ASMFC 2022 Winter Meeting Preliminary Agenda, Public Comment Guidelines, and Meeting Details

December 9, 2021 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Please find attached and below the preliminary agenda and public comment guidelines for the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s 2022 Winter Meeting, January 25-27, 2022, in Arlington, VA. The agenda is also available at www.asmfc.org/home/2022-winter-meeting. Also attached is the travel authorization form and directions to the hotel. Materials will be available on January 12, 2022 on the Commission website athttp://www.asmfc.org/home/2022-winter-meeting.

Currently, the meeting is scheduled to be held both in-person and virtually; more details will be provided in mid-January. Please note the public will be limited to virtual participation (no audience in attendance in the meeting room). A block of rooms is being held at The Westin Crystal City, 1800 Richmond Highway, Arlington, VA  22202. Cindy Robertson will make Commissioner/Proxy reservations and will contact you regarding the details of your accommodations. Please notify Cindy of any changes to your travel plans that will impact your hotel reservations, otherwise you will incur no-show penalties. We greatly appreciate your cooperation. 

 

For all other attendees, please reserve online via Star Group Website at http://www.starwoodhotels.com/ or call The Westin Crystal City at 703.486.1111 as soon as possible and mention the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to obtain the group room rate of $188.00 plus tax single/dbl. Please be aware you must guarantee your room reservation with a major credit card or one night’s advance payment. Hotel reservations must be made by Thursday, December 30, 2021.  Room availability will not be guaranteed beyond this date.  If you are being reimbursed by ASMFC for your travel, please make your reservation directly with the hotel. Reservations made through travel websites do not apply toward our minimum number of required reservations with the hotel. Please note, cancellations at The Westin must be made by 4:00 p.m. two days prior to arrival to avoid penalty and an early departure fee of $100 will apply when checking out prior to the confirmed date. If you have any problems at all regarding accommodations please contact Cindy at 703.842.0710 or at crobertson@asmfc.org.

 

January 25 – 27, 2022

 

Arlington, Virginia

 

The agenda is subject to change. Bulleted items represent the anticipated major issues to be discussed or acted upon during the webinar. The final agenda will include additional items and may revise the bulleted items provided below. The agenda reflects the current estimate of time required for scheduled Board meetings. The Commission may adjust this agenda in accordance with the actual duration of Board meetings. Interested parties should anticipate Boards starting earlier or later than indicated herein.

10:00 – 11:30 a.m.                 American Lobster Management Board

11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.          Lunch Break

1:00 – 2:30 p.m.                     Tautog Management Board 

2:45 – 4:15 p.m.                     Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board

·       Consider 2022 Recreational Specifications (if necessary)

 

4:30 – 5:00 p.m.                     Spiny Dogfish Management Board 

·       Consider Postponed Motions from October 2021 Board Meeting to Adjust Commercial Trip Limit for Northern Region

·       Review and Populate Advisory Panel Membership

8:00 – 10:00 a.m.                   Executive Committee

·       Discuss the Commission’s Role in Coordinating the Member States’ Efforts in Offshore Wind Energy Development

10:15 – 11:45 a.m.                 Horseshoe Crab Management Board

·       Consider Adaptive Resource Management (ARM) Framework Revision and Peer Review Report

o   Consider Management Response to ARM Revision and Peer Review Report

 

11:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.        Lunch Break 

 

12:45 – 1:15 p.m.                   NOAA Presentation on Sea Turtle Bycatch in Trawl Fisheries

1:30 – 5:00 p.m.                     Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board

·       Consider Draft Amendment 7 for Public Comment

·       Elect Vice-Chair

 

8:30 a.m. – Noon                   Atlantic Menhaden Management Board

·       Consider Approval of Draft Addendum I for Public Comment: Commercial Allocations, Incidental Catch, and Episodic Event Set Aside Program

·       Update on Menhaden Mortality Events in 2021

Noon – 1:00 p.m.                   Lunch Break 

 

1:00 – 3:00 p.m.                     Interstate Fisheries Management Program Policy Board

·       Review Results of the 2022 Commissioner Survey 

·       Consider Standards for De Miminis Programs

·       Consider Policy on Information Requests

·       Committee Reports

o   Law Enforcement

o   Habitat

o   Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership 

·       Update on East Coast Climate Change Scenario Planning

·       Review Noncompliance Findings (if necessary)

 

3:00 – 3:15 p.m.                     Business Session 

To provide a fair opportunity for public input, the ISFMP Policy Board  approved the following guidelines for use at management board meetings.

 

For issues that are not on the agenda, management boards will continue to provide an 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 3 weeks prior to the start of the meeting (Monday, January 10) will be included in the briefing materials.

2.    Comments received by 5:00 PM on Tuesday, January 18 will be included in the supplemental materials.

3.    Comments received by 10:00 AM on Friday, January 21 will be distributed electronically to Commissioners/Board members prior to the meeting.

 

Comments should be submitted via email at comments@asmfc.org. All comments must clearly indicate the commenter’s expectation from the ASMFC staff regarding distribution.