The New England Fishery Management Council will hold meetings in New Bedford today and tomorrow on Scallop and Groundfish issues. Industry members in the area are urged to attend and participate.
September 18, 2012 — Saving Seafood will report on developments and make audio clips from the meetings available online
Today, starting at 9 a.m. the Scallop Committee will address the Scallop Advisory Panel's recommendations on:
1) possible modification of Georges Bank access area opening dates;
2) measures to address sub-Annual Catch Limits of yellowtail flounder for the Limited Access General Category (LAGC) trawl fishery;
3) modification of the effective date of Yellowtail Sub-Annual Catch Limit Accountability Measures (ACL AM) from Year 2 to Year 3;
4) leasing LAGC Individual Fishing Quota mid-year;
5) expanding the observer set-aside program to include LAGC open area trips; and
6) the overall findings of the recent biological opinion of the sea scallop fishery
related to sea turtles and Atlantic sturgeon.
Tomorrow, starting at 9 a.m., the Groundfish Oversight Committee will continue development of Framework Adjustment 48 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan that will include:
* Continued development of options to improve sector monitoring, including both at-sea and dockside monitoring. They may discuss appropriate monitoring coverage levels and full retention of allocated groundfish species.
* The Committee will develop measures that may help mitigate expected low catch levels in fishing year 2013. These measures could include modifications to groundfish closed areas (including habitat areas) and further review of a motion passed at the last committee meeting that would provide increased access to most groundfish closed areas, and may consider modifications to that motion that will be forwarded to the Council.
* Consideration of other modifications to the sector program, such as creating areas for fishing on Georges Bank (GB) that are not subject to the GB yellowtail flounder Annual Catch Entitlement limits.
* Consider options for addressing catches of groundfish stocks (primarily Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic Bight windowpane flounder) by other fisheries (such as the fluke, scup and squid fisheries), and may either develop options for additional sub-ACLs or may propose changes to accountability measures to control those catches.
* The Committee may also discuss other issues that may be incorporated into the framework. Options identified by the Committee will be included in a future management action (Framework Adjustment 48) that will be considered by the Council in the fall of 2012.
* An expected receipt of a preliminary report on catch advice developed for Eastern Georges Bank cod and haddock, and Georges Bank yellowtail flounder that will be developed by the Transboundary Management Guidance Committee. The Committee may provide comments for consideration by the Council when it considers these FY 2013 quotas.
* Possible discussion of scallop/groundfish management issues, such as yellowtail flounder allocations and the timing of scallop vessel access to groundfish closed areas.
Location:
Fairfield Inn & Suites
185 MacArthur Drive
New Bedford, MA 02740
Phone: (774) 634-2000; Fax: (774) 634-2001
Directions:
From the South – I-95 North to I-I95 East. Take Exit 15 to merge onto MA 18 South. Turn left at Union Street. Turn right on MacArthur Drive.
From the North – I-95 South to I-93 South toward Boston. Take Exit 4 onto Route 24 South toward Brockton. Take Exit 12 onto Route 140 South towards New Bedford. Take Exit 2A to I-I95 East towards Cape Cod. Take Exit 15 onto Route 18 South. Turn left at union Street. Turn right onto MacArthur Drive.