The following summary highlights Council actions and issues considered at the Council's meeting on June 10-12, 2014 in Freehold, New Jersey. Presentations and briefing materials are linked from the relevant sections below below. Audio recordings will be posted on the June 2014 Meeting Page as they become available.
Surfclams and Ocean Quahogs
Specifications
Last year, the Council adopted multi-year surfclam and ocean quahog specifications (catch and landing limits) for the 2014-2016 fishing years. During last week's meeting, the Council reviewed updated catch and landings information for both stocks, as well as recommendations from staff, advisors, and the Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC), and determined that no changes were warranted. The Council will review the 2016 measures again in 2015 to determine if changes are warranted.
Surfclams
| Year | Allowable Biological Catch (ABC) |
Annual Catch Limit (ACL) |
Annual Catch Target (ACT) |
Commercial Quota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2015 |
51,804 mt |
51,804 mt |
29,364 mt (3.8 million bushels) |
26,218 mt (3.4 million bushels) |
2016 |
48,197 mt |
48,197 mt |
29,364 mt (3.8 million bushels) |
26,218 mt (3.4 million bushels) |
Ocean Quahogs
Year |
Allowable Biological Catch (ABC) |
Annual Catch Limit (ACL) |
Annual Catch Target (ACT) |
Commercial Quota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2015-2016 |
26,100 mt |
26,100 mt (5.7 million bushels) |
Maine ACT: 524 mt |
Maine Quota: 499 mt (100,000 ME bushels) |
Non-Maine ACT: 25,511 mt |
Non-Maine Quota: 24,296 mt (5.3 million bushels) |
Cost Recovery Amendment (Cost Recovery Amendment)
The Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Committee reviewed the alternatives under development in the Cost Recovery Amendment and provided input to the Fishery Management Action Team (FMAT) for continued Amendment development. The amendment includes proposed measures to address (1) cost recovery in the individual transferable quota (ITQ) fishery, (2) an administrative mechanism to update biological reference points in the FMP, (3) changes to optimum yield ranges, and (4) essential fish habitat updates. Additional information and documents, including an action plan and a draft outline of the amendment, are available here.
Summer Flounder Amendment
The Council reviewed a draft action plan and draft scoping document for an amendment to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass FMP that will focus on summer flounder management. The amendment, which was initiated in December 2013, will involve a comprehensive review and update of the FMP’s goals, objectives, and management strategies for summer flounder. The Council will revisit the scoping document at the August Council meeting, as part of a joint discussion with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Summer Flounder Board. The joint meeting will also include a discussion of how the Council and Commission will coordinate the development of this amendment.
The Council also requested that NMFS publish a new control date for the commercial summer flounder fishery. The new control could be used to determine current and historical participation if consideration of additional access controls, such as permit re-qualification, becomes warranted in the future.
Framework to Open Black Sea Bass Fishery in Wave 1
The Council decided to move forward with development of a framework to open the recreational black sea bass fishery during Wave 1 (January-February) to approved for-hire (party/charter) operators who would be subject to enhanced reporting requirements. Staff will prepare a range of options for the Council to consider for action at the August meeting, with the goal of opening Wave 1 beginning in January 2015.
Options that will be considered in the document include Wave 1 possession limits, mandatory retention, pre-trip notification to the observer program, electronic submission of log books on a weekly basis, methods to account for wave 1 catch, and measures to reduce catch during other parts of the year to balance expected Wave 1 catch. This framework would also include options to move the start date for the remaining portions of the recreational black sea bass season to May 1.
River Herring & Shad Committee
The Council reviewed progress on river herring and shad (RH/S) conservation initiatives and developed recommendations for the RH/S cap. Given the minimal catch of river herring and shad this year, the Council voted to lower the cap in 2015. If the river herring and shad catch rates remain low, the Council's cap recommendations could allow the fleet to catch the full mackerel quota in 2015. If catch rates of river herring and shad increase, then the mackerel fleet could be limited based on its river herring and shad encounter rates.
Mackerel, Squid, Butterfish
2015 specifications and management measures
After reviewing recommendations from the SSC's meeting earlier this year, the Council adopted 2015 specifications and management measures for the Atlantic mackerel, squid, and butterfish fisheries. For longfin squid and Illex squid, the Council voted to maintain status-quo specifications for the 2015-2017. For Atlantic mackerel, the Council approved a landings limit of 20,872 metric tons, as recommended by the SSC. This 38% reduction from the 2014 limit was based on the current uncertainty about the status of the mackerel stock and recent indications of lower productivity. In light of the SSC's recommendation that additional research be undertaken to evaluate different quota-setting approaches for Atlantic mackerel, the Council decided to set specifications for only one year. For butterfish, the Council voted to increase total allowable landings by more than 500% for the 2015-2017 fishing years. This increase was based on the recent stock assessment which indicated that the stock is not overfished and that overfishing was not occurring. Council members noted that the successful completion and peer review of the stock assessment was largely due to the unprecedented collaborative research undertaken by academia, the fishing industry, NOAA Fisheries.
Framework 9 (Slippage Framework)
The Council reconsidered its recommendations regarding Framework 9, which was initiated to discourage slippage events (Slipage is the release of fish before observers can record it). The Council voted to recommended more stringent measures, including a requirement that vessels must vacate the area they are in following slippage events caused by mechanical issues, safