Saving Seafood

Council Actions

NEFMC SSC – Listen Live – Wednesday, October 11, 2023 – Gulf of Maine Haddock, Scallop, and Skate Issues

October 4, 2023 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will meet to discuss issues related to Atlantic sea scallops, Gulf of Maine haddock, and the Northeast skate complex.  The public is invited to listen live.  Here are the details.

 
 
WHERE:  DoubleTree by Hilton in Portland, Maine.  This is an in-person meeting, coupled with a webinar option.  Please do not attend this meeting in person if you do not feel well.
 
START TIME:  9:30 a.m.
 
WEBINAR REGISTRATION:  Online access to the meeting is available at Listen Live.  There is no charge to join the meeting through this webinar.  The Remote Participation Guide is postedhere.
 
CALL-IN OPTION:  To listen-only by telephone, dial +1 (631) 992-3221.  The access code is 434-460-639.  Your regular phone charges will apply.
 
AGENDA:  The SSC will meet to:
 
  • Review information provided by the Council’s Scallop, Groundfish, and Skate Plan Development Teams, as well as stock assessment information where appropriate, and recommend overfishing limits (OFLs) and acceptable biological catches (ABCs) for:
 
    • Gulf of Maine haddock for fishing years 2024 and 2025;
 
    • Atlantic sea scallops for fishing year 2024 and the default OFL and ABC for fishing year 2025; and
 
    • The Northeast skate complex for fishing years 2024 and 2025; and
 
  • Discuss other business as necessary.
 
COMMENTS:  The deadline for submitting written comments for consideration at this meeting is8:00 a.m. on Monday, October 9, 2023.  Address comments to Council Chair Eric Reid or Executive Director Cate O’Keefe and email them to comments@nefmc.org.
 
MATERIALS:  All documents for this meeting will be posted on the SSC October 11, 2023 meeting webpage.
 
QUESTIONS:  Contact Joan O’Leary at (978) 465-0492, ext. 101, joleary@nefmc.org or Janice Plante at (607) 592-4817, jplante@nefmc.org.

ASMFC 81st Annual Meeting Final Agenda and Materials Now Available

October 4, 2023 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s 81st Annual Meeting will be held October 16-19, 2023 at the Beaufort Hotel,

2440 Lennoxville Road, Beaufort, North Carolina. The room block is now closed and the hotel is sold out. This will be a hybrid meeting to allow for remote participation by Commissioners, committee members, and interested stakeholders in all meetings. The main webinar link provided below will be for all board meetings, the ACCSP Coordinating Council, the Executive Committee, and the Business Session of the Commission. Webinar links for meetings of the Law Enforcement Committee and the Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership Steering Committee/Habitat Committee can be found on the agendas for those meetings.
 
The final agenda and meeting materials for the Annual Meeting are now available athttps://www.asmfc.org/home/2023-annual-meeting; click on the relevant Board/Committee name to access the documents for that Board/Committee. For ease of access, all board materials (including the ACCSP Coordinating Council, Executive Committee, and Business Session) have been combined into three documents – October 16, October 17, and October 18-19. Supplemental materials will be posted to the website on Wednesday, October 11th.
 
Webinar Information
Board meetings will be broadcast daily via webinar beginning Monday, October 16 at 9 a.m. and continuing daily until the conclusion of the meeting (expected to be 1:30 p.m.) on Thursday, October 19. To register for the webinar, please go to:https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2497355278986432605 (Webinar ID 807-430-387)
 
If you are joining the webinar but will not be using voice over internet protocol (VoIP), you can also call in at +1 (562) 247-8422, access code 438-306-259. A PIN will be provided to you after joining the webinar.
 
For those who will not be joining the webinar but would like to listen to the audio portion only, press the # key when asked for a PIN. 
 
Each day, the webinar will begin 15 minutes prior to the start of the first meeting so that people can troubleshoot any connectivity or audio issues they may encounter.  If you are having issues with the webinar (connecting to or audio-related), please contact Chris Jacobs at 703.842.0790.
 
Meeting Process
Board chairs will ask both in-person and virtual board members if they wish to speak. In-person members can simply raise their hands at the meeting without logging on to the webinar, while virtual members will raise their hands on the webinar. The chair will work with staff to compile the list of speakers, balancing the flow of questions/comments between in-person and virtual attendees. The same process will be used for public comment. Depending upon the number of commenters, the board chair will decide how to allocate the available time on the agenda (typically 10 minutes) to the number of people who want to speak.
 
