Mid-Atlantic Council Votes to Initiate Amendment for Deep-Sea Coral Management

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The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council voted to develop a plan amendment to protect deep-sea corals at their meeting in Duck, NC last week.  This is the first time the Council has ever initiated an action specifically to protect corals in the Mid-Atlantic region. 

Deep-sea corals provide important habitat for many commercially and recreationally important fisheries in the Mid-Atlantic.  While Mid-Atlantic deep-sea coral species do not build reefs, some types are structurally complex and require hard substrates for attachment.  These corals, which are important habitat areas, are thought to be particularly vulnerable to physical damage because of their slow growth rates.

“This decision demonstrates the Council’s commitment to manage and protect not only Mid-Atlantic fisheries but also the habitats that those fish rely on,” said Council Chairman Rick Robins.  “Our understanding of the location and ecological significance of deep-sea corals has improved in recent years and will benefit from upcoming benthic survey work in the Mid-Atlantic region.  This deep-sea coral amendment will put the Council in a position to manage these sensitive components of the marine ecosystem.”  

The amendment would include provisions for developing management measures to protect areas with high densities of deep-sea corals.  These areas were identified in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions during the development of the New England Fishery Management Council’s Omnibus Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) Amendment.  The amendment was initiated in 2005 to develop a comprehensive plan that will minimize adverse effects of fishing on deep-sea corals and other areas of EFH. 

To date, efforts to identify and protect deep-sea coral areas have involved collaboration between the Mid-Atlantic and New England Councils.  In order to preserve the continuity of the process, the Council also voted last week to develop a memorandum of understanding between the Mid-Atlantic, New England, and South Atlantic Councils.  This will allow the councils to coordinate broad-scale deep-sea coral management measures.

Council Seeks Nominations for Atlantic Sturgeon Advisory Panel

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The Council is soliciting nominations from qualified individuals to serve on its Atlantic Sturgeon Advisory Panel including individuals with expertise in sturgeon biology and life history, sturgeon population assessment, and those familiar with sturgeon interactions with fisheries and gear types in the Mid-Atlantic. Advisors will assist in the development of management measures to reduce impacts on Atlantic sturgeon by helping the Council better understand the issues surrounding sturgeon and their interactions with Mid-Atlantic fisheries. Applicants who are appointed to the Atlantic Sturgeon Advisory Panel will serve a term of 3 years. 

Anyone interested in serving as a member on the Council's Atlantic Sturgeon Advisory Panel can submit an application to the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 800 N. State Street, Suite 201, Dover, DE 19901, email the form to info1@mafmc.org or fax it to (302) 674-5399.  Please note as the subject on your email or fax:  ATLANTIC STURGEON ADVISORY PANEL.  Applications can be obtained by visiting http://www.mafmc.org/, or by contacting the Council office at (302) 674-2331 (ext.253). 

Applications must be received by May 11, 2012.

Council Seeking Applications for Advisory Panel Members

Visioning Project results in new process 

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The Council has been engaged in a Visioning and Strategic Planning project with the goal of implementing changes to the management process and improving its fishery management plans based on stakeholder input.  As a direct result of this effort, the advisory panel process is being revised to enhance the role of advisors.  The Council is soliciting applications from qualified individuals to serve on its eight advisory panels.

Advisory panels will be composed of individuals with diverse experiences and interests in Mid-Atlantic fisheries.  Advisors will play an important role in the fishery management process and will be directly responsible for fishery performance reports that help the Council better understand trends in fisheries and impact of management decisions on stakeholders. In addition, these reports will be considered by the Scientific and Statistical Committee and by the Council in the quota setting process.  

The Council is seeking advisors to serve on the following advisory panels:

•  Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass 
•  Tilefish 
•  Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish 
•  Surfclam and Ocean Quahog
•  Bluefish
•  Dogfish (Jointly managed with New England Council) 
•  Monkfish (Jointly managed with New England Council)
•  Ecosystems, Habitat, and Ocean Planning

Advisory panel members will be appointed during the next meeting of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council scheduled for April 10-12, 2012 in Duck, NC.  Appointed advisors will serve a term of 3 years. 

Anyone interested in serving as a member on one of these advisory panels can submit an application to the Mid- Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 800 N. State Street, Suite 201, Dover, DE 19901, email the form to info1@mafmc.org or fax it to (302) 674-5399.  Please note as the subject on your email or fax:  ADVISORY PANEL.  Applications can be obtained by visiting http://www.mafmc.org/, or by contacting the Council office at (877) 446-2362.

Applications must be received by March 30, 2012.

