NOAA Fisheries and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Announce Efforts to Mitigate Impacts of Offshore Wind Energy Development on NOAA Fisheries’ Surveys

NOAA Fisheries and BOEM have developed a Draft Federal Survey Mitigation Strategy to address anticipated impacts of offshore wind energy development on NOAA Fisheries’ scientific surveys. Two informational webinars will be held on March 29 and 30. Comments can be submitted here through May 6.

ACFHP Launches General Request for Habitat Conservation Proposals

The following was released by the Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership:

In order to respond promptly to funding opportunities from various sources, the Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership (ACFHP or Partnership) is soliciting applications for habitat conservation projects in need of funding that align with ACFHP’s objectives and priority habitats. The Request for Proposals (RFP) is not linked to a specific funding source. Instead, newly submitted projects reviewed and approved by ACFHP will be added to our project database and recommended as funding becomes available.

The amount of funding currently and soon to be available for habitat restoration projects is unlike anything we have seen in a generation. With the applications submitted through the RFP, ACFHP is preparing to nimbly respond to new funding opportunities with previously approved projects. There is no deadline for the RFP. The sooner we receive applications, the faster ACFHP can review and consider your project for new funding opportunities. While submitting an application does not guarantee funding, it will increase the visibility of your project among ACFHP partners and other funders.

The RFP can be found on the ACFHP website: Funding Opportunities – Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership (atlanticfishhabitat.org)

For questions and to submit your completed application, please email Lisa Havel, ACFHP Director, at LHavel@asmfc.org.

Public Hearings Scheduled for Recreational Harvest Control Rule Framework/Addenda

This action considers changes to the process for setting recreational management measures (bag, size, and season limits) for summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, and bluefish. Eight virtual public hearings will be held between March 16 and April 13, 2022, and written comments may be submitted through April 22, 2022.

February 2022 Council Meeting Summary

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) met February 8-9, 2022 via webinar. The following summary describes actions taken and issues considered during the meeting. Presentations, briefing materials, motions, and webinar recordings are available at the link below.

Reconsideration of 2022 Black Sea Bass Recreational Management Measures

In December 2021, the Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (Commission’s) Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board (Board) jointly approved a 28% reduction in coastwide black sea bass harvest compared to the 2018-2021 average. This reduction was deemed necessary to prevent exceeding the 2022 recreational harvest limit (RHL). They also jointly agreed to use the conservation equivalency process to waive federal waters measures and allow states to work together as regions to develop measures to collectively reduce harvest to prevent a 2022 RHL overage.

The Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Technical Committee (TC) met several times in January 2022 to develop an agreed upon methodology for states to use when developing regional proposals for recreational black sea bass measures. The TC considered methodologies for identifying and smoothing outlier recreational harvest estimates at the state, wave, mode, and year level for 2018-2021. As a result of this analysis, the TC recommended a modified coastwide harvest reduction target of 24% but agreed that reductions ranging from 20.7% to 26.8% could be justified based on its outlier analysis.

During this meeting, the Council and Board reviewed the TC’s recommendations and voted to modify the coastwide reduction target to 20.7%. Under the conservation equivalency process, the Council and Board also approved non-preferred coastwide measures. These measures are intended to be waived in favor of regional measures which would collectively prevent an RHL overage. The Council and Board modified the non-preferred measures to reflect the revised harvest reduction target of 20.7%. The revised non-preferred coastwide measures include a 14-inch minimum size limit, a 5 fish possession limit, and an open season of May 15-October 8. The Council and Board’s December 2021 recommendation for precautionary default measures, consisting of a 16-inch minimum size, a 3 fish possession limit, and an open season of June 24-December 31, remained unchanged. These measures are intended to be implemented in any state or region that does not put forward a proposal that can be approved by the Board through the Commission’s conservation equivalency process.

Recreational Harvest Control Rule Framework/Addenda

The Council and the Commission’s Interstate Fisheries Management Program Policy Board (Policy Board) met to review the range of alternatives in the Recreational Harvest Control Rule Framework/Draft Addenda. The goal of this proposed action is to establish a process for setting recreational bag, size, and season limits for summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, and bluefish such that measures aim to prevent overfishing, are reflective of stock status, appropriately account for uncertainty in the recreational data, take into consideration angler preferences, and provide an appropriate level of stability and predictability in changes from year to year. The alternatives under consideration include various methods to allow for greater stability in measures and more explicit consideration of stock status when setting the measures compared to the current process.