Getting to Beaufort
Located on the Crystal Coast, an 85-mile stretch of coastline in North Carolina the Beaufort Hotel is easily accessible by automobile or airplane. Three airports are within an easy drive: Raleigh-Durham International Airport (168 miles); Albert J. Ellis Airport (Jacksonville, NC – 61 miles); and Coastal Carolina Regional Airport (CCRA – 39 miles). From the first two airports, it would be best to rent a car to get to Beaufort and from CCRA you can take a taxi or an Uber.
 
Registration
Please read the following carefully since we have changed the way we are handling meeting registration. All participants are required to register for the Annual Meeting events. However, only those who will not be reimbursed for travel by the Commission (see travel authorization #23-051) will need to pay the registration fee (e.g., guests and federal participants). The meeting registration fee is $200/per participant and $150/per spouse or guest if you register by October 6, 2023. After


October 6th and in Beaufort the fees will be $225 and $175, respectively. The registration fee covers the Monday night welcome reception, the Tuesday night dinner, and the Wednesday Hart Award Luncheon, as well event materials. You may register by returning the attached and linked registration form (by email to lhartman@asmfc.org, or US mail to 1050 N. Highland Street, Suite 200A-N, Arlington, VA 22201). Once you have registered, payment can be made in several ways (1) credit card, which can be made here; (2) check, cash or credit card at the ASMFC Registration Desk at the Annual Meeting; or (3) mail a check to ASMFC (address above).
 
Fishing Tournament
Plans are well underway for the 30th Annual Laura Leach Fishing Tournament. Everyone is invited and encouraged to participate. You will receive a t-shirt with your $20 entry fee; and 100% of the tournament proceeds will be donated to Wounded Warrior Project.  The tournament runs from Sunday (10/15) through Wednesday morning (10/18); the raffle drawing and tournament prizes will be awarded at Wednesday Hart Award Luncheon. 
 
Public Comment Guidelines
To provide a fair opportunity for public input, the ISFMP Policy Board has approved the following guidelines for use at management board meetings:
 
For issues that are not on the agenda, management boards will continue to provide opportunity to the public to bring matters of concern to the board’s attention at the start of each board meeting. Board chairs will ask members of the public to raise their hands to let the chair know they would like to speak. Depending upon the number of commenters, the board chair will decide how to allocate the available time on the agenda (typically 10 minutes) to the number of people who want to speak.
 
For topics that are on the agenda, but have not gone out for public comment, board chairs will provide limited opportunity for comment, taking into account the time allotted on the agenda for the topic. Chairs will have flexibility in deciding how to allocate comment opportunities; this could include hearing one comment in favor and one in opposition until the chair is satisfied further comment will not provide additional insight to the board.
 
For agenda action items that have already gone out for public comment, it is the Policy Board’s intent to end the occasional practice of allowing extensive and lengthy public comments. Currently, board chairs have the discretion to decide what public comment to allow in these circumstances.
 
In addition, the following timeline has been established for the submission of written comment for issues for which the Commission has NOT established a specific public comment period (i.e., in response to proposed management action). 
 
1.   Comments received three weeks prior to the start of a meeting week (September 25) have been included in the briefing materials.
2.   Comments received by 5 PM on Tuesday, October 10 will be included in supplemental materials.
3.   Comments received by 10 AM on Friday, October 13 will be distributed electronically to Commissioners/Board members prior to the meeting.
 
The submitted comments must clearly indicate the commenter’s expectation from the ASMFC staff regarding distribution.  As with other public comment, it will be accepted via mail and email.
 
We look forward to seeing you at the Annual Meeting!

Atlantic Herring: Council to Develop Amendment 10 to Address Fishery Issues; Launches Planning Process for Scoping Meetings

October 2, 2023 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council has agreed to develop an amendment to the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan (FMP) to minimize user conflicts in the fishery and address other issues.

In preparation for this action, the Council also agreed to develop a scoping document and schedule a series of scoping meetings to receive initial input from stakeholders on the potential range of alternatives to be considered in the amendment.

HERRING AMENDMENT 10: The Council has been working on an action that previously was referred to as “revisiting the Inshore Midwater Trawl Restricted Area that was developed under Amendment 8.” The restricted area was implemented but subsequently vacated by a federal court on March 29, 2022.

During its September 25-28, 2023 meeting in Plymouth, Massachusetts, the Council voted to change the title of the new action to “an action to minimize user conflicts related to the Atlantic herring fishery.”

