Saving Seafood

South Atlantic Council Seeks Public Input on Management Options for Recreational Accountability Measures and for ABC Control Rule

January 16, 2019 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is seeking public scoping comment on two amendments affecting how federal fisheries are managed under its jurisdiction. Scoping is the first stage in the process to amend a fishery management plan (FMP) and offers the public an opportunity to comment on options being considered.

Scoping documents along with presentations (both PDF and video) are available from the Council’s website at: http://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/public-hearings-scoping-meetings/. Public comment forms are also available from the website. Written comments are due to the Council office by February 1, 2019. 

SCOPING WEBINARS:

Two webinars will be held to provide an overview of the two amendments and answer any questions prior to taking formal public comment. Registration for the webinars is required.

* Wednesday, January 23 at 6:00 PM  Webinar Registration

* Thursday, January 24 at 6:00 PM  Webinar Registration

AMENDMENTS FOR SCOPING:

Modifications to Recreational Accountability Measures (Regulatory Amendment 31 to the Snapper Grouper FMP and Regulatory Amendment 2 to the Dolphin Wahoo FMP)

Frustrated with recreational fishing seasons that begin and end at different times from one year to the next? Wish that you could plan your fishing trips well in advance and know if a season will be open or closed? Have ideas on how to improve fishing seasons while meeting the requirements not to exceed annual catch limits?

The Council is considering modifying in-season and post-season accountability measures (AMs) used to help ensure annual catch limits are not exceeded. These may include closing a fishery during the fishing year (in-season), reducing the length of a fishing season in a subsequent year if the catch limit is exceeded, or reducing bag limits (post-season). Currently, accountability measures for the recreational sector vary for species in the snapper grouper management complex and for dolphin and wahoo. The Council’s intent is to reduce complexity and make it easier for recreational fishermen to understand how the AMs would be applied.

The Amendment also includes options to institute a policy to announce when a recreational fishing season will begin and end prior to the fishing year, and revise the units used for tracking recreational annual catch limits.

Comprehensive ABC Control Rule Amendment (Modifications to the Allowable Biolgical Catch Control Rule)

This amendment may seem a bit complicated – and it is. But the concepts are important. The ABC Control Rule (a set of guidelines), determines how two key factors – scientific uncertainty and the risk of overfishing – are evaluated and applied to available fishery information and subsequently determine the Acceptable Biological Catch (or the amount of fish you get to keep). And that’s important to everyone.

Read More, Register for Webinars, and Submit Your Comments

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SAFMC Reminder: Public Hearing/Scoping Meeting Series Begins this Week

August 1, 2016 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Tonight (August 1)

  • Atlantic Cobia (GA to NY)
  • 6:00 PM
  • Public Hearing and Q&A
  • via Webinar

Tuesday, August 2  

  • Mutton Snapper
  • 6:00 PM
  • Public Hearing and Q&A
  • via Webinar

Wednesday, August 3

  • Atlantic Cobia
  • 6:00 PM
  • In-Person Public Hearing
  • Crowne Plaza Hotel
  • North Charleston, SC

Thursday, August 4

  • Public Scoping
  • Allocations for Dolphin and Yellowtail Snapper
  • 6:00 PM
  • via Webinar

Registration required for webinars – it’s easy! Click here and scroll down the page for registration links.

South Atlantic Fishery Management Council

Public Hearing and Scoping Meetings 

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is holding a series of public hearing/scoping meetings and webinars between August 1 and August 17 to collect public input on proposed management measures for several species managed by the Council. See below for an overview.

For details on meeting locations, webinar registration, amendment documents/presentations, new interactive story maps, and instructions on how to submit written comments, visit the Council’s website –

Public Hearing & Scoping Meetings

Written comments are due by 5:00 PM on August 19, 2016.

NEFMC: Notice of Scoping Hearings Amendment 22 to the Northeast Small-Mesh Multispecies Fishery

December 7, 2015 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC):

The New England Fishery Management Council is conducting five public hearings to solicit comments on developing Amendment 22 to the Northeast Small-Mesh Multispecies Fishery. The purpose of this action is to implement measures that would prevent unrestrained increases in fishing effort by new entrants to the fishery. The need for the amendment is to reduce the potential for a rapid escalation of the small-mesh multispecies fishery, possibly causing overfishing and having a negative effect on red hake and whiting markets, both outcomes having negative effects on fishery participants.