NMFS Solicits Proposals for MAFMC 2013 Research Set-Aside Program

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The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announced that it is accepting proposals under the Mid-Atlantic Council's Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program for research activities to be conducted in 2013.  Applications must be received by NMFS on or before 5 p.m. EST on April 2, 2012. 

The Council, in coordination with NMFS and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, may set aside up to 3 percent of the total allowable landings (TAL) in certain Mid-Atlantic fisheries to be used for research endeavors.  The RSA program provides a mechanism to fund research and compensate vessel owners through the sale of fish harvested under the research quota.  Vessels participating in an approved research project may be authorized by the NMFS Northeast Regional Administrator to harvest and land species in excess of any imposed trip limit or during fishery closures.  Landings from such trips are sold to generate funds that help defray the costs associated with the approved research projects. No Federal funds are provided for research under this notification.

NMFS is soliciting proposals for research activities concerning the summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, Loligo squid, Illex squid, Atlantic mackerel, butterfish, river herring, bluefish, and tilefish fisheries.  NMFS and the Council will give priority to funding proposals addressing the research needs as follows:

2013 Research Priority List

Spanning Multiple Species

• Conduct fishery independent surveys for all Mid-Atlantic species, especially in the near shore zone (as provided by the Northeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program-NEAMAP).

Interactions Between Loligo Squid, Butterfish, Atlantic Mackerel & River Herring (alosine)

• Evaluate potential improvements to at-sea observer and port sampling procedures and investigate accuracy and precision of at-sea observer and port sampling based estimates of catches of butterfish and alosine species in the Loligo fishery and alosine species in the mackerel fishery.
• Test gear modifications (in addition to mesh size) and/or alternative gear types (e.g., jigging) in the Loligo squid fishery to reduce bycatch of butterfish and other species.
• Study mortality rates of Loligo squid that pass through trawl mesh to evaluate effects of mesh regulations on fishing mortality of Loligo by size/age.
• Evaluate use of videography to document Loligo catches without any or minimal butterfish bycatch.
• During the spring, conduct exploratory sampling for SMB species in deep water beyond the range of the current NEFSC spring survey.

Summer Flounder

• Evaluate the length, weight, and age compositions of landed and discarded fish in the summer flounder fisheries (recreational and commercial) by sex.   Focus age sampling on summer flounder 24 inches or larger in total length.

Bluefish

• Evaluate amount and length, weight, and age compositions of discards from the commercial and recreational fisheries.
• Collect size and age composition of the fisheries by gear type and statistical area.
• Develop a pilot program to determine the optimum sample size for a coastwide age-length key, and test the feasibility of state-level sampling combined with regional-level sampling consistent with the recommendations of the 2011 ASMFC Bluefish Ageing Workshop.  
• Initiate fishery-dependent and independent sampling of offshore populations of bluefish during the winter months (consider migration, seasonal fisheries, and unique selectivity patterns resulting in a bimodal partial recruitment pattern; consider if the migratory pattern results in several recruitment events).
• Develop bluefish index surveys (proof of concept); including abundance/biomass trend estimates for the offshore populations in winter.

Black Sea Bass

• Validate methods used to age black sea bass (scales vs. otoliths).
• Perform studies focused on life history and reproductive behaviors, such as changes in sex ratio as a function of age and size or the evaluation of the sizes of territories in relation to mating or reproduction.
• Increase age sampling across all components of the commercial and recreational fisheries.
• Increase sea sampling to verify information from commercial logbooks toward providing better estimates of discards.
• Develop fishery independent indices.

Scup

• Develop fishery independent indices for scup ages 2+.
• Estimate the fishery components used to calculate scup mortality (commercial and recreational landings, and discards).
• Expand age sampling of scup from commercial and recreational catches.  Focus age sampling on scup 10 inches or larger in total length.

Illex squid

• Determine size, age-at-maturity, and growth parameters for Illex squid.

Tilefish

• Investigate the effects of hook size and other fishing practices (e.g., bait type and soak time) on catchability of tilefish by size in the longline fishery.

Complete Details and to Apply

For complete details and information on how to apply, please visit the Grants.gov web site (http://www.grants.gov).  Click on the 'Grant Search' Quick Link on the upper right-hand corner of the page under FOR APPLICANTS and then search for Funding Opportunity Number  NOAA-NMFS-NEFSC-2013-2003258

After clicking on the '2013 Mid-Atlantic Research Set-Aside' link under Opportunity Title, click on the 'Full Announcement' link in the middle of the bar at the top of the page.  On the next page click on the 'Full Announcement'  next to the Description 'Federal Funding Opportunity' to open or save the full text of the Announcement (19 pages) to your hard drive.  

