Saving Seafood

ASMFC 2019 Spring Meeting Preliminary Agenda and Public Comment Guidelines

March 20, 2019 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Please find below the preliminary agenda and public comment guidelines for the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s 2019 Spring Meeting, April 29 – May 2, 2019, in Arlington, VA. The agenda is also available at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2019-spring-meeting. Materials will be available on April 17, 2019 on the Commission website at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2019-spring-meeting.

A block of rooms is being held at The Westin Crystal City, 1800 S. Eads Street, Arlington, VA  22202. Meeting 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 $251.00 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 Monday, April 1, 2019.  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 $100.00 will apply when checking out prior to the confirmed date. If you have any problems at all regarding accommodations please contact Cindy at 703.842.0740 or at crobertson@asmfc.org.

Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission

Spring Meeting

April 29 – May 2, 2019

The Westin Crystal City

Arlington, Virginia

Preliminary Agenda

The agenda is subject to change. Bulleted items represent the anticipated major issues to be discussed or acted upon at the meeting. 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.

Monday, April 29

1:00 – 5:00 p.m.                        American Lobster Management Board

  • Update on the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Team Spring Meeting and Recommendations to NOAA Fisheries
  • Consider Draft Addendum XXVIII for Public Comment
  • Report from the Bait Working Group
  • Update from Delaware and New York Regarding Implementation of Jonah Crab Fishery Management Plan Measures

Tuesday, April 30

8:30– 10:00 a.m.                       Atlantic Herring Management Board 

  • Consider Addendum II for Final Approval
  • Consider Approval of 2019 Fishery Management Plan Review and State Compliance Reports
  • Update on 2020-2021 Fishery Specifications

10:15 a.m. – Noon                   Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board 

  • Consider Acceptance of 2018 Benchmark Stock Assessment and Peer Review Reports for Management Use
  • Consider Management Response to the 2018 Benchmark Stock Assessment
    • Review Technical Committee Report on Reductions Needed to Achieve Fishing Mortality Reference Points
  • Consider Forwarding a Letter to NOAA Fisheries Opposing Proposed Measures to Lift the Ban on Recreational Striped Bass Fishing in the Federal Block Island Sound Transit Zone 

Noon – 1:00 p.m.                     Lunch

12:30 – 5:00 p.m.                      Law Enforcement Committee

(A portion of this meeting may be a closed session for the LEC Coordinator and Committee members only)

  • Presentation and Discussion on Police-Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative and Use of NARCAN/NALAXONE
  • Review 2019 Action Plan and 2019-2023 ASMFC Strategic Plan
  • Review and Discuss Outcomes from the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council Enforcement Workshop
  • Federal and State Agency Reports
  • Review and Discuss Progress of the Offshore Enforcement Vessel Working Group
  • Review Ongoing Enforcement Issues (Closed Session)
  • Discuss Usefulness of Criteria/Metrics in Evaluating Enforcement Effectiveness

1:00 – 2:30 p.m.                        Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board (continued)

2:45 – 3:15 p.m.                        Coastal Sharks Management Board 

  • Review Highly Migratory Species North Atlantic Shortfin Mako Amendment 11 and Consider a Management Response
  • Consider Approval of 2019 Fishery Management Plan Review and State Compliance Reports

3:30 – 5:00 p.m.                        Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program (ACCSP) Coordinating Council

  • Program/Committee Updates
  • Review and Consider Approval of 2020 Request for Proposals
  • Discuss Committee Restructure

5:30 – 7:00 p.m.                        Annual Awards of Excellence Reception

Wednesday, May 1

8:00 – 10:30 a.m.                      Executive Committee

(A portion of this meeting may be a closed session for Committee members and Commissioners only)

  • Report of the Administrative Oversight Committee
    • Presentation of the FY20 Budget
  • Review Draft Standard Operating Procedures and Policies for Management Board Work Groups
  • Future Annual Meetings Update
  • Executive Director Performance Review (Closed Session)

8:00 a.m. – Noon                      Law Enforcement Committee (continued)

10:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.          Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board

  • Review Plan Development Team Analysis of Black Sea Bass Commercial Management Strategies to Address Fishery Shifts
  • Consider Approval of Advisory Panel Nomination

12:15 – 1:15 p.m.                      Lunch

1:15 – 2:30 p.m.                        Business Session

  • Consider Approval of the Comprehensive Summer Flounder Amendment
  • Review and Consider Approval of 2019-2023 Strategic Plan

2:45 – 5:15 p.m.                        Horseshoe Crab Management Board

  • Review and Consider Acceptance of 2019 Horseshoe Crab Benchmark Stock Assessment and Peer Review Reports for Management Use
  • Consider Potential Management Response to the 2019 Benchmark Stock Assessment
  • Consider Approval of Advisory Panel Nomination

Thursday, May 2

8:00 – 9:45 a.m.                         Interstate Fisheries Management Program Policy Board

  • Executive Committee Report
  • Law Enforcement Committee Report
  • Artificial Reef Committee Report
  • Consider Noncompliance Recommendations (If Necessary)

9:45 – 10:00 a.m.                      Business Session (continued)

  • Consider Noncompliance Recommendations (If Necessary)

10:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.          South Atlantic State/Federal Fisheries Management Board 

  • Consider Approval of Cobia Draft Amendment 1 for Public Comment
  • Consider Potential Management Action for Spot and Atlantic Croaker

Public Comment Guidelines

With the intent of developing policies in the Commission’s procedures for public participation that result in 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 use a speaker sign-up list in deciding 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.

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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 a meeting week will be included in the briefing materials.

2.    Comments received by 5:00 PM on the Tuesday immediately preceding the scheduled ASMFC Meeting (in this case, the Tuesday deadline will be April 23, 2019) will be distributed electronically to Commissioners/Board members prior to the meeting and a limited number of copies will be provided at the meeting.

3.    Following the Tuesday, April 23, 2019 5:00 PM deadline, the commenter will be responsible for distributing the information to the management board prior to the board meeting or providing enough copies for the management board consideration at the meeting (a minimum of 50 copies).

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, fax, and email.