East Coast Fishery Management Organizations Release Suite of Potential Actions to Help Managers Respond to the Effects of Climate Change on Marine Fisheries

East Coast Fishery Management Organizations Release Suite of Potential Actions to Help Managers Respond to the Effects of Climate Change on Marine Fisheries

July 2023

Over the past two years, marine fishery management organizations along the U.S. East Coast have been exploring governance and management issues related to climate change and fishery stock distributions. This effort recognizes the profound impact that climate change is having on our ocean ecosystems and coastlines and the need to plan for how fishery management organizations and coastal communities can best adapt to these changes in a thoughtful and deliberate way.

Throughout the multi-stage scenario planning process, hundreds of stakeholders helped generate four distinct “scenarios,” each describing a possible future for East Coast fisheries, coastal communities, and fisheries management. The capstone to this initiative was a Scenario Planning Summit, held in February 2023, which brought together representatives from the three East Coast Regional Fishery Management Councils, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, and NOAA Fisheries. During the Summit, participants used the scenarios as a platform from which to develop a set of potential governance and management actions that could help prepare fishery management organizations for future challenges related to climate change.

Scenario Planning Outcomes

The main themes and potential actions that emerged during this process are summarized in two documents: the Summit Report and a Potential Action Menu. The Summit Report summarizes the discussions that occurred at the Summit, while the Potential Action Menu builds upon the Summit Report by suggesting possible next steps for the management organizations to consider as they plan for the future. The Potential Action Menu is organized around three overarching themes: (1) cross-jurisdictional governance; (2) managing under increased uncertainty; and (3) data sources and partnerships. Each theme’s potential actions are prioritized, with high priority given to those that could be quickly or easily implemented or that the fishery management organizations viewed as important issues to address in the near-term. The table below provides a summary of high priority potential actions under each theme. 

The Potential Action Menu is intended to be an evolving document, used as a planning tool to guide development of priorities and a place to capture future issues and ideas. Over the next several months, fishery management organizations will meet individually and collectively to discuss how best to integrate the high priority items into actions.

Overarching Themes and High Priority Potential Actions

Theme	High Priority Actions
Cross-Jurisdictional Governance Refers to ways in which governance structures and processes may need to be modified to address changes in species distribution.	Evaluate Council committee structure, use, and decision-making Evaluate Advisory Panel representation Develop joint management agreements to clarify roles and increase efficiency Improve coordination across NOAA offices and regions
Managing Under Increased Uncertainty Environmental changes may mean that historical conditions can no longer be used to predict the future, increasing uncertainty in management.	Identify ecosystem-level contextual information that can be considered in management to incorporate climate information into decisions Streamline fishery management plan documentation and rulemaking
Data Sources and Partnerships Coordination of accurate and timely data between all stakeholders and partners will play a large role as we adapt to changing conditions.	Expand study fleet, include recreational fisheries, and ensure data are used Use survey mitigation around offshore wind to transition to industry-based surveys or other survey platforms Improve the use of existing data

Next Steps

Two new groups are being formed to help support the implementation of scenario planning outcomes.

• The East Coast Climate Coordination Group will be responsible for tracking progress toward implementation of potential actions, promoting prioritization of actions (jointly or by individual management organizations), estimating resources needed, and supporting coordinated implementation.

• The Climate Innovation Group will track information and changes relevant to East Coast fisheries, identify ideas that are worthy of consideration by the Coordination Group, and identify possible actions to undertake.

Scenario Planning Toolkit and More Information

A Scenario Planning Toolkit has been created to support ongoing conversations about how climate change is affecting fisheries. The toolkit consists of materials to provide guidance to other stakeholders who may wish to undertake their own scenario work, with resources including a set of overview slides, worksheet templates, draft agendas for various types of sessions, guidance on different scenario approaches, and guidelines for facilitators.

Additional information about the East Coast Climate Change Scenario Planning Initiative, including contact information for current core team members, is available at https://www.mafmc.org/climate-change-scenario-planning.

View PDF Version of this Press Release

South Atlantic Council Seeks Public Input on Commercial Electronic Logbooks - Public Hearings Scheduled for July 25, 26, and 27

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold a series of public hearings via webinar later this month for proposed measures affecting reporting requirements for federally-permitted commercial fishermen.

Learn more here.

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.

MAFMC to GARFO: Comments on Black Sea Bass Commercial State Allocation Amendment NOA and Proposed Rule

MAFMC Comment Letter on Black Sea Bass Commercial State Allocation Amendment (Amendment 23)

Gulf Council to Host the Council Coordination Committee in Key West, Florida May 23-25, 2023

Leadership teams for the nation’s eight regional fishery management councils will gather in Key West, Florida for the spring 2023 Council Coordination Committee (CCC) meeting.  The meeting will convene May 23-25, 2023, at the Marriott Beachside Hotel located at 3841 North Roosevelt Boulevard, Key West, Florida 33040.  The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council is happy to serve as this year’s CCC host.

The CCC is comprised of the chairs, vice chairs, and executive directors of the New England, Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic, Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, Pacific, Western Pacific, and North Pacific Fishery Management Councils.  CCC chairmanship rotates annually among the eight Councils.  The CCC meets twice each year to discuss issues relevant to all fishery management councils in partnership with NOAA Fisheries and NOAA General Counsel.

The CCC will hear updates from NOAA Fisheries on agency priorities in the coming year including fisheries science updates.  The Committee will also discuss the America the Beautiful Initiative and ongoing efforts to address climate change in fisheries.  The meeting agenda and meeting materials will be posted as they become available on the fisherycouncils.org website.

In-person and virtual public testimony will be taken at the end of the day on May 23rd and 24th before the meeting adjourns.  In-person attendees must register to provide public comment each day on at the kiosk located near the entrance to the meeting room.  Virtual attendees must register 30-minutes prior to the start of public comment using the registration links provided on the meeting materials webpage.

NOAA Fisheries Seeks Comments on a Proposed Rule to Implement 2023 Recreational Management Measures for Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass

Comments Due April 14, 2023

NOAA Fisheries is seeking comments on proposed 2023 summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass recreational fishery management measures.

Summer Flounder and Black Sea Bass

We propose the conservation equivalency approach for the summer flounder and black sea bass recreational fisheries. Under conservation equivalency, states or regions develop minimum sizes, possession limits, and fishing seasons that will achieve the necessary level of conservation. Both the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission recommended conservation equivalency, for both species, in 2023.

The proposed rule contains additional details on conservation equivalency, including what measures would be put in place if the states or regions do not implement conservationally equivalent measures.

Scup

We are proposing a 10-inch minimum size limit, 40-fish possession limit, and May 1- December 31 open season for recreational scup measures in federal waters, with the states to further modify state measures through the Commission process.

Read the proposed rule as published in the Federal Register today. The comment period is open through April 14. Submit your comments through the e-rulemaking portal. 

Questions?

Fishermen: Contact Emily Keiley, Sustainable Fisheries, 978-281-9116

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