Council Actions

March 21, 2013 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.

Arlington, Va. —  This spring, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission will begin work on the 2013 benchmark stock assessment for northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis).  The assessment will be used to evaluate the health of the northern shrimp stock and inform the 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 Commission welcomes the submission of data sources that will improve the accuracy of the assessment.  This includes, but is not limited to, data on commercial landings and discards, catch per unit effort, biological samples (length, stage, frequency), and life history information (growth, maturity, fecundity, spawning stock biomass weights, natural mortality). For data sets to be considered, the data must be sent in the required format, with accompanying description of methods, to the Commission by April 22, 2013. 

The Data Workshop will be conducted on May 1-3, 2013 (location to be determined). This workshop will review all available data sources for northern shrimp and identify data sets that will be incorporated in the stock assessment.  For those interested in submitting data and/or attending the northern shrimp data workshop (space is limited), please contact Dr. Katie Drew, ASMFC Stock Assessment Scientist, at kdrew@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740. The deadline for data submission is April 22, 2013.

For more information, please contact Michael Waine, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at mwaine@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.

 

 

March 22, 2013 — The states of New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina have scheduled their hearings to gather public comment on the Draft Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Black Drum Draft.  The dates, times, and locations of those meetings follow.

New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife
April 10, 2013; 7 PM
Nacote Creek Research Station
360 Route 9 North (milepost 51)
Port Republic, New Jersey
Contact: Russ Allen at 609.748.2020

Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control
April 2, 2013; 7 – 9 PM
DNREC Building
89 Kings Highway
Dover, Delaware
Contact: John Clark at 302.739.9914

Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Service
April 3, 2013; 6 PM
580 Taylor Avenue
Annapolis, Maryland
Contact: Harry Rickabaugh at 410.643.6785 ext. 2109

Virginia Marine Resources Commission
April 1, 2013; 7 PM
Barrier Islands Center
7295 Young Street
Machipongo, Virginia
Contact: Rob O’Reilly at 757.247.2248

North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries
March 27, 2013; 6 PM
Central District Office
5285 U.S. Highway 70 West
Morehead City, North Carolina
Contact: Chris Stewart at 910.796.7370

The Draft FMP solicits comment on a range of issues, including management goals and objectives; recreational and commercial management measures; flexibility to react to new assessment information; de minimis levels and exemptions; monitoring requirements and recommendations; and recommended measures for implementation by NOAA Fisheries in federal waters. The FMP was initiated in response to concern regarding significant increases in harvest in recent years and the fact that the fishery primarily targets juveniles. Further, the lack of consistent coastwide regulations or management goals may negatively impact the black drum population as fishing pressures shifts from other stocks.

Fishermen and other interested groups are encouraged to provide input on the Draft FMP either by attending state public hearings or providing written comment. The Draft FMP is available here. The public comment deadline is 5:00 PM (EST) on April 26, 2013 and should be forwarded to Toni Kerns, ISFMP Director, 1050 N. Highland St., Suite 200 A-N, Arlington, VA 22201; 703.842.0741 (FAX) or tkerns@asmfc.org (Subject line: Black Drum FMP). The FMP is scheduled for final approval during the Commission’s 2013 Spring Meeting.

 

March 20, 2013 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.

Arlington, Va. — Atlantic coastal states from Maine through Georgia have scheduled their hearings to gather public comment on Draft Addendum III to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for American Eel.  The dates, times, and locations of the scheduled meetings follow.

Maine Department of Marine Resources
April 15, 2013; 9 AM – Noon
Ellsworth City Hall Auditorium
1 City Hall Avenue
Ellsworth, Maine
Contact: Terry Stockwell at 207.624.6553

April 15, 2013; 2 – 5 PM
University of Maine – Machias
Science Lecture Hall, Room 102
9 O’Brien Avenue
Machias, Maine
Contact: Terry Stockwell at 207.624.6553

April 19, 2013; 1 – 4 PM
Yarmouth Log Cabin
196 Main Street
Yarmouth, Maine
Contact: Terry Stockwell at 207. 624.6553

New Hampshire Fish and Game
April 15, 2013; 7 PM
Urban Foresty Center
45 Elwyn Center
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Contact: Doug Grout at 603.868.1095

Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries
April 23, 2013; 6 – 8 PM
19 Sandwich Road
Bourne Public Library Meeting Room
Bourne, Massachusetts
Contact: Nichola Meserve at 617.626.1531

Rhode Island Division of Fish and Wildlife
April 29, 2013; 6 PM
URI Narragansett Bay Campus, Corless Auditorium
South Ferry Road
Narragansett, Rhode Island
Contact: Phil Edwards at 401.789.0281

New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife
May 2, 2013; 7 PM*
Atlantic County Library – Galloway Branch
306 Jimmie Leeds Road
Galloway, New Jersey
Contact: Russ Allen at 609.748.2020
*Hearing to immediately follow Marine Fisheries Council meeting which starts at 4 PM.

Delaware Dept. of Natural Resources & Environmental Control
April 11, 2013; 7 PM
DNREC Auditorium
89 Kings Highway
Dover, Delaware
Contact: John Clark at 302.739.9914

Maryland Dept. of Natural Resources
April 18, 2013; 6 – 8 PM
Maryland DNR Fisheries Service
Tawes State Office Building, C1 Conference Room 580 Taylor Avenue
Annapolis, Maryland
Contact: Keith Whiteford at 410.643.6776

Potomac River Fisheries Commission
April 25, 2013; 6:30 PM
222 Taylor Street
Colonial Beach, Virginia
Contact: Ellen Cosby at 804.224.7148

North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries
April 24, 2013; 6 PM
943 Washington Square Mall
Highway 17
Washington, North Carolina
Contact: Garry Wright at 252.948.3864

South Carolina Dept. of Natural Resources
April 30, 2013, 6 – 8 PM
Santee-Cooper Auditorium
1 Riverwood Drive
Moncks Corner, South Carolina
Contact: Bill Post at 843.953.9821

Georgia Coastal Resources Division
April 29, 2013; 5:30 PM
John W. Stevens Wetlands Education Center
240 Cedar Street
Richmond Hill, Georgia
Contact: Jim Page at 912.264.7218

The Draft Addendum proposes a wide range of management options with the goal of reducing mortality and increasing the conservation of American eel stocks across all life stages. Specific management options focus on both the commercial (glass, yellow, and silver eel life stages) and recreational American eel fisheries. The document also proposes increased monitoring by the states and recommendations to improve American eel habitat.

Draft Addendum III responds to the findings of the 2012 benchmark stock assessment indicating the American eel population in U.S. waters is depleted. The stock has declined in recent decades and the prevalence of significant downward trends in multiple surveys across the coast is cause for concern. Causes of decline are likely due to a combination of historical overfishing, habitat loss, food web alterations, predation, turbine mortality, environmental changes, toxins and contaminants, and disease.

Commercial regulations vary by state. Glass eel fisheries currently occur in Maine and South Carolina. Significant yellow eel fisheries occur in New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, the Potomac River, Virginia, and North Carolina. Although commercial fishery landings and effort in recent times have declined in most regions, current levels of fishing effort may still be too high given the depleted nature of the stock. States and jurisdictions are required to annually report on commercial harvest and monitor juvenile abundance. The recreational fishery is currently regulated by a 50 fish per day creel limit and a six inch size minimum, although recreational harvest is believed to be low.

Fishermen and other interested groups are encouraged to provide input on Draft Addendum III by either attending public hearings or providing written comments. The Draft Addendum is available here. The public comment deadline is 11:59 PM (EST) on May 2, 2013 and should be forwarded to Kate Taylor, Senior Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, 1050 N. Highland St., Suite 200 A-N, Arlington, VA 22201; 703.842.0741 (FAX) or at comments@asmfc.org (Subject line: American Eel). Final action on the Addendum is scheduled to occur in May. For more information, please contact Kate Taylor at ktaylor@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.

 

Arlington, VA — March 15, 2013 — Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Jersey, and Virginia have scheduled their hearings to gather public comment on Draft Addendum XXIV to the Summer Flounder Fishery Management Plan. The dates, times, and locations of the scheduled meetings follow.

Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries
April 11, 2013; 5:30 PM
Jonathan Bourne Public Library
19 Sandwich Road
Bourne, Massachusetts
Contact: David Pierce at 617.626.1532

Rhode Island Division of Fish & Wildlife
April 8, 201; 6 PM
University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography, Corless Auditorium
South Ferry Road
Narragansett, Rhode Island
Contact: Jason McNamee at 401.423.1943

New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife
April 4, 2013; 7 PM
Ocean County Administration Building
101 Hooper Avenue
Public Hearing Room #119
Toms River, New Jersey
Contact: Peter Himchak at 609.748.2020

Virginia Marine Resources Commission
March 26, 2013; 6 PM
2600 Washington Avenue
Fourth Floor
Newport News, Virginia
Contact: Rob O’Reilly at 757.247.2248

The Draft Addendum proposes to stabilize 2013 recreational fishing rules for summer flounder close to those that existed in 2012 partly to minimize the reductions facing two states (e.g., New York and New Jersey) and partly to allow for the more equitable distribution of fishing opportunities in the 2013 season. The proposed approach is intended to allow states to capitalize on harvest opportunities that are foregone by states that choose not to fully utilize their 2013 harvest target.

Specifically, the Draft Addendum proposes a mechanism to allow states access to the summer flounder recreational harvest limit (RHL) that is projected to not be harvested in 2013. For example, following the implementation of each state’s measures, recreational harvest will be projected. This projected harvest will be compared to the total RHL (2.5 million fish) to determine the amount of fish available to the states. States may then make an appeal to the Board requesting access to the additional RHL. The request would include why the state has not been able to address its fisheries needs through the current management system, how the additional fish would impact the state’s 2013 fishery, and the amount of fish a state is requesting. The Board would ultimately decide the distribution of the additional RHL. It is important to note the states that do not utilize their full liberalization are not giving up their state portion of the 2013 RHL. The Draft Addendum proposes modification of the summer flounder specification process for 2013 only. The Board has established a subcommittee to address long-term solutions for the 2014 summer flounder recreational fishery and beyond.  In 2014, the Commission would revert to the specification process used in previous years unless altered through a subsequent addendum.

The Draft Addendum responds to an unintended consequence of using conservation equivalency (e.g., state-specific recreational management measures) to stay within the annually established coastwide RHL for summer flounder. Although the shift away from coastwide management to state conservation equivalency addressed the interests of some states, it created difficulties for other states as overages occurred. While conservation equivalency provided greater flexibility for individual states to set their limits from year to year, state targets were based upon the 1998 estimate of harvest from the Marine Recreational Fishery Statistics Survey.  No mechanism, outside of the addendum process, was included to allow for the adjustment of the mechanism to set the harvest target or the management strategy if changes occurred in the fishery along the coast. This resulted in ever increasing size limits, reduced bag limits, and shorter seasons for most of the states while the stock was at a low level and recovering. However, the impact of these ever-restrictive measures seemed to affect New York the most, where the size limit reached 21 inches by 2009, which also saw a very short season including mid-season closure. In 2012, with a fully recovered stock, New York’s minimum size (19.5 inches) was at least one inch higher than any other state, one and a half inches higher than its Long Island Sound bordering state, Connecticut and two inches greater than its ocean / New York Harbor bordering state, New Jersey.

Fishermen and other interested groups are encouraged to provide input on the Draft Addendum either by attending state public hearings or providing written comment. Draft Addendum is available at http://www.asmfc.org/speciesDocuments/sfScupBSB/summerflounder/fmps/sf_draftAddendumXXIV_PublicComment.pdf. Public comment will be accepted until 5:00 PM (EST) on April 12, 2013 and should be forwarded to Toni Kerns, ISFMP Director, at 1050 N. Highland St., Suite 200 A-N, Arlington, VA 22201; 703.842.0741 (FAX) or tkerns@asmfc.org  (Subject line: Summer Flounder).

 

 

Arlington, VA — MARCH 13, 2013 —  The Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Management Board has released Draft Addendum XXIV to the Summer Flounder Fishery Management Plan for public comment. The Draft Addendum proposes to stabilize 2013 recreational fishing rules for summer flounder close to those that existed in 2012 partly to minimize the reductions facing two states (e.g., New York and New Jersey) and partly to allow for the more equitable distribution of fishing opportunities in the 2013 season. The proposed approach is intended to allow states to capitalize on harvest opportunities that are foregone by states that choose not to fully utilize their 2013 harvest target.

