September 28, 2023 — The following was released by New England Fishery Management Council:
The New England Fishery Management Council covered several Atlantic sea scallop and habitat issues during its September 25-28, 2023 meeting in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Details follow on pages 2 through 5, but at-a-glance, the list of discussion items included:
• A high-level overview of findings from the 2023 scallop survey season conducted under the Scallop Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program;
• A snapshot of access area and closed area options being analyzed in Framework Adjustment 38 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan, which contains specifications for the 2024 fishing year, default specification for 2025, and other measures;
• A vote to develop options in Framework 38 to increase vessel monitoring system (VMS) ping rates in the scallop fishery to improve enforcement;
• Approval of the Scallop Survey Working Group’s Scallop Survey Guiding Principles;
• A presentation from the Northeast Fisheries Science Center covering fishery independent surveys, including 2023 federal scallop survey issues and future R/V Hugh R. Sharp contingency plans;
• A progress report on the framework action being developed to potentially authorize scallop fishery access to the Closed Area II Habitat Closure Area on the Northern Edge of Georges Bank, as well as a charge to the Scallop and Habitat Plan Development Teams (PDTs) to analyze four conceptual areas for potential scallop access on the Northern Edge factoring in habitat concerns;