March 2019 Meeting Summary

Open March 2019 Meeting Summary (pdf)

Federal Shutdown Impacts on MAFMC Meetings - Updated 2/4/19

As a result of the government shutdown, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council cancelled or postponed a number of meetings. Below is a list of the meetings that were cancelled and rescheduled. We are working to reschedule as many of these meeting as possible. Please check back frequently for updates, as this page is being updated on an ongoing basis.

The following meetings have been RESCHEDULED:

• The February 2019 Council Meeting has been rescheduled for March 6-7, 2019.

• The Scientific and Statistical Committee Meeting has been rescheduled for February 21, 2019.

• The Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Monitoring Committee Meeting has been rescheduled for February 27, 2019.

• The Joint Meeting of the MAFMC and ASMFC Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Advisory Panels scheduled has been rescheduled for March 1, 2019.

• The Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Advisory Panel Meeting has been rescheduled for March 14, 2019.

• The Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Committee Meeting has been rescheduled for March 14, 2019.

The following meetings have been CANCELLED:

• The Northeast Regional Marine Fish Habitat Assessment Steering Committee Meeting scheduled for January 30

• The Northeast Trawl Advisory Panel (NTAP) meeting scheduled for February 15

Rescheduled meeting dates will be posted on this page and at http://www.mafmc.org/council-events/.

Last Updated 2/4/19

February Council Meeting Rescheduled for March 6-7, 2019

Updated January 29, 2019

The February Council meeting has been rescheduled for March 6-7, 2019 at the Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront (3001 Atlantic Avenue, Virginia Beach, VA 23451, Telephone 757-213-3000). A detailed agenda and additional details will be posted on this page as they become available.

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Updated January 22, 2019

The February Council meeting has been cancelled due to the government shutdown. The Council is considering rescheduling some of the planned agenda items for a shorter meeting tentatively scheduled for March 6 and 7 in Virginia Beach. However, feasibility of this option is highly dependent on when the government reopens. For additional information, please contact Chris Moore (cmoore@mafmc.org, 302-526-5255).

Additional information about cancellations of other MAFMC meetings is being posted on an ongoing basis at http://www.mafmc.org/newsfeed/2019/federal-shutdown-effects-on-mafmc-meetings.

December 2018 Meeting Summary

Open December 2018 Meeting Summary (pdf)

Rutgers Cooperative Extension to Host Introductory Fisheries Science for Stakeholders (IFISSH) Course

Rutgers Cooperative Extension is offering an introductory fisheries science course to educate New Jersey’s commercial and recreational fishing industries’ stakeholders on science and management processes impacting their industries.

The Introductory Fisheries Science for Stakeholders (IFISSH) course  is open to all who are interested (commercial and recreational fishermen, general public, current students or professionals, etc.)

This course will meet during the evening (6:30 - 8:30 p.m.) every Tuesday from January 29 through April 2 with a new weekly topic of interest like fisheries biology, oceanography, stock assessment, and fisheries management, with invited speakers from multiple local and regional agencies.

This will be a "HyFlex" course to provide students with the option to participate live in-class or remotely via webinar. The in-class meeting location is Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Ocean County, 1623 Whitesville Road, Toms River, NJ 08755. The program fee is $60 per person.

The cost for the course is $60.00 per person.

Please register by January 22, 2019 by contacting Kelly Jurgensen (Administrative Assistant, Marine Extension Program), Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Ocean County at kjurgensen@co.ocean.nj.us or by calling 732-349-1152.

If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Douglas Zemeckis (County Agent III - Assistant Professor), Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Rutgers University at zemeckis@njaes.rutgers.edu or 732-349-1152.

Download the course flyer with additional details.

Final Action on Summer Flounder Commercial Issues Amendment Postponed Until February 2019

During a joint meeting last week in Annapolis, Maryland, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) and Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Board (Board) voted to postpone final action on the Summer Flounder Commercial Issues Amendment until their next joint meeting in February 2019.

The amendment considers several potential changes to the management of the commercial summer flounder fishery and proposes modifications to the fishery management plan goals and objectives for summer flounder.

Discussion during the meeting focused predominantly on options in the amendment that could modify allocations of the commercial summer flounder quota to the states. The current commercial allocations were last modified in 1993 and are perceived by some as outdated given their basis in 1980-1989 landings data. The amendment proposes three sets of alternatives for modifying the current state-by-state allocations. After reviewing public comments on these options, the administrative Commissioner from New York introduced a motion that would have allowed states to submit additional commercial quota allocation options for discussion in February 2019. While some Council and Board members offered support for the motion, others felt that it was too late in the process to introduce new alternatives and that the existing options adequately address the purpose of the amendment. After a lengthy discussion, the motion was defeated due to lack of majority from the Council.

Given the limited time available to discuss the remaining issues addressed in the amendment, the Council and Board voted to postpone final action until their next joint meeting, to be held February 11-14, 2019 in Virginia Beach, VA. Additional information about this action is available at: http://www.mafmc.org/actions/summer-flounder-amendment.

Questions? Contact Kiley Dancy, Fishery Management Specialist, kdancy@mafmc.org, (302) 526-5257.

PDF Version

NOAA Fisheries Sets 2019 Specifications for Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass

Effective January 1, 2019

NOAA Fisheries sets 2019 catch limits for the summer flounder and black sea bass fisheries and maintains the 2019 scup specifications that were established in 2017.