Specifically, the Draft Addendum proposes a mechanism to allow states access to the summer flounder recreational harvest limit (RHL) that is projected to not be harvested in 2013. For example, following the implementation of each state’s measures, recreational harvest will be projected. This projected harvest will be compared to the total RHL (2.5 million fish) to determine the amount of fish available to the states. States may then make an appeal to the Board requesting access to the additional RHL. The request would include why the state has not been able to address its fisheries needs through the current management system, how the additional fish would impact the state’s 2013 fishery, and the amount of fish a state is requesting. The Board would ultimately decide the distribution of the additional RHL. It is important to note the states that do not utilize their full liberalization are not giving up their state portion of the 2013 RHL. The Draft Addendum proposes modification of the summer flounder specification process for 2013 only. The Board has established a subcommittee to address long-term solutions for the 2014 summer flounder recreational fishery and beyond. In 2014, the Commission would revert to the specification process used in previous years unless altered through a subsequent addendum.

The Draft Addendum responds to an unintended consequence of using conservation equivalency (e.g., state-specific recreational management measures) to stay within the annually established coastwide RHL for summer flounder. Although the shift away from coastwide management to state conservation equivalency addressed the interests of some states, it created difficulties for other states as overages occurred. While conservation equivalency provided greater flexibility for individual states to set their limits from year to year, state targets were based upon the 1998 estimate of harvest from the Marine Recreational Fishery Statistics Survey. No mechanism, outside of the addendum process, was included to allow for the adjustment of the mechanism to set the harvest target or the management strategy if changes occurred in the fishery along the coast. This resulted in ever increasing size limits, reduced bag limits, and shorter seasons for most of the states while the stock was at a low level and recovering. However, the impact of these ever-restrictive measures seemed to affect New York the most, where the size limit reached 21 inches by 2009, which also saw a very short season including mid-season closure. In 2012, with a fully recovered stock, New York’s minimum size (19.5 inches) was at least one inch higher than any other state, one and a half inches higher than its Long Island Sound bordering state, Connecticut and two inches greater than its ocean / New York Harbor bordering state, New Jersey.
 
Some states may be conducting public hearings on the Draft Addendum; information on those hearings will be released when it is finalized. Fishermen and other interested groups are encouraged to provide input on the Draft Addendum either by attending state public hearings or providing written comment. The Draft Addendum can be obtained via the Commission website (www.asmfc.org) under Breaking News or by contacting the Commission at 703.842.0740. Public comment will be accepted until 5:00 PM (EST) on April 12, 2013 and should be forwarded to Toni Kerns, ISFMP Director, at 1050 N. Highland St., Suite 200 A-N, Arlington, VA 22201; 703.842.0741 (FAX) or tkerns@asmfc.org (Subject line: Summer Flounder).

March 12, 2013 — The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announced that it is accepting proposals under the Mid-Atlantic Council's Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program for research activities to be conducted in 2014.  Applications must be received by NMFS on or before 5 p.m. EDT on May 6, 2013.

The Council, in coordination with NMFS and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, may set aside up to 3 percent of the total allowable landings (TAL) in certain Mid-Atlantic fisheries to be used for research endeavors. The RSA program provides a mechanism to fund research and compensate vessel owners through the sale of fish harvested under the research quota.  Vessels participating in an approved research project may be authorized by the NMFS Northeast Regional Administrator to harvest and land species in excess of any imposed trip limit or during fishery closures.  Landings from such trips are sold to generate funds that help defray the costs associated with the approved research projects. No Federal funds are provided for research under this notification.

NMFS is soliciting proposals that address Mid-Atlantic RSA research priorities concerning summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, longfin squid, Illex squid, Atlantic mackerel, butterfish, river herring, bluefish, and spiny dogfish. NMFS and the Council will give priority to funding proposals addressing the research needs as follows:

TOP PRIORITY:

Conduct fishery independent surveys for all Mid-Atlantic species, especially in the near shore zone (as provided by the Northeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program-NEAMAP).