The Council and Policy Board requested that the Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) provide a qualitative evaluation of the potential effect of each of the five primary alternatives in this proposed action on the SSC’s assessment and application of risk and uncertainty in determining acceptable biological catch levels. The intent is to provide the Council and Policy Board with information to consider the tradeoffs among the different alternatives with respect to the relative risk of overfishing, increasing uncertainty, fishery stability, and the likelihood of reaching or remaining at the target biomass level.

The Policy Board approved its draft addenda for public comment. Public hearings will take place through the Commission process in the coming months. Additional information on hearing dates and locations will be posted on the Council and Commission’s websites once it is available. The Council’s framework action will consider the same range of alternatives as the Commission’s addenda. The Council does not typically hold public hearings for framework actions. Therefore, the Council agreed that additional hearings beyond those planned through the Commission process are not necessary.

Atlantic Sturgeon Bycatch

Spencer Talmage (NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office) provided an update on the formation and planned activities of the Atlantic Sturgeon Bycatch Working Group. Atlantic sturgeon, a slow growing and late maturing species, have been listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) since 2012. On May 27, 2021, NOAA Fisheries released a “batched” biological opinion which considered the effects of several fishery management plans on ESA-listed species. The Biological Opinion specifies a number of requirements necessary to minimize the impacts of any incidental take. These include a requirement that NMFS convene a working group to address Atlantic sturgeon bycatch in the Federal large mesh gillnet fisheries. The group aims to produce a review of available bycatch information relevant to federal large mesh gillnet fisheries and then use this review to develop an action plan to reduce Atlantic sturgeon bycatch in relevant fisheries by 2024. There will be opportunities for public input throughout the process. Members of the Council and public asked questions and provided feedback related to the process and information used. Some voiced concerns over the goal of Action Plan completion in May 2022, stating this may not be realistic.

Other Business

  • Financial Disclosures: John Almeida (NOAA Office of General Counsel, Northeast) provided a briefing on financial disclosure and recusal requirements.

  • 2022 Meeting Topics: Executive Director, Dr. Chris Moore, provided an overview of planned meeting topics for 2022.

  • SSC Appointments: The Council approved reappointment of 16 SSC members whose three-year terms will expire in March 2022.

  • GSCHMA: The Council received an update on a recent leadership discussion regarding the Great South Channel Habitat Management Area.

  • Offshore Wind: Staff provided updates on recent offshore wind activities. The Council briefly discussed the overlap of the draft Central Atlantic wind energy call areas and the Frank R. Lautenberg Deep Sea Coral Protection Areas. In December 2021, the Council requested that these coral areas be excluded from all stages of wind energy development, including these early planning stages for the Central Atlantic.

  • NTAP: The Council reviewed a list of new and reappointed members of the Northeast Trawl Advisory Panel (NTAP).

  • Hudson Canyon: The Council discussed a recent NOAA comment period seeking comments on whether a nomination for Hudson Canyon National Marine Sanctuary should remain in the inventory of potential future marine sanctuaries. This area was added to the inventory in 2017 and is undergoing a five-year review process to determine whether it still meets a set of 11 criteria against which proposals for sanctuaries are evaluated. In 2017, the Council wrote a letter expressing concern about designating of a sanctuary in Hudson Canyon given the inability to guarantee that the Council would retain management authority in the area. The designation process for marine sanctuaries is separate from the nomination process, and designation has not been initiated for the Hudson Canyon area. If designation of this area were considered, the Council would provide comments during this highly participatory process that typically takes 3-5 years.

Next Meeting

The next Council meeting will be held April 5-7, 2021. This will be a hybrid meeting with options to participate virtually or in person in Galloway, New Jersey. A complete list of upcoming meetings can be found at https://www.mafmc.org/council-events.

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NOAA Fisheries: Sea Turtle Bycatch Measures in Atlantic Trawl Fisheries -- Upcoming Information Gathering!

NOAA Fisheries is gathering early input from the public, fishing industry, and other stakeholder groups regarding potential measures to reduce bycatch of sea turtles in trawl fisheries, with a particular focus on the Atlantic croaker, longfin squid, and summer flounder fisheries.

MAFMC and ASMFC Approve Changes to Commercial and Recreational Allocations of Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass

The revised allocations are intended to better reflect the current understanding of the historic proportions of catch and landings from the commercial and recreational sectors. These changes are expected to take effect January 1, 2023.

Reminder: MAFMC and ASMFC to Consider Final Action on Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Commercial/Recreational Allocation Amendment

Next week, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board (Board) will consider final action on the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Commercial/Recreational Allocation Amendment during the Council’s December 2021 Council Meeting.