Through limited access criteria and measures that would apply to qualifying and non-qualifying vessels, the amendment is intended to help ensure that catches of the small-mesh multispecies and other non-target species will be at or below specifications, reducing the potential for causing accountability measures to be triggered and resulting closure of the directed fishery. Three types of measures listed below could be considered. The scoping document includes a list of questions to consider when commenting for each of the following: 1) Limited access qualification criteria that would determine whether vessels may target small-mesh multispecies; 2) Limited access permit characteristics and conditions; and 3) Permit categories and associated measures.

Addressing this purpose and need requires the development of an amendment to the FMP to fully consider and analyze an appropriate range of management alternatives. The Council is seeking comments and input from the public on this specific issue. The hearings are being held by the Council in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act.

Read the full meeting notice and scoping document from the NEFMC

Unmanaged Forage Scoping Hearings and Comment Opportunity

August 27, 2015 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council: 

Council to Hold Scoping Hearings for Action on Unmanaged Forage Species

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council has scheduled a series of scoping hearings to gather public input for a proposed action to protect unmanaged forage species. The proposed action would consider a prohibition on the development of new, or expansion of existing, directed fisheries on unmanaged forage species in the Mid-Atlantic until adequate scientific information is available to promote ecosystem sustainability.

Eight hearings will be held between September 15, 2015 and October 1, 2015 in locations throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. Written comments may also be submitted through October 2, 2015.

Forage species are small, low trophic level fish and invertebrates that play an important role in sustaining the productivity and structure of marine ecosystems. Many forage species in the Mid-Atlantic are not currently subject to significant directed fishing, but increasing global demand for fishmeal, fish oil, and bait could encourage the development of new fisheries for these species. With this action, the Mid-Atlantic Council is taking a proactive approach to conserving unmanaged forage species and the ecosystem services they provide. 

The Council has not yet decided which forage species will be addressed by this action; however, this action will only address species that are not currently managed by the Mid-Atlantic, New England, or South Atlantic Fishery Management Councils, or by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.

Scoping Process

Scoping is the process of identifying issues, potential impacts, and a reasonable range of alternatives associated with a management action being developed by the Council. Scoping is the first and best opportunity for the public to make suggestions and raise concerns about new Council actions. Comments may be submitted in-person during the hearings listed below or in writing. 

Additional information and updates about this action can be found in the scoping document and on the Unmanaged Forage Action page of the council’s website. 

Scoping Hearing Schedule

  1. Tuesday September 15, 2015. 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm. North Carolina Department of Marine Fisheries Washington Regional Office Hearing Room. Washington Square Mall, 943 Washington Street, Washington, NC, 27889. Telephone: 252-946-6481.
  2. Wednesday September 16, 2015. 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm. Virginia Marine Resources Commission 4th Floor Meeting Room. 2600 Washington Avenue, Newport News, VA, 23607. Telephone: 757-247-2200.
  3. Thursday September 17, 2015. 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm. Congress Hall Hotel. 200 Congress Place, Cape May, NJ, 08204. Telephone: 844-264-5030.
  4. Monday September 21, 2015. 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm. Kingsborough Community College Building T-3. 2001 Oriental Boulevard, Brooklyn, NY, 11235. Telephone: 718-368-5000.
  5. Monday September 28, 2015. 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm. University of Rhode Island Bay Campus Corless Auditorium. 215 South Ferry Road, Narragansett, RI, 02882. Telephone: 401-874-6222.
  6. Tuesday September 29, 2015. 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm. New York Department of Environmental Conservation Bureau of Marine Resources Hearing Room. 205 North Belle Mead Road, Suite 1, East Setauket, NY, 11733. Telephone: 631-444-0430.
  7. Wednesday September 30, 2015. 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm. Worcester County Library Ocean Pines Branch Meeting Room. 11107 Cathell Road, Berlin, MD, 21811. Telephone: 410-208-4014.
  8. Thursday October 1, 2015. 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm. This hearing will be held via webinar with an audio only option. Information on how to connect to the webinar will be posted here.

These meetings are physically accessible to people with disabilities.  Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aid should be directed to M. Jan Saunders, 302-526-5251, at least 5 days prior to the meeting date.

Written Comments

The Council will also accept written comments through 11:59 pm on Friday October 2, 2015. Written comments may be sent through any of the following methods:

  • Online at www.mafmc.org/comments/unmanaged-forage
  • Mailed to: Dr. Chris Moore, Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 800 North State Street, Suite 201, Dover, DE, 19901.  (Please write “unmanaged forage scoping comments” on the outside of the envelope.)
  • Emailed to: Julia Beaty, Assistant Fishery Plan Coordinator, at jbeaty@mafmc.org. (Please write “unmanaged forage scoping comments” in the subject line.)
  • Faxed to: Dr. Chris Moore, Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council at fax number 302-674-5399. (Please write “unmanaged forage scoping comments” in the subject line.)