Final Call for Workshop Registration: Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council to Offer Training on Electronic Vessel Trip Reports for the For-Hire Community

This is the final call for registration to participate in the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s workshops to help the for-hire community prepare for submitting Vessel Trip Reports (VTRs) electronically.

Briefing Materials for April 2017 Council Meeting Are Now Available

Briefing materials for the April 2017 Council Meeting are now available at http://www.mafmc.org/briefing/april-2017.

NOAA Fisheries Navigator – April 2017

Check out the latest edition of the NOAA Fisheries Navigator.

Mid-Atlantic Council to Hold Public Hearings for Squid Amendment

The Council will hold nine public hearings in April and May 2017 to solicit public input on the Squid Amendment to the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan. Written comments may be submitted through May 18, 2017.

ASMFC Releases Report on Sciaenid Fish Habitat

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission has released the 14th report in its Habitat Management Series entitled, Atlantic Sciaenid Habitats: A Review of Utilization, Threats and Recommendations for Conservation, Management and Research.

NOAA Fisheries: Notice of Availability for Mid-Atlantic Unmanaged Forage Fish Omnibus Amendment

NOAA Fisheries has published a notice of availability for the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s Unmanaged Forage Fish Omnibus Amendment.

Council to Offer Training on Electronic Vessel Trip Reports for the For-Hire Community

The Council is hosting two workshops in late April to help the for-hire community prepare for submitting Vessel Trip Reports (VTRs) electronically.

Council Meeting in Avalon, New Jersey: April 11-13, 2017

The public is invited to attend the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's April 2017 meeting to be held April 11-13, 2017 in Avalon, New Jersey.

Request for Proposals: Atlantic Chub Mackerel Stock Assessment

The Council is seeking a highly-qualified contractor to facilitate development of a quantitative stock assessment for Atlantic chub mackerel (Scomber colias) to support development of management measures for chub mackerel fisheries. Proposals are due by April 30, 2017.

February 2017 Council Meeting Summary

Open February 2017 Council Meeting Summary

NEFMC to Host Coral Workshops to Solicit Input From Active Fishermen

The New England Fishery Management Council is hosting two workshops to bring together active fishermen who use bottom-tending mobile and fixed gear to discuss issues related to its Deep-Sea Coral Amendment.

MAFMC & ASMFC Set Black Sea Bass Specifications for 2017 and 2018

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission have approved revised specifications for the 2017 black sea bass fishing year as well as specifications for the 2018 fishing year for the Northern black sea bass stock.

Bay 101: Food for Fish in the Chesapeake Bay (VIDEO)

Larger fish like striped bass and bluefish are popular with fishermen, but healthy populations of smaller fish and invertebrates form the base of the food web. This video produced by the Chesapeake Bay Program explains what fish are eating to survive in the Chesapeake Bay. Watch the Video >

Request for Proposals: Catch Share Program Review for Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Fisheries

The Council is seeking a contractor to conduct a Catch Share Program Review of the present and past social and economic conditions in the Atlantic surfclam and ocean quahog fisheries which are managed using individual transferrable quotas (ITQs). Proposal Submission Deadline: March 31, 2017.

Mid-Atlantic Council Seeking Applications for Interim Advisory Panel Members

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council is soliciting applications from qualified individuals to fill vacancies on the Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Advisory Panel, Spiny Dogfish Advisory Panel, and Surfclam/Ocean Quahog Advisory Panel. Applications are due by February 10, 2017.

Council Meeting in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina: February 14-16, 2017

The public is invited to attend the Council's February 2017 meeting to be held February 14-16, 2017 in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

Skate Limited Access Scoping Hearings (Dates Changed)

The New England Fishery Management Council has scheduled six scoping hearings in Jan-Feb for an action that could lead to limited access for the skate fisheries.

New MRIP Review by National Academies of Sciences

A review by the Ocean Studies Board of the National Academies of Sciences found that MRIP "has yielded impressive progress over the past decade in providing more reliable catch data to fishery managers."

Mid-Atlantic Council Initiates Action in Response to Overage of Black Sea Bass Catch Limit

The Council has initiated a framework action to review and modify accountability measures (AMs) for the commercial black sea bass fishery in response to new information indicating that commercial catch in 2015 exceeded the annual catch limit due to higher than anticipated discards.

December 2016 Council Meeting Summary

The following summary highlights actions taken and issues considered at the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s December 2016 meeting in Baltimore, MD. Presentations, briefing materials, and audio recordings are available on the Council’s website at http://www.mafmc.org/briefing/december-2016.

Download December 2016 Council Meeting Report

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