ADDITIONAL PRIORITIES:

Interactions Between Longfin Squid, Butterfish, Atlantic Mackerel, and River Herring
    • Test gear modifications (in addition to mesh size), videography and/or alternative gear types (e.g., jigging) in the longfin squid fishery to reduce bycatch of butterfish and other species.
    • Study mortality rates of longfin squid that pass through trawl mesh to evaluate effects of mesh regulations on fishing mortality of longfin squid by size and age.
    • During the spring, conduct exploratory sampling for squid, Atlantic mackerel, and butterfish in deep water beyond the range of the current NEFSC spring bottom trawl survey.
    • Investigate potential for industry surveys to support butterfish or squid assessments.
    • Investigate mesh size and/or gear technologies (e.g., grates or separators) to reduce retention of small Atlantic mackerel and river herring in the Atlantic mackerel fishery.
    • Explore spatial distribution of stocks relative to the mixing of the northern and southern "contingents" of Atlantic mackerel (i.e. tagging, genetics, chemical assay, and/or microchemistry of otoliths).
    • Exploration of bottom trawl catchability characteristics for Atlantic mackerel.
    • Participate with industry in investigating the contemporary overlap between the surveyed Atlantic mackerel stock area, Atlantic mackerel commercial fishery, and Atlantic mackerel distribution, and explore historical databases for the same purpose to better understand interpretation of Atlantic mackerel abundance indices (survey, catch per unit effort).

Scup
    • Estimate the fishery components used to calculate scup mortality for commercial and recreational landings and discards (with emphasis on discards).
    • Expand age sampling of scup from commercial and recreational catches.  Focus age sampling on scup 10 inches or larger in total length.
    • Review and evaluate existing fishery independent indices for scup.

Bluefish
    • Evaluate the amount and length, weight, and age compositions of discards from the commercial and recreational fisheries.
    • Initiate fishery-dependent and independent sampling of offshore populations of bluefish during the winter months (consider migration, seasonal fisheries, and unique selectivity patterns resulting in a bimodal partial recruitment pattern; consider if the migratory pattern results in several recruitment events).

Summer Flounder

    • Evaluate the length, weight, and age compositions of landed and discarded fish in the summer flounder fisheries (recreational and commercial) by sex.  Focus should be placed on age sampling of summer flounder 24 inches or larger in total length, using paired hard part samples (i.e., scales, and when possible, otoliths).
    • Evaluate gear modifications to reduce discard mortality in the recreational fishery.

Black Sea Bass
    • Perform studies focused on life history and reproductive behaviors, such as changes in sex ratio as a function of age and size, or the evaluation of the sizes of territories in relation to mating or reproduction.
    • Increase sea sampling to verify information from commercial logbooks toward providing better estimates of discards (with emphasis on pot trap and hook and line gear).
    • Evaluate and, if appropriate, continue a fixed gear survey of black sea bass similar to the one used for scup.

Spiny Dogfish
    • Investigate the effects of stock structure or distribution, sex ratio, and size of pups on birth rate and first year survival of pups;
    • Continue large scale (international) tagging programs, including conventional external tags, data storage tags, and satellite pop-up tags, to help clarify movement patterns and migration rates;
    • Investigate the distribution of spiny dogfish beyond the depth range of current NEFSC bottom trawl surveys, possibly by using experimental research or supplemental surveys;
    • Continue aging studies for spiny dogfish age structures (e.g., fins, spines) obtained from all sampling programs (include additional age validation and age structure exchanges), and conduct an aging workshop for spiny dogfish, encouraging participation by NEFSC, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, other interested state agencies, academia, and other international investigators with an interest in dogfish aging (US and Canada

Pacific Coast, International Council for the Exploration of the Seas); and
    • Evaluate ecosystem effects on spiny dogfish acting through changes in spiny dogfish vital rates (e.g., natural mortality, fecundity, size/age at maturity, etc.).

Illex squid
    • Determine size, age-at-maturity, and growth parameters for Illex squid.

HOW TO APPLY:

For complete details and information on how to apply, please visit the Grants.gov web site (http://www.grants.gov). Click on 'Grant Search' under the Quick Links box on the upper right-hand corner of the page under FOR APPLICANTS and then 'Search by Funding Opportunity Number:'   NOAA-NMFS-NEFSC-2014-2003636

After clicking on the '2014 Mid-Atlantic Research Set-Aside (RSA)' link under Opportunity Title, click on the 'Full Announcement' link in the middle of the bar at the top of the page.  The next page will allow you to get the  'Full Announcement'  as a PDF or ZIP 'File Type' to open or save the full text of the Full Announcement (20 pages) to your hard drive.

 

March 8, 2013 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.