The Council already had approved a problem statement to guide this work, and it expanded the scope of the action when it met in June in Freeport, Maine.

At the September meeting, the Council took the additional step of designating the action as an amendment to, more specifically, “address spatial and temporal allocation and management of Atlantic herring at the management unit level to minimize user conflicts, contribute to optimum yield, and support rebuilding of the resource.”

Council Receives 2023 Scallop Survey Overview; Discusses VMS Ping Rates, Northern Edge; Approves Survey Guiding Principles

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;

Deep-Sea Red Crab: Council Approves 2024-2027 Specifications

September 27, 2023 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council has voted up a new set of specifications for the Atlantic deep-sea red crab fishery for the 2024 through 2027 fishing years. The Council’s package maintains total allowable landings at 2,000 metric tons annually, which is roughly equivalent to 4.41 million pounds. This is the same landing limit implemented for fishing years 2020-2023. The fishing year for deep-sea red crab begins on March 1.

The Council’s decision was based on a recommendation from its Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC), which supported a 2,000-metric-ton acceptable biological catch (ABC) for this fishery. The SSC and Council both considered the findings of the 2023 Atlantic Deep-Sea Red Crab Management Track Stock Assessment before making decisions.

The fishery for Atlantic deep-sea red crab typically consists of four active vessels operating out of New Bedford, Massachusetts, which is where the product is processed.

The fishery is market driven, and landings often do not reflect availability of the resource but, rather, the limitation on market outlets. Market demand has increased in recent years, as has the carapace width of landed crabs, which also is likely due to market demand.

Fishery Management Councils to Meet October 11-13, 2023 in Arlington, Virginia

September 27, 2023 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

Leadership teams for the nation’s eight regional fishery management councils will gather in Arlington, Virginia for the Fall 2023 Council Coordination Committee (CCC) meeting. The meeting will convene October 11-13, 2023, at the Hilton Arlington National Landing Hotel located at 2399 Richmond Hwy., Arlington, VA 22202.

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. NOAA Fisheries is hosting this Fall meeting and the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council is serving as the CCC Chair this year.

 The CCC will address the following items during this meeting:

  • NOAA Fisheries Updates and Priorities
  • Budget and 2024 Outlook
  • NOAA Fisheries Science Update
  • Legislative Outlook
  • NOAA Fisheries Policy Regarding Governance
  • Inflation Reduction Act Climate-Ready Fisheries Council Funding Priorities and Process
  • CCC Subcommittee Updates
  • Process for Establishing Fishing Regulations in Sanctuaries
  • Overview of the Fiscal Responsibility Act and and Council for Environmental Quality (CEQ) Proposed National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Regulations
  • Endangered Species Act and Magnuson-Stevens Act Integration Policy Update

The meeting will be broadcast via webinar.

 All current information including briefing book materials and webinar connection details will be posted on the meeting page: 

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/event/2023-october-council-coordination-committee-meeting.

NEFMC Reelects Eric Reid and Rick Bellavance as Chair and Vice Chair for 2023-2024; Welcomes New Member Jackie Odell

September 26, 2023 — The following was released by New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council opened its September 25-28, 2023 meeting in Plymouth, Massachusetts by congratulating reappointed Council members and welcoming a new member to the table. The Council also held its annual election of officers.

Three current members were reappointed to serve an additional three-year term on the Council. They are:

• John Pappalardo of Massachusetts, who is beginning his third full term as an at-larger Council member;

• Daniel Salerno of New Hampshire, who is beginning his second term as an at-large member; and

• Alan Tracy of Maine, who is beginning his second term on the Council as an at-large member.

Jackie Odell of Massachusetts was appointed to her first three-year term on the Council in an at-large seat. All four members took the oath of office at the meeting’s start. NOAA Fisheries Regional Administrator Mike Pentony administered the oath. The new terms run from August 11, 2023 through August 10, 2026.

LEADERSHIP: For the third year in a row, the Council unanimously ushered in Eric Reid and Rick Bellavance, both from Rhode Island, to lead the Council Chair Eric Reid, left, and Vice Chair Rick Bellavance, right. – NEFMC photo Council as chair and vice chair.

