Saving Seafood

US Atlantic scup bottom-trawl fishery achieves MSC certification

May 18, 2022 — The U.S. Atlantic scup bottom-trawl fishery has achieved Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification, verifying sustainable fishing practices are being used in the fishery. The certificate will be jointly held by commercial fishing operations of Cape May, New Jersey, U.S.A.-based Lund’s Fisheries and North Kingstown, Rhode Island, U.S.A.-based Seafreeze.

Scup (Stenotomus chrysops) is a brown and silver food fish found in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean, primarily between Cape Cod, Massachusetts, U.S.A., and Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, U.S.A.. The fish is also known as porgy, maiden, fairmaid, and ironsides. Unlike many fish populations, scup is considered an “underutilized species.” Scup populations have been steadily increasing along the U.S. East Coast since the mid-1990s, MSC said.

Read the full story at SeafoodSource

 

Atlantic Scup Fishery Achieves MSC Certification

May 11, 2022 — The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) announced that the Atlantic Scup (Stenotomus chrysops) bottom trawl fishery has achieved MSC certification for sustainable fishing practices. The MSC Fisheries Standard is a globally recognized standard used to assess if a fishery is well-managed, and reflects the most up-to-date understanding of internationally accepted fisheries science and management. The MSC certificate for scup is jointly held by commercial fishing operations Lund’s Fisheries, Inc. and Seafreeze, Ltd.

The Atlantic scup certification follows a rigorous twelve-month review carried out by a third-party assessment body, SCS Global Services. The MSC Fisheries Standard has three core principles that every certified fishery must meet including 1) sustainable fish stocks, 2) minimizing environmental impact, and 3) effective fisheries management.  As well as preserving fish stocks and the marine environment,  the MSC certification process ensures that scup products can be traced to a sustainable source through required recordkeeping.

Eric Critchlow, US Director for the MSC, said: “The certification of the scup fishery will help safeguard livelihoods, seafood supplies, and healthy oceans for future generations. Being a new whitefish fishery to gain MSC certification is a notable achievement and we welcome Lund’s and Seafreeze’s commitment to fisheries sustainability.”

Lund’s Fisheries principals own and operate 20 fishing vessels delivering a variety of seafood to its freezing and processing facility year-round. Other, independent vessels, from North Carolina through Maine, land scup at the company’s Cape May, NJ plant, as well.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

Atlantic scup from Lund’s Fisheries becomes the fourth MSC-certified product offered by the family-owned New Jersey company

May 10, 2022 — The following was released by Lund’s Fisheries:

Lund’s Fisheries, Inc., operating in Cape May, New Jersey since 1954, is pleased to announce that the company’s Atlantic scup fishery has been certified as sustainable according to Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standards. MSC certification is one of the most rigorous and sought-after sustainability certifications in the world, and our scup trawl fishery now meets those high standards.

Scup is Lund’s fourth MSC-certified fishery, following the company’s certifications for Atlantic sea scallops, Loligo squid, and Illex squid. Lund’s has been a seafood industry leader on the Atlantic coast in certifying its fisheries as sustainable for U.S. and international markets and will continue to look for new opportunities to add products to the MSC certification process.

The company owns and operates 20 fishing vessels delivering seafood to its freezing and processing facility year-round. Other independent vessels, from North Carolina through Maine, land scup at the company’s plant, utilizing its 500 metric ton daily freezing capacity.

“Lund’s Fisheries is proud of our long-standing commitment to harvesting and processing some of the most sustainable seafood in the world, and the MSC certification of our scup fishery is just the latest example of that commitment,” said Wayne Reichle, President of Lund’s Fisheries. “In partnership with the MSC, consumers can continue to trust that our products meet the highest standards of responsible sourcing. This new certification will help us to present another locally harvested, sustainable fish to the public that they may not have heard of, seen, or eaten before.”