Arlington, Va. — The Commission’s Northern Shrimp Section has extended the number of allowed landing days for the 2013 northern shrimp trawl fishery. Effective March 13, 2013, the trap and trawl fisheries will be able to land shrimp seven days a week (Monday through Sunday). Additionally, the trap and trawl fisheries will close effective 2359 hours (EST) on April 12, 2013.  The Section maintained the requirement to have each fishery close when 85% of its total allowable catch (TAC) is projected to be reached and a 4-day advance notice will be issued prior to the closure of each fishery. Finally, the Section removed the daily trip limit (500 pounds) for the trap fishery.

The Section’s action is based on observed low landings since the start of the northern shrimp trawl season on January 22nd and the desire to provide fishermen with greater flexibility and safer access to the resource.  Even with these modifications, the Section does not anticipate that the trawl or trap TAC will be harvested prior to the April 12, 2013 closure date.

For more information, please contact Mike Waine, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at mwaine@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.

 

 

ARLINGTON, Va. — March 6, 2013 — The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Northern Shrimp Section will meet via conference call on Friday, March 8, 2013 at 10 am to review preliminary landings data and catch composition.

The Section will consider modifying the number of landing days in  fishery as well as the timing of the fishery’s closure. The public is welcome to listen in on the discussion by phone (888.394.8197; passcode 815277). Time permitting, there will be a limited opportunity to provide comments at the end of the agenda. The Section Chair will provide additional information on the procedures for accepting public comment at the beginning of the conference call. We ask the public and other nonparticipating attendees to please mute their phones in order to minimize distractions to the Section’s deliberations. For more information, please contact Kate Taylor, Senior Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at ktaylor@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.

 

 

March 5, 2013 — The following was released by the Atlatic States Marine Fisheries Commission

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission has released their 2012 Annual Report. It describes the Commission’s activities and progress in carrying out our public trust responsibilities for the valuable marine fisheries under Commission stewardship. Included in this report are figures displaying the historical trends in stock status for each species managed by the Commission. Also provided is a summary of the significant management actions Commissioners initiated in 2012 to maintain and restore the abundance of Commission managed species. This report reflects our Commissioners’ commitment to accountability and transparency in all they do to manage and rebuild stocks under their care. We hope that you will find the information contained within this report useful and interesting.

 

Read the full report from the ASMFC

March 5, 2013 — The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) seeks candidates for the position of Fishery Analyst. This is a highly visible, demanding position. The Fishery Analyst will assist in the preparation of fishery management plans. The Council manages fishery resources that are primarily in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone in the New England region (Maine through Connecticut). More background information about the Council is available at http://www.nefmc.org/.

Salary Range: $60,000-$100,000 annually DOE Closing Date: March 20, 2013

(compensation package includes health care coverage and IRA-SEP retirement plan) Location: Newburyport, MA

The successful candidate will have an opportunity to further develop professional skills in the preparation of documents supporting fishery management actions for public natural resource management actions. Candidate will work closely with the Council staff as well as other professionals from the states, federal government, fishery user groups and academic institutions. Successful performance in this position will prepare the candidate for increased responsibilities in state or federal natural resource management agencies.

Responsibilities: The Fishery Analyst will:

– Serve as the principal staff support to a Council committee or committees. As directed by the Committee chair, organize and plan committee meetings and prepare materials to support committee discussions.
– Chair an inter-agency, inter-disciplinary plan development team responsible for developing and analyzing the impacts of fishery management actions.
– Coordinate preparation of documents including Environmental Impact Statements for fishery management actions plans/amendments and other related documents.
– Compile and analyze fisheries, environmental, biological, socio-economic or other technical data.
– Prepare meeting summaries and assist in the conduct of public meetings.
– Supervise and mentor Fishery Specialists as assigned.
– Brief news media on Council actions.
– Other tasks as assigned.

Qualifications: The successful applicant will have a solid grounding and experience in the management of fisheries in federal waters. This includes an understanding of the provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens Act and the National Environmental Policy Act. Familiarity with the Fishery Management Council process as exercised in New England and with recent New England fishery management issues is preferred. Applicants should describe their experience working cooperatively with small teams to complete high pressure tasks under demanding deadlines. Minimum educational requirements: Masters of Science Degree in fisheries science or management, biology, operations research, environmental management, or other related field.

 

Read the full vacancy announcement here