The summer flounder specifications will result in a 16-percent increase in the recreational harvest limit. Due to commercial overages that occurred in 2017, an accountability measure will be applied to the commercial quota that will result in a commercial quota that is similar to that in place for 2018.

For black sea bass, we are implementing the same specifications that were in place for 2018. We are also reopening the February black sea bass recreational fishery.

The scup specifications for 2019 are identical to those in place for 2018. We are also increasing the incidental possession limit for scup moratorium permit holders using small mesh from April 15-June 15.

A new assessment for summer flounder will be finalized in early 2019; any adjustment to the summer flounder specifications as a result will be taken up by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. Additional information will be sent outlining any changes being implemented mid-year. 

Read the final rule as filed in the Federal Register and the permit holder bulletin posted on our website.

Questions?

Fishermen: Emily Gilbert, (978) 281-9244

Media: Jennifer Goebel, 978-281-9175

Council Meeting in Annapolis, MD: December 10-13, 2018

The public is invited to attend the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's meeting to be held December 10-13 in Annapolis, MD. The meeting will be held at 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-2018 as they become available.

Public Comments: Written comments must be received by 5:00 p.m. on November 28 to be included in the Council meeting briefing book. Comments received after this deadline but before 5:00 p.m. on December 6 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/december2018.

Agenda

Monday, December 10th  

1:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Executive Committee Meeting (CLOSED)

• Ricks E Savage Award

1:30 p.m. Council Convenes

1:30 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. Council Photo

1:45 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Risk Policy Framework

• Final results of Summer Flounder Economic Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE), Doug Lipton - NMFS

• Discuss next steps

3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Law Enforcement Workshop Report

• Report on Law Enforcement/For-Hire Workshop (November 13-14, 2018)

• Review workshop summary and develop recommendations on further actions

Tuesday, December 11th

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

9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Discussion of Potential 2019 Mid-Year Revisions for Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass

• Discuss timeline for revising 2019 summer flounder specifications

• Discuss potential for mid-year revisions to 2019 black sea bass and scup specifications, including timing of 2019 operational assessment

10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Black Sea Bass 2019 Recreational Specifications

• Review recent fishery performance, Monitoring Committee and Advisory Panel recommendations

• Adopt recommendations for 2019 federal waters recreational management measures

12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Lunch

1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Scup 2019 Recreational Specifications

• Review recent fishery performance, Monitoring Committee and Advisory Panel recommendations

• Adopt recommendations for 2019 federal waters recreational management measures

2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Summer Flounder 2019 Recreational Specifications

• Review recent fishery performance, Monitoring Committee recommendations and Advisory Panel recommendations

• Discuss timeline for developing 2019 recreational measures in early 2019 based on benchmark assessment results

3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Framework and Addendum XXXI on Conservation Equivalency, Block Island Sound Transit, and Slot Limits

• Take final action

4:00 p.m. End of Joint Meeting for the Day

4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Board-Only Meeting on Addendum XXXII for Summer Flounder and Black Sea Bass Recreational Management

• Take final action

Wednesday, December 12th

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

9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Summer Flounder Commercial Issues and Goals and Objectives Amendment

• Take final action

11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Revised Stock Assessment Process, NEFSC

12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Lunch

1:00 p.m. -2:00 p.m. Presentation on Summer Flounder F-Based Management MSE

• Review preliminary results of MSE to explore F-based recreational management, G. Fay and J. McNamee

2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Black Sea Bass Amendment and Review of Progress on Commission’s Strategic Plan for Black Sea Bass

• Discuss initiation of an amendment including identification of issues to consider

4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Research Steering Committee Report

• Report on Research Steering Committee Webinar (November 27, 2018)

• Discuss recommendations from the meeting

5:00 p.m. End of Joint Meeting

Thursday, December 13th

9:00 a.m. Council Convenes

9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Team Report, Michael Asaro - NMFS

9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. 2019 Implementation Plan

• Review and approve 2019 Implementation Plan

11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Business Session

• Committee Reports

  • Scientific and Statistical Committee Report

  • Executive Committee

• Executive Director's Report, Chris Moore

• Organization Reports

  • NMFS Greater Atlantic Regional Office

  • NMFS Northeast Fisheries Science Center

  • NOAA Office of General Counsel

  • NOAA Office of Law Enforcement

  • US Coast Guard

  • Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission

• Liaison Reports

  • New England Council

  • South Atlantic Council

• Continuing and New Business

View PDF Version

NOAA Fisheries Announces Commercial Harvest Quotas for Atlantic Surfclam and Ocean Quahog

November 6, 2018 - The following was released by NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Office:

For fishing year 2019 (January 1–December 31, 2019), the quota will remain 3.4 million bushels for surfclams, 5.33 million bushels for ocean quahogs, and 100,000 Maine bushels for Maine ocean quahogs.

These quotas are unchanged from fishing year 2018. In addition, as was the case for the last 14 years, the minimum size limit for surfclams is being suspended for the 2019 fishing year. 

These measures become effective on January 1, 2019.

To get all the details, read the final rule as filed in the Federal Register today and the permit holder bulletin posted on our website.

Questions?

Fishermen: Contact Douglas Potts at 978-281-9341 

Media: Contact Jennifer Goebel at 978-281-9175