Council Announces Visioning Project Extension

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The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council announces an extension of the survey and comment deadline for its Visioning Initiative. The initiative is an opportunity for anyone interested in fisheries managed by the Council to weigh in on the future of fisheries management in the Mid-Atlantic. Survey responses can now be submitted until February 29, 2012.

“The Council has reached a pivotal moment in the management of our region’s fisheries. While we have effectively rebuilt most of our managed stocks, we need to develop a cohesive vision for the future of our fisheries, fishing communities, and ecosystems. With this vision we can develop a strategic plan that includes specific goals, timelines, and metrics for success,” said Council Chairman Rick Robins. 

The Council is asking the public to take one or more online surveys to provide their ideas and comments on fisheries management policies and processes. This is an opportunity for stakeholders to share their varied perspectives and opinions with the Council. In addition to the main survey, there are short species-specific surveys where anyone interested in a particular species can provide detailed input on the management of that fishery. Links to all surveys are posted on the Visioning website: http://www.mafmc.org/vision. 

Organizations also have the opportunity to submit position letters that will be included in the Visioning data package. Any organization, including non-governmental organizations, recreational fishing clubs, and commercial fishing associations, can submit a letter addressing areas of particular concern or providing recommendations to the Council. Position letter guidelines are available on the Visioning website. 

Although nearly 900 surveys have already been submitted, the Council decided to extend the deadline by a month so that everyone who wants to participate has an opportunity to do so. “We recognize that the Council’s stakeholders have a range of interests and priorities. We are really trying to make sure that the results of this project accurately represent these interests and that we get high levels of participation from all stakeholder groups,” said Executive Director Chris Moore. 

The deadline for submission of surveys and position letters is February 29, 2012. All input received will be presented at the April Council meeting, at which point the Council will begin crafting a vision and accompanying strategic plan designed to achieve that vision. For additional details about the project, or for survey links and position letter guidelines, visit http://www.mafmc.org/vision or contact Mary Clark at mclark@mafmc.org or (302) 526-5261.

Public Listening Session- Marine Recreational Information Program

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Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC) Meeting
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 - 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm
Hilton Virginia Beach - 3001 Atlantic Ave., Virginia Beach, VA
And Via the Internet at http://www.mafmc.org/

Fishery managers are designing and implementing improvements to recreational fishing data collection and estimation through the Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) - http://www.countmyfish.noaa.gov/index.html.  Incorporating input and feedback from anglers is a critical component of MRIP.  With this in mind, the Council will host a Public Listening Session in which Gordon Colvin, the MRIP program manager, will provide an update and take questions and input from the audience and those online (see below for registration).  

The update will include information on how the new MRIP estimation methods have changed 2004-2011 catch estimates for MAFMC-managed species like summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass.  If you have questions, need answers, or just want to express your concerns regarding the MRIP program, you will be able to talk directly to Gordon and leaders from the Council and the National Marine Fisheries Service.  

You can attend in person in Virginia Beach or via the internet.  For online webinar access register at:  https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/695704801.   This is the same link for listening-in to the Council meeting - Agenda.

Contact Jason Didden at jdidden@mafmc.org or (302) 526-5254 if you have any other questions or if you would like to confirm that your computer is set-up to access the webinar.  The webinar works for most computers, but sometimes remote voice communication from online participants has problems.  In such cases, participants may still use a chat feature in the webinar to type submit their comments or questions.  You can also email questions before the meeting begins to jdidden@mafmc.org.  

Volunteer Angler Data workshop

January 26, 2012
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Thursday, February 2, 2012 - 8:30 am to 4:30 pm
Four-Points Sheraton, BWI Airport
7032 Elm Road, Baltimore, MD 21240
And via the Internet at: http://www.mafmc.org/events/volunteerdata.htm

Anglers have told us that one way to increase overall trust in recreational catch numbers is to take advantage of their enthusiasm through hands-on participation in data collection. As a result, several states have implemented volunteer angler data collection programs to collect recreational data and a one-day workshop on February 2 will explore ways that these and future programs can be most effective.

This workshop, co-sponsored by the Council and the Marine Recreational Information Program (www.countmyfish.noaa.gov), will bring together the people who manage these state programs and other volunteer data collection programs to examine questions such as: "Which data needs are best filled by volunteer angler data?" and "How can programs establish and sustain angler enthusiasm and support?" 

The meeting is open to the public and will be webcast. There will be opportunities for public participation from those attending in person as well as via webinar - webcast registration and additional information is available via the above link.

Contact Jason Didden at jdidden@mafmc.org or (302) 526-5254 if you have any questions or if you would like to confirm that your computer is set-up to access the webinar.