703-842-0723

MAFMC Press Contact: Mary Sabo, msabo@mafmc.org, 302-526-5261

PDF Version

December 18, 2024 - Atlantic Sea Scallop Research Track Assessment Community Engagement Meeting

The Atlantic Sea Scallop Research Track Assessment Community Engagement Meeting will be held in person in New Bedford at the Waypoint Event Center with a webinar option for those who cannot attend in person. In-person attendance is highly encouraged.

The Waypoint Event Center is attached to the Fairfield Inn and Suites, New Bedford. 185 MacArthur Drive, New Bedford, MA 02740. Sea Loft Room (2nd floor). Meeting participants can use the joint parking lot. There is no charge for parking on site.

If you plan to attend by webinar, you will need to register using this link.

• Discussion Questions

For more information please visit the New England Fishery Management Council's Atlantic Sea Scallop page. The Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s Atlantic Sea Scallop Research Track Working Group webpage is located here.

Public Hearings Scheduled for Recreational Measures Setting Process Framework/Addenda

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission) are considering changes to the process for setting recreational management measures (bag, size, and season limits) for bluefish, summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass. The Council is considering these changes through a framework action, and the Commission is considering an identical set of options through draft addenda.

The Framework/Draft Addenda are intended to establish a process that will replace the currently used Percent Change Approach implemented through the Harvest Control Rule Framework/Addenda, which will sunset at the end of 2025. The Commission’s Draft Document for Public Comment provides detailed information about the specific management options under consideration. The option that is ultimately selected by the Council and Commission will be used to set recreational management measures for 2026 and beyond.

Public Hearings

The Commission has scheduled a series of public hearings to gather input on its Draft Addenda. Although the Council’s framework development process does not include public hearings, all public comments provided during the Commission’s comment period will be considered by both groups before taking final action. All those interested in the management of the recreational summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, and bluefish fisheries are encouraged to provide input during any of five public hearings to be held between January 14 and January 29, 2025. Written comments may be submitted through February 15, 2025. Please see the Commission’s press release for a hearing schedule and instructions for submitting comments.

Learn More

The Council’s Recreational Measures Setting Process Framework/Addenda page contains further details, including an action development timeline and links to relevant background documents.

If you have questions or need additional information, please contact Julia Beaty (jbeaty@mafmc.org) or Chelsea Tuohy (ctuohy@asmfc.org).

Request for Comments: MSA National Standard 4, 8, and 9 Guidelines (due September 12, 2023)

NOAA Fisheries is requesting public comment on the need for potential revisions to the Guidelines for National Standards 4, 8, and 9 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. The following is an excerpt from the advance notice of proposed rulemaking.

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR); request for comments.

SUMMARY: NMFS is publishing this ANPR to alert the public of potential future adjustments the agency may make to the implementing guidelines for National Standards 4, 8, or 9, of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA). Several ongoing fishing management challenges, including changes in environmental conditions, shifting distributions of fish stocks, and equity and environmental justice considerations that affect fishing communities that are currently or have been historically dependent on the resource, suggest a need to revisit the guidelines to ensure they remain appropriate for current U.S. fisheries management. The intent of this notice is to provide the public with background on some of the specific issues under consideration, seek specific input, and provide a general opportunity for comment. NMFS will take public comment into consideration when it decides whether or not to propose changes to the guidelines for National Standards 4, 8, or 9.

DATES: Comments must be received by 5 p.m., local time, on September 12, 2023.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on this document, identified by “NOAA–HQ–2023–0060”, by any one of the following methods:

• Electronic Submissions: Submit all electronic public comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal: www.regulations.gov. To submit comments via the e-Rulemaking Portal, first click the “submit a comment” icon, then enter “NOAA–HQ–2023–0060” in the keyword search. Locate the document you wish to comment on from the resulting list and click on the “Submit a Comment” icon on the right of that line.

• Mail: Wendy Morrison; National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA; 1315 East-West Highway, Room 13436; Silver Spring, MD 20910.

Instructions: Comments must be submitted by one of the above methods to ensure that the comments are received, documented, and considered by NMFS. Comments sent by any other method, to another address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period, may not be considered. All comments received are part of the public record and will generally be posted for public viewing on www.regulations.gov without change. All personal identifying information ( e.g., name, address, etc.) submitted voluntarily by the sender will be publicly accessible. Do not submit confidential business information or otherwise sensitive or protected information. NMFS will accept anonymous comments (enter “N/A” in the required fields if you wish to remain anonymous).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Wendy Morrison, Fisheries Policy Analyst, National Marine Fisheries Service, 301–427–8564.

Read the Federal Register Notice for additional background and information about the issues under consideration.

NOAA Fisheries Seeks Comments on Proposed 2023 Atlantic Spiny Dogfish Specifications

View Bulletin >

East Coast Fishery Management Organizations Invite Stakeholder Input on Climate Change Scenario Planning

*** Please note that this questionnaire has closed ***

To help prepare fisheries for an era of climate change, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council is collaborating with other East Coast fishery management organizations on a climate change scenario planning initiative. Scenario planning is a way of exploring how fishery management may need to evolve over the next few decades in response to climate change. Additional details are available in the introductory brochure.

We are currently in the scoping phase of the initiative. During this phase we are gathering stakeholder input on forces of change that could affect East coast fisheries in the future. We are inviting all interested stakeholders to complete a questionnaire about the ways you think climate change and other factors will affect fisheries and management in the future. The questionnaire, available at the link below, contains 12 questions and should take 10-30 minutes to complete. This is a great and easy opportunity to become involved and offer your ideas to help guide the issues that we will explore throughout this initiative.

The link will remain open until September 30, 2021, but we encourage you to submit responses as soon as possible. Additional Information about scenario planning can be found at the links below.

• East Coast Climate Change Scenario Planning Page

• Introductory Brochure

• Introductory Videos:

  • Introduction to East Coast Climate Change Scenario Planning

  • Introduction to Scenario Planning

  • Initiative Details

  • Process and Participants