The Atlantic Sea Scallop Research Track Assessment Community Engagement Meeting will be held in person in New Bedford at the Waypoint Event Center with a webinar option for those who cannot attend in person. In-person attendance is highly encouraged.

The Waypoint Event Center is attached to the Fairfield Inn and Suites, New Bedford. 185 MacArthur Drive, New Bedford, MA 02740. Sea Loft Room (2nd floor). Meeting participants can use the joint parking lot. There is no charge for parking on site.

If you plan to attend by webinar, you will need to register using this link.

• Discussion Questions

For more information please visit the New England Fishery Management Council's Atlantic Sea Scallop page. The Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s Atlantic Sea Scallop Research Track Working Group webpage is located here.

The New England Fishery Management Council will hold a public scoping meeting on Monday, April 22 for Amendment 10 to the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan. The Amendment will address spatial and temporal allocation and management of Atlantic herring at the management unit level to minimize user conflicts, contribute to optimum yield, and support rebuilding of the resource. The Amendment also proposes to take action to enhance river herring (alewife and blueback herring) and shad (American shad and hickory shad) avoidance and other catch reduction measures to better support ongoing coastwide restoration efforts for those species.  Visit the Amendment 10 webpage for more information.

• Apr. 22, 2024 Herring Amendment 10 Scoping Webinar

The New England Fishery Management Council will hold a public scoping meeting on Wednesday, April 17 for Amendment 10 to the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan. The Amendment will address spatial and temporal allocation and management of Atlantic herring at the management unit level to minimize user conflicts, contribute to optimum yield, and support rebuilding of the resource. The Amendment also proposes to take action to enhance river herring (alewife and blueback herring) and shad (American shad and hickory shad) avoidance and other catch reduction measures to better support ongoing coastwide restoration efforts for those species.  Visit the Amendment 10 webpage for more information.

• Apr. 17, 2024 Herring Amendment 10 Hybrid Scoping Meeting

The New England Fishery Management Council has scheduled seven public information workshops to help inform fishermen and other stakeholders about ecosystem-based fishery management (EBFM) and its potential application to a Georges Bank Ecosystem Production Unit. The Council has been referring to this approach as an example Fishery Management Plan for Georges Bank (eFEP).

Given the potential implications for Mid-Atlantic fisheries and stakeholders, one of the workshops will be held in Montauk, NY on November 9. Please note that the workshop originally planned for Manahawkin, NJ has been cancelled. Learn more and register at the links below.

Register for the Workshops > HERE

• Meeting Notice with all Workshop Dates (updated 11/2/22)

• Visit the Council’s EBFM Public Information Workshops and Outreach Materials webpage to download EBFM infographics, brochures, guides, and other educational resources.

• Watch the five-minute Introductory Video.

• Read the EBFM Workshops Press Release (updated 11/2/22).

• Workshop Agenda

QUESTIONS? Contact Senior Fishery Analyst Andrew Applegate, the Council’s EBFM lead, at aapplegate@nefmc.org.

The New England Fishery Management Council is currently undergoing an independent review to: (1) assess past performance; (2) gather feedback on strengths and weaknesses of the Council process and operations; and (3) identify potential areas for improvements. Twelve port meetings and one webinar meeting were held in November and December to gather public input. 

Two additional port meetings have been scheduled in the Mid-Atlantic region:

• Monday, January 8, Montauk, NY – Montauk Playhouse Community Center, 240 Edgemere Street, 5 p.m.
• Tuesday, January 9, Cape May, NJ – Rutgers University, 1636 Delaware Ave., 5 p.m.

Stakeholders can also provide input through an online survey, which is available HERE.  More information can be found at Council Program Review.

QUESTIONS:  Call or email Janice Plante at (607) 592-4817, jplante@nefmc.org.

The New England Fishery Management Council is currently undergoing an independent review to: (1) assess past performance; (2) gather feedback on strengths and weaknesses of the Council process and operations; and (3) identify potential areas for improvements. Twelve port meetings and one webinar meeting were held in November and December to gather public input. 

Two additional port meetings have been scheduled in the Mid-Atlantic region:

• Monday, January 8, Montauk, NY – Montauk Playhouse Community Center, 240 Edgemere Street, 5 p.m.
• Tuesday, January 9, Cape May, NJ – Rutgers University, 1636 Delaware Ave., 5 p.m.

Stakeholders can also provide input through an online survey, which is available HERE.  More information can be found at Council Program Review.

QUESTIONS:  Call or email Janice Plante at (607) 592-4817, jplante@nefmc.org.

The New England Fishery Management Council is hosting two workshops to bring together active fishermen who use bottom-tending mobile and fixed gear to discuss issues related to its Deep-Sea Coral Amendment. Advance registration is strongly encouraged.

