Recreational Focus Group

December 2 -3, 2011

Baltimore, Maryland

Overview

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council held a focus group December 2-3, 2011 to elicit feedback from stakeholders on engaging the recreational fishing community in the Council management process. The focus group was attended by 27 members of the recreational community from North Carolina to Massachusetts, representing private boat and shore-based anglers, party and charter boat owners and operators, regional advocacy groups, retailers, and media. The focus group also included Council Chair Rick Robins, Executive Director Dr.Christopher Moore, and members of the Council’s Demersal Committee.

Objectives

  • To enhance the recreational community’s understanding of the regulatory process, focusing on the recreational summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass fisheries;
  • To gather perspectives from the recreational community on their engagement in the Council process, including clear steps that the Council can take to improve communication;
  • To increase awareness of the Council’s Visioning Process, and support the recreational community’s participation in creating a vision for the future of Mid-Atlantic fisheries; and
  • To identify and communicate different perspectives on the regulatory options and tradeoffs for managing the summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass recreational fisheries.

Meeting Materials