The certification comes after a year-long, comprehensive evaluation by independent third-party assessor SCS Global Services. The assessment ensures that the Atlantic scup trawl fishery meets the three MSC Principles, focusing on the status of the scup resource and the harvest strategy in place; the fisheries ecosystem impacts, including efforts to avoid interactions with endangered and protected species; and the governance and management system employed by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. MSC certification also ensures that Atlantic scup products can be traced back to where they were caught through required recordkeeping, from harvest to product sale.

The fishery’s strengths include a well-defined and proven governance system of national and state laws; a suite of strategic policy frameworks that are supportive of the MSC’s Principles; effective leadership within federal and state management and scientific organizations; a transparent and engaging consultation and decision-making process; and a proven federal-state record of effective collaboration and cooperation at all levels.

Atlantic scup, which is mainly fished in New England and Mid-Atlantic waters, is considered to be an “underutilized” species, meaning that the population is healthy, and that fishing levels are well below the sustainable limits set for the fishery.

“Demand for sustainable U.S. seafood is only growing, and we are pleased to receive this certification from the MSC, which has become the international leader in seafood sustainability,” said Jeff Kaelin, Lund’s Director of Sustainability and Government Relations.  “This certification reflects the hard work done by our fishermen and our production team at our Cape May plant to successfully sell sustainably harvested products to our customers. It also represents tremendous support from our management partners at the Council and Commission in helping us to accumulate the technical information used in this process over the past year.”

US Atlantic Scup Fishery Achieves MSC Certification

May 10, 2022 — International non-profit organization the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) announced on Monday that the Atlantic Scup (Stenotomus chrysops) bottom trawl fishery has achieved MSC certification for sustainable fishing practices. The MSC certificate for scup is jointly held by commercial fishing operations Lund’s Fisheries, Inc. and Seafreeze, Ltd.

“The certification of the scup fishery will help safeguard livelihoods, seafood supplies and healthy oceans for future generations,” said Eric Critchlow, U.S. Director for the MSC. “Being a new whitefish fishery to gain MSC certification is a notable achievement and we welcome Lund’s and Seafreeze’s commitment to fisheries sustainability.”

Lund’s Fisheries owns and operates 20 fishing vessels that deliver a variety of seafood to their freezing and processing facilities. In addition, independent vessels land scup at their Cape May, New Jersey, plant. Meanwhile, Seafreeze owns and operates three vessels out of their facility in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, and their affiliated company Seafreeze Shoreside handles an additional 10-12 independent vessels that deliver scup.

Read the full story at Seafood News

Draft Agenda and Meeting Materials for the March 24 Meeting of the Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Board Now Available

March 10, 2022 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The draft agenda and meeting materials for upcoming meeting of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management are now available at http://www.asmfc.org/files/Meetings/SFlounderScupBSBBoardMarch2022/SFSBSB_BoardMaterials_March2022.pdf.  The Board will meet via webinar on March 24th from 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM. The purpose of the meeting is to review regional proposals for summer flounder and black sea bass recreational measures for the 2022 fishing year.

To register for the webinar go to https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8045885664746620685(Webinar ID 228-241-235). If you are joining the webinar but will not be using VoIP, you can also call in at +1 (213) 929-4212. A PIN will be provided to you after joining the webinar; see webinar instructionsfor details on how to receive the PIN as well as how to navigate the webinar. For those who will not be joining the webinar but would like to listen in to the audio portion only, you can do so by dialing +1 (213) 929-4212, access code 462-622-410.

The webinar will allow registrants to listen to the Board’s deliberations and view presentations and motions as they occur.  The Board will provide the public the opportunity to bring matters of concern to the Board’s attention at the start of the meeting. The Board Chair 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.

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 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)

· Comments received by 5 PM on Wednesday, March 16 will be included in the supplemental materials.

Comments should be submitted to comments@asmfc.org.

For more information, please contact Dustin Colson Leaning, FMP Coordinator, at dleaning@asmfc.org.

 

ASMFC Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Board to Meet March 24 to Consider Final Action on 2022 Recreational Measures for Summer Flounder and Black Sea Bass

February 28, 2022 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board will meet via webinar on March 24th from 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM. The purpose of the meeting is to review regional proposals for summer flounder and black sea bass recreational measures for the 2022 fishing year. The draft agenda and meeting materials will be posted to the Meeting Archives webpage by March 10th.