PLEASE NOTE: As a result of the winter storm that’s forecasted for our region on Tuesday, the New England Fishery Management Council is modifying the schedule for its two Coral Workshops.  Here are the details.

• CORAL WORKSHOP #1, NEW BEDFORD, MA:  This workshop will begin as planned at 9 a.m. on Monday, March 13 and extend into the early evening to accommodate as much of the original two-day agenda as possible.  The second day of the workshop — Tuesday, March 14 — has been cancelled to avoid unnecessary travel.  The workshop will be held at the Fairfield Inn & Suites, 185 MacArthur Drive, New Bedford, MA 02740.
• CORAL WORKSHOP #2, PORTSMOUTH, NH:  This workshop will take place on Wednesday, March 15 as originally scheduled, but the start-time has been advanced by two hours — from 9:00 a.m. to 11 a.m. — to allow additional travel time.  The workshop will be held at the Sheraton Harborside, 250 Market Street, Portsmouth, NH 03801.

CORAL INFORMATION:  Visit the Council’s Coral Workshops webpage to access all meeting materials, including the agendas for both workshops, maps, and presentations.

QUESTIONS:  Email Michelle Bachman at mbachman@nefmc.org.

The New England Fishery Management Council is hosting two workshops to bring together active fishermen who use bottom-tending mobile and fixed gear to discuss issues related to its Deep-Sea Coral Amendment. Advance registration is strongly encouraged.

PLEASE NOTE: As a result of the winter storm that’s forecasted for our region on Tuesday, the New England Fishery Management Council is modifying the schedule for its two Coral Workshops.  Here are the details.

• CORAL WORKSHOP #1, NEW BEDFORD, MA:  This workshop will begin as planned at 9 a.m. on Monday, March 13 and extend into the early evening to accommodate as much of the original two-day agenda as possible.  The second day of the workshop — Tuesday, March 14 — has been cancelled to avoid unnecessary travel.  The workshop will be held at the Fairfield Inn & Suites, 185 MacArthur Drive, New Bedford, MA 02740.
• CORAL WORKSHOP #2, PORTSMOUTH, NH:  This workshop will take place on Wednesday, March 15 as originally scheduled, but the start-time has been advanced by two hours — from 9:00 a.m. to 11 a.m. — to allow additional travel time.  The workshop will be held at the Sheraton Harborside, 250 Market Street, Portsmouth, NH 03801.

CORAL INFORMATION:  Visit the Council’s Coral Workshops webpage to access all meeting materials, including the agendas for both workshops, maps, and presentations.

QUESTIONS:  Email Michelle Bachman at mbachman@nefmc.org.

The New England Fishery Management Council is conducting public hearings to solicit comments on developing Amendment 22 to the Northeast Small-Mesh Multispecies Fishery.  A hearing will be held on December 21, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. at the Montauk Playhouse Community Center Foundation (240 Edgemere St. Montauk, New York 11954; Phone: 631-668-1124).

Documents

• Meeting Notice
• Scoping Document

Background

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.

A scoping document is available on the New England Council’s website (http://www.nefmc.org/management-plans/smallmesh-multispecies) or may be obtained by contacting the New England Council office at (978) 465-0492.

Written Comments

Members of the public may submit oral and/or written comments at any public hearings or submit written comments directly to the New England Fishery Management Council. Written comments must be received on or before 5 p.m. EST, Tuesday, December 22, 2015. Written comments should be sent to:

Thomas A. Nies, Executive Director
New England Fishery Management Council
50 Water Street, Mill 2
Newburyport, MA 01950;
Fax (978) 465–3116.
Email: comments@nefmc.org

Please note on your correspondence; “Small-Mesh Multispecies Amendment 22 Scoping Comments.”

The New England Fishery Management Council is conducting public hearings to solicit comments on developing Amendment 22 to the Northeast Small-Mesh Multispecies Fishery.  A webinar hearing will be held on December 17, 2015 from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Webinar Details

• Register to participate for the hearing at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5272201506328155394 
• Call in info: Toll: +1 (914) 614-3221 Access Code: 539-710-362

Documents

• Meeting Notice
• Scoping Document

Background

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.

A scoping document is available on the New England Council’s website (http://www.nefmc.org/management-plans/smallmesh-multispecies) or may be obtained by contacting the New England Council office at (978) 465-0492.

Written Comments

Members of the public may submit oral and/or written comments at any public hearings or submit written comments directly to the New England Fishery Management Council. Written comments must be received on or before 5 p.m. EST, Tuesday, December 22, 2015. Written comments should be sent to:

Thomas A. Nies, Executive Director
New England Fishery Management Council
50 Water Street, Mill 2
Newburyport, MA 01950;
Fax (978) 465–3116.
Email: comments@nefmc.org

Please note on your correspondence; “Small-Mesh Multispecies Amendment 22 Scoping Comments.”