December 2025 Council Meeting

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will meet Tuesday, December 16 – Thursday, December 18, 2025, at Le Méridien Washington, D.C., The Madison (1177 15th St NW, Washington, DC 20005; 202-862-1600) with a webinar option for those who choose to participate virtually.

• Meeting Motions

• Meeting Recordings

• Meeting Report

Agenda and Briefing Materials

• Agenda

• Stock Status

• Combined Briefing Book

Tuesday, December 16th

9:00 a.m. Swearing in of new Council member, Laurie Nolan - New York

9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Atlantic Mackerel Framework including Rebuilding, 2026-2027 Specifications, and River Herring / Shad Cap

• Briefing Materials (Tab 1)

• Supplemental:

  • Summary of Dec 12, 2025 Monitoring Committee Meeting

  • Public comments submitted after Dec 4, 2025 (note: comments submitted by December 4 are included in the main briefing tab linked above)

    • IGFA sign-on letter

  • Late comment submitted after December 4, 2025

  • Indices Gathered for RH/S Update

  • Communications: Nov 24, 2025 Committee Meeting

• Presentation

11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Joint MAFMC-NEFMC Spiny Dogfish Framework (Including Accountability Measures Modifications and 2026-2027 Specifications

• Briefing Materials (Tab 2)

• Presentation

12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. ---------- LUNCH ----------

Council Convenes with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (ASMFC’s) Policy Board

1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Recreational Sector Separation Amendment

• Briefing Materials (Tab 3)

• Supplemental: Sector Separation Amendment Discussion Questions Summary

• Presentation

Council and ASMFC Policy Board Adjourn

Council Convenes with the ASMFC Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board

3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. 2026-2027 Summer Flounder Recreational Measures

• Briefing Materials (Tab 4)

• Supplemental: Additional Comments

• Presentation

Wednesday, December 17th

9:00 a.m. NOAA Fisheries Leadership Remarks

Mr. Eugenio Pineiro Soler, Assistant Administrator for NOAA Fisheries, and Mr. Evan Howell, NOAA Fisheries Deputy Assistant Administrator for Scientific Programs

9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. 2026-2027 Scup Recreational Measures

• Briefing Materials (Tab 5)

• Supplemental: Additional Comments

• Presentation

10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. 2026-2027 Black Sea Bass Recreational Measures

• Briefing Materials (Tab 6)

• Supplemental: Additional Comments

• Presentation

ASMFC Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board Adjourns

12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. ---------- LUNCH ----------

1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Recreational Tilefish Permitting and Reporting Framework

• Briefing Materials (Tab 7)

• Presentation

2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. 2026 Implementation Plan

• Briefing Materials (Tab 8)

• Supplemental Comment from Surfclam Industry

• Presentation

Thursday, December 18th

9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Governance Projects Presentation

• Briefing Materials (Tab 9)

• Presentation: Overview of East Coast Governance Projects

• Presentation: SAFMC Process Review

9:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Business Session

• Committee Reports:

  • Scientific and Statistical Committee (Tab 10)

• Executive Director’s Report (Tab 11) – Dr. Chris Moore

  • Supplemental:

    • SSC Membership Solicitation

    • NTAP Nominations

    • Fishing Industry Input Needed for Annual State of the Ecosystem Report

    • Email to Council: New EFH Videos

• Organization Reports:

  • NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office

  • NOAA Fisheries Northeast Fisheries Science Center

  • NOAA Office of General Counsel

  • NOAA Office of Law Enforcement

  • US Coast Guard

• Liaison Reports:

  • NEFMC December 2025 Agenda

    • Press Release 1: Council Proposes Catch Limits for Scallops and Some Groundfish Stocks

    • Press Release 2: Council Responds to Reduced Federal Capacity, Sets 2026 Priorities without Revisiting Northern Edge Work

  • SAFMC December 2025 Agenda

    • SAFMC Update and Liaison Report

• Other Business and General Public Comment