Eric is a fisheries consultant based in North Kingstown, Rhode Island. He was the Council’s vice chair for two years before taking over as chair. Over his 54- year career in commercial and recreational fisheries, he has been actively engaged in all facets of the industry both at sea and shoreside. He previously owned and operated his own vertically integrated business for 11 years. Chair Reid is a founding member of several industry organizations and serves as the New England Council’s liaison to the Mid-Atlantic Council. He also is a U.S. commissioner to the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) and serves as Rhode Island State Senator Susan Sosnowski’s proxy on the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC). This summer, Eric was appointed to NOAA’s newly established Marine and Coastal Area-Based Management Advisory Committee, which advises the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere.

Rick Bellavance is the owner/operator of Priority Charters, LLC, a charter fishing business located in Point Judith. A lifelong Rhode Island resident, he has engaged in a variety of recreational and commercial fishing industries for over 30 years and currently serves as the president of the Rhode Island Party and Charter Boat Association. Rick is a member of the Greater Atlantic Steering Committee for the Marine Resource Education Program (MREP). He strongly supports improvements to the Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP). Rick represents the Council on the NOAA Fisheries Highly Migratory Species Advisory Panel and the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) Advisory Committee to the U.S. Section of ICCAT, as well as several Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic Council committees.

 

Red Drum Benchmark Stock Assessment Workshop Scheduled for November 6-9 in Charleston, SC

September 26, 2023 — The following was release by Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Arlington, VA – The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission will hold the Red Drum Benchmark Stock Assessment Workshop at the Charleston Marriott, 170 Lockwood Boulevard, Charleston, SC. The stock assessment will evaluate the health of Atlantic red drum stocks and inform management of this species.  The Commission’s stock assessment process and meetings are open to the public, with the exception of discussions of confidential data*, when the public will be asked to leave the room.

The November Stock Assessment Workshop will be the first of two workshops that focus on evaluation of models developed to estimate stock status. In preparation for this workshop, the Commission invites the submission of alternate assessment models. For alternate models to be considered, the model description, model input, and complete source code must be provided to Jeff Kipp, Senior Stock Assessment Scientist, at jkipp@asmfc.org by October 31, 2023. Submitted models, with the exception of those without complete, editable source code and input files, will be considered by the Stock Assessment Subcommittee for possible use in the assessment. Any models submitted without complete, editable source code and input files will not be considered. 
 
The second Assessment Workshop is tentatively scheduled for March 2024. Both workshops will address the below stock assessment terms of reference. The final workshop for this stock assessment will be the Peer Review Workshop in August 2024, where an independent Peer Review Panel will review the assessment for its appropriateness to advise future management of red drum.
 
Relevant Red Drum Stock Assessment Terms of Reference:
 
  1. Develop model(s) used to estimate population parameters (e.g., fishing mortality, abundance) and reference points, and analyze model performance
 
  1. Discuss the effects of data strengths and weaknesses (e.g., temporal and spatial scale, gear selectivities, ageing accuracy, sample size) on model inputs and outputs
 
  1. State assumptions made for all models and explain the likely effects of assumption violations on synthesis of input data and model outputs
 
  1. Characterize uncertainty of model estimates and reference points
 
  1. Perform retrospective analyses, assess magnitude and direction of retrospective patterns detected, and discuss implications of any observed retrospective pattern for uncertainty in population parameters (e.g., fishing mortality, abundance), reference points, and/or management measures
 
  1. Recommend stock status as related to reference points (if available)
 
For more information about the assessment or attending the upcoming workshop (space will be limited), please contact Tracey Bauer, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at tbauer@asmfc.orgor 703.842.0723.
 
* Each state and federal agency is responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of its data and deciding who has access to its confidential data.  In the case of our stock assessments and peer reviews, all analysts and, if necessary, reviewers, have been granted permission by the appropriate agency to use and view confidential data. When the assessment team needs to show and discuss these data, observers to our stock assessment process are asked to leave the room to preserve confidentiality.

NEFMC SSC – Listen Live – Friday, September 29, 2023 – EFH Designation Methods

September 21, 2023 — The following was released by New England Fishery Management Council:

A joint subpanel comprised of selected members of the New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils’ Scientific and Statistical Committees (SSCs) will meet via webinar to review essential fish habitat designation methods.  The public is invited to listen live.  Here are the details.

 
 
START TIME:  1:00 p.m.
 
WEBINAR REGISTRATION:  Online access to the meeting is available at Listen Live.  There is no charge to join the meeting through this webinar.  The Remote Participation Guide is postedhere.
 
CALL-IN OPTION:  To listen by telephone, dial +1 (415) 655-0060.  The access code is 596-061-701.  Your regular phone charges will apply.
 