Final action was previously considered in April 2021 but was postponed until December to allow further progress to be made on the Recreational Harvest Control Rule Framework and Addendum. The purpose of this joint amendment is to consider adjusting the allocations of catch or landings between the commercial and recreational fisheries for summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass. Details on the specific alternatives being considered are available in the Decision Document and in the Combined Briefing Materials. Additional background information can be found here.

Meeting Details: This agenda item is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 14 (please note that this start time is subject to change). Members of the public are welcome to attend in person at the Westin Annapolis (100 Westgate Circle Annapolis, MD 21401) or online via Webex webinar (Meeting number: 2330 933 4966; Meeting password: ncKMj56xX6p). Please see the December 2021 Meeting Page for additional details, including health and safety precautions. A live stream of the meeting will also be available on our YouTube channel.

Public Comment: Members of the public participating in person and remotely will have opportunities to provide oral comments during the meeting. There is no need to pre-register for public testimony. At the appropriate time, the chairman will provide instructions on how to indicate your desire to speak. You may also submit written comments through the December 2021 Public Comment form or via email to cmoore@mafmc.org. Comments submitted by 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 9, will be combined and posted as supplemental materials on the meeting page (please note that comments submitted by December 1 are already included in the briefing materials). After December 9, comments may only be submitted through the comment form (no email).

Questions? For questions about the amendment, contact Kiley Dancy (kdancy@mafmc.org, 302-526-5257) or Dustin Colson Leaning (dleaning@asmfc.org, 703-842-0714). For questions about the meeting or public comment procedures, contact Mary Sabo (msabo@mafmc.org, 302-526-5261).

December 2021 Council Meeting - Quick Links

NOAA Fisheries Announces Final Rule to Implement the Bluefish Allocation and Rebuilding Amendment (Amendment 7)

NOAA Fisheries announces measures to implement Amendment 7 to the Atlantic Bluefish Fishery Management Plan (also referred to as the Bluefish Allocation and Rebuilding Amendment), as adopted by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council. The purpose of this comprehensive amendment is to update the FMP with the best scientific information available, and to respond to changes in the fishery over time. Specifically, this action will:

  • Update the Bluefish FMP goals and objectives from those that were initially established in 1991, to better reflect the current fishery.

  • Re-allocate bluefish quota between fishery sectors; allocating 14 percent to the commercial fishery and 86 percent to the recreational fishery.

  • Re-allocate bluefish commercial quota to the states from Maine to Florida based on a recent 10 years of landings data including a 0.1-percent minimum default allocation. This change in commercial allocation to the states would be phased in equally over a period of seven years, so each state would only experience 1/7th of the change in allocation percentages each year until 2028.

  • Implement a 7-year rebuilding plan.

  • Revise the sector quota transfer measures to allow quota to be transferred in either direction (from commercial to recreational sector or vice versa), with a revised maximum transfer cap of 10-percent of the acceptable biological catch.

  • Revise the specifications process to account for sources of management uncertainty separately between the commercial and recreational fishery sectors.

For more information, read the final rule as filed in the Federal Register, or the bulletin posted on the web.

Questions?

Fishermen: Contact Cynthia Ferrio, Sustainable Fisheries Division, 978-281-9180

Media: Contact Allison Ferreira, Regional Office, 978-281-9103

Reminder: Commercial VTRs Must be Submitted Electronically as eVTRs

On November 10, 2021, NOAA Fisheries implemented a new rule requiring all GARFO-permitted commercial fishing vessels to submit vessel trip reports electronically as eVTRs within 48 hours of the end of the trip. This also applies to vessels holding a NEFMC for-hire permit. This does not apply to vessels holding only an American lobster permit.

  • Paper vessel trip reports packages will no longer be distributed by GARFO.

  • After November 10, VTRs will only be accepted electronically.

  • If you have any delinquent VTRs, please mail them as soon as possible for processing before the deadline.

See GARFO’s webpage for more information on the requirements, and use this decision tree to help you decide if you need to use eVTR. Additional resources are available on the Council’s Commercial eVTR page.

How to Report

Vessel operators have several NOAA Fisheries-approved eVTR applications to choose from. Visit the NOAA Fisheries eVTR Software Options page for detailed information about approved applications and other aspects of electronic reporting. NOAA Fisheries has also developed a Decision Tree to help permit holders to determine which reporting applications will best meet their needs. Many commercial operators have chosen the SAFIS eTrips/mobile 2 or the NOAA Fish Online programs.

Training Opportunities

The Council and GARFO have both hosted eVTR training webinars. Recordings from those webinars are available at the links below.

Additional eVTR Resources

The pages and videos linked below provide information to help get you started.

General

eVTR Tutorials

eTrips/Mobile 2 Tutorials:

NOAA Fish Online Tutorials