To register for the webinar go to https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8045885664746620685(Webinar ID 228-241-235). If you are joining the webinar but will not be using VoIP, you can also call in at +1 (213) 929-4212. A PIN will be provided to you after joining the webinar; see webinar instructionsfor details on how to receive the PIN as well as how to navigate the webinar. For those who will not be joining the webinar but would like to listen in to the audio portion only, you can do so by dialing +1 (213) 929-4212, access code 462-622-410.

The webinar will allow registrants to listen to the Board’s deliberations and view presentations and motions as they occur.  The Board will provide the public the opportunity to bring matters of concern to the Board’s attention at the start of the meeting. The Board Chair 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.

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 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)
 
·       Comments received by 5 PM on Wednesday, March 9 will be included in the briefing materials.
·       Comments received by 5 PM on Wednesday, March 16 will be included in the supplemental materials.
 
Comments should be submitted to comments@asmfc.org.
 
For more information, please contact Dustin Colson Leaning, FMP Coordinator, at dleaning@asmfc.org.  
 

Meeting Details for Upcoming Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Board and Joint Meeting of the ISFMP Policy Board and MAFMC

February 4, 2022 —  The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Good Afternoon Members of the Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Management Board and the ISFMP Policy Board – Following are the details of your upcoming meetings next week.

The Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Management Board will meet on February 8th from 1 – 1:45 PM using the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s (Council) webinar to discuss the 2022 black sea bass recreational fishery reduction. This is a board-only meeting. The Board Chair will give time to Council members, as public, to ask questions and comment. The Board will need keep its deliberations to 45 minutes in order to not disrupt the Council’s agenda for the rest of the day. The Board meeting will include a very short presentation on the Technical Committee memo and Board discussion and action on the motions made via email. Once the Board has conducted its business, it will adjourn and the Council will reconvene to consider action on the motion made by the Board. Meeting materials for the Board meeting can be found here. Any public received by noon on Monday February 7, 2022 will be distributed to the Board on Monday afternoon.

Following this, the ISFMP Policy Board will meet jointly with the Council to discuss the Recreational Harvest Control Rule Addenda/Framework. Meeting materials for that meeting can be found here.

Additional information on the Council’s meeting, including webinar instructions, can be found below.

 

ASMFC 2022 Winter Meeting Webinar Supplemental Materials Now Available

January 19, 2022 —  The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Supplemental materials for the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s 2022 Winter Meeting Webinar are now available at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2022-winter-meeting for the following Boards/Committees (click on “Supplemental” following each relevant committee header to access the information). For ease of access, all supplemental meeting materials have been combined into one PDF – http://www.asmfc.org/files/Meetings/2022WinterMeeting/2022WinterMeetingSupplementalCombined.pdf.

Below is the list of documents included in the supplemental materials.

Revised Final Notice & Agenda

American Lobster Management Board – Draft Fishery Management Plan Review for Jonah Crab for 2020 Fishing Year

Tautog Management Board – Revised Agenda and Meeting Overview

Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Management Board – Revised Agenda and Meeting Overview; Technical Committee Memo on Summer Flounder & Black Sea Bass Methodology for Adjusting 2022 Recreational Measures; Public Comment

Spiny Dogfish Management Board – Revised Agenda and Meeting Overview

Executive Committee – Revised Agenda and DraftAppeals Process Revisions

Horseshoe Crab Management Board – Supplemental Report to the 2021 Revision to the ARM Framework; Public Comment

Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board – Revised Agenda & Meeting Overview; Advisory Panel Comments on the Scope of New Options for Draft Amendment 7; Public Comment

Atlantic Menhaden Management Board – Plan Development Team Recommendations on Draft Addendum l to Amendment 3; Advisory Panel Feedback on Options to Include in Draft Addendum; Advisory Panel Nominations; Public Comment

Webinar Information

Board meeting proceedings will be broadcast daily via webinar beginning Tuesday, January 25 at  10 a.m. and continuing daily until the conclusion of the meeting (expected to be 3:15 p.m.) on Thursday, January 27. The webinar will allow registrants to listen to board deliberations and view presentations and motions as they occur.  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 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.

Each day, the webinar will begin 30 minutes prior to the start of the first meeting so that people can troubleshoot any connectivity or audio issues they may encounter.  If you are having issues with the webinar (connecting to or audio related issues), please contact Chris Jacobs at 703.842.0790.

If you are joining the webinar but will not be using VoIP, you can may also call in at +1 (415) 655-0600, access code 774-133-932. A PIN will be provided to you after joining the webinar; see webinar instructions for details on how to receive the PIN.

For those who will not be joining the webinar but would like to listen in to the audio portion only, press the # key when asked for a PIN.

Public Comment Guidelines

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 (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.

 

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.
 
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
 
Winter Meeting
January 25 – 27, 2022
 
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 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.
 
Tuesday, January 25
10:00 – 11:30 a.m.                 American Lobster Management Board

·       Consider Draft Addendum XXVII for Public Comment: Electronic Vessel Tracking for Federal Permit Holders

·       Consider Fishery Management Plan Reviews and State Compliance for American Lobster and Jonah Crab for 2020 Fishing Year

·       Consider Terms of Reference for Jonah Crab Benchmark Stock Assessment

11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.          Lunch Break
 
1:00 – 2:30 p.m.                     Tautog Management Board 

·       Review and Discuss Hypothetical Scenarios for Risk and Uncertainty Decision Tool

·       Review Feedback from Law Enforcement Committee on Commercial Tagging Program

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
 
Wednesday, January 26
8:00 – 10:00 a.m.                   Executive Committee
·       Discuss the Commission’s Role in Coordinating the Member States’ Efforts in Offshore Wind Energy Development

·       Discuss Appeals Process

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
 
Thursday, January 27
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 

·       Consider Noncompliance Recommendations (if necessary)

Public Comment Guidelines
 
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. 

MAFMC and ASMFC to Consider Final Action on Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Commercial/Recreational Allocation Amendment

December 8, 2021 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Next week, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board (Board) will consider final action on the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Commercial/Recreational Allocation Amendment during the Council’s December 2021 Council Meeting.

Final action was previously considered in April 2021 but was postponed until December to allow further progress to be made on the Recreational Harvest Control Rule Framework and Addendum. The purpose of this joint amendment is to consider adjusting the allocations of catch or landings between the commercial and recreational fisheries for summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass. Details on the specific alternatives being considered are available in the Decision Document and in the Combined Briefing Materials. Additional background information can be found here.

Meeting Details: This agenda item is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 14 (please note that this start time is subject to change). Members of the public are welcome to attend in person at the Westin Annapolis (100 Westgate Circle Annapolis, MD 21401) or online via Webex webinar (Meeting number: 2330 933 4966; Meeting password: ncKMj56xX6p). Please see the December 2021 Meeting Page for additional details, including health and safety precautions. A live stream of the meeting will also be available on our YouTube channel.

Public Comment: Members of the public participating in person and remotely will have opportunities to provide oral comments during the meeting. There is no need to pre-register for public testimony. At the appropriate time, the chairman will provide instructions on how to indicate your desire to speak. You may also submit written comments through the December 2021 Public Comment form or via email to cmoore@mafmc.org. Comments submitted by 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 9, will be combined and posted as supplemental materials on the meeting page(please note that comments submitted by December 1 are already included in the briefing materials). After December 9, comments may only be submitted through the comment form (no email).

Questions? For questions about the amendment, contact Kiley Dancy (kdancy@mafmc.org, 302-526-5257) or Dustin Colson Leaning (dleaning@asmfc.org, 703-842-0714). For questions about the meeting or public comment procedures, contact Mary Sabo (msabo@mafmc.org, 302-526-5261).

December 2021 Council Meeting – Quick Links

•Meeting Page

•Join the Webinar

•Public Comment Form

•Combined Briefing Materials: Summer Flounder/Scup/Black Sea Bass Allocation Amendment