AGENDA:  The joint SSC subpanel will meet to review and develop input on methods for designating essential fish habitat (EFH) and Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (HAPCs). The review will address the following topics:
 
  • Principles applied to improving EFH and HAPC designations;
 
  • Methods for developing EFH text and maps, including application of model-based approaches;
 
  • Methods for identifying HAPCs; and
 
  • Recommendations for additional near- or longer-term work that might improve EFH or HAPC  designations.
 
The subpanel’s input will be provided directly to the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s EFH Fishery Management Action Team, the New England Fishery Management Council’s Habitat Plan Development Team, and the full New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils. 
 
COMMENTS:  The deadline for submitting written comments for consideration at this meeting is8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, September 27, 2023.  Address comments to Council Chair Eric Reid or Executive Director Cate O’Keefe and email them to comments@nefmc.org.
 
MATERIALS:  All documents for this meeting will be posted on the SSC Subpanel September 29, 2023 meeting webpage. 
 
QUESTIONS:  Contact Joan O’Leary at (978) 465-0492, ext. 101, joleary@nefmc.org or Janice Plante at (607) 592-4817, jplante@nefmc.org.

Status Quo Preferable for Proposed Pacific Remote Islands Sanctuary

September 20, 2023 — The following was released by Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

Existing fishing regulations which govern the U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ) around the U.S. Pacific Remote Islands (PRI) may be sufficient for the proposed national marine sanctuary, said the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council. At its meeting yesterday, the Council reviewed data on current fishing in the PRI and the multitude of fishing regulations that govern the area. It concluded today that the regulatory scheme in place may already satisfy the proposed goals and objectives presented by NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS).

The NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center shared data with the Council that showed the impacts of existing fisheries are well below measurable and objective thresholds established by NOAA. These thresholds relate to various requirements in the Magnuson-Stevens Act, Endangered Species Act and other applicable laws. “The current fishing effort in the PRI will not affect the habitat or species that a sanctuary may be concerned about – the data shows that,” said Taotasi Archie Soliai, Council vice chair from American Samoa.

Chair Taulapapa Will Sword, also from American Samoa, equated increasing regulations on the fisheries to a slow ratcheting that has constrained the fishery so much that it will end with a “death by a thousand cuts.” Sword emphasized the increases in fuel prices, the cost to fish in foreign EEZs, and changes in the local economy provide more than enough challenges for the U.S. longline and purse seine fisheries. The Chair futher quoted American Samoa Governor Lemanu’s favorite proverb, “Aua le naunau i le i‘a ae ia manumanu i le upega,” or “Don’t be so hardpressed on the catch, but be mindful of keeping the net safe and secured for another day.”

“The question is ‘who benefits from spatial closures?’” said Soliai. “China, Japan and Chinese Taipei. The results from these cumulative impacts are that U.S. purse seiners will reflag to other countries, vessels fishing further east in the Pacific will not land their catches in Pago Pago, and ultimately no fish for the cannery will lead to its shutdown.”

Council Executive Director Kitty Simonds noted, “The discussion so far has been on the process. The bigger picture is that the United States is managing U.S. fisheries in our region with monuments and sanctuaries. It is federal overreach.”

At a workshop last week, several government departments described economic impacts from a sanctuary, including the American Samoa Power Authority (ASPA) and the Department of Commerce. Officials highlighted that canneries are a major economic driver for the territory, with StarKist Samoa contributing more than $7 million in electric revenue in 2022. When the Chicken of the Sea cannery closed in 2009, ASPA took a hit of more than $5 million per year. This closure led to a loss of more than 2,000 jobs, causing a negative ripple effect throughout the local economy.

The Council also recognized that a goal of the proposed sanctuary to support cultural heritage and fishing is central to the culture of Pacific Island communities. “Fish is important to our cultures, we need to have it to practice it,” said Chair Sword. Vice Chair Soliai added there was a lot of emotion at the workshop and on a StarKist cannery tour, and that it was good for NOAA to “feel the heartbeat” of the people of American Samoa and “the emotion that poured out through song and tears.”  

The Council will continue discussing the issue with the National Marine Fisheries Service and ONMS to determine if additional regulations may be necessary. After the current scoping phase concludes, ONMS will consider the data gathered and develop proposed sanctuary designation documents including a draft Environmental Impact Statement. The Council requested that ONMS provide an opportunity to review the Statement prior to public release to ensure that the alternatives are aligned with the Council’s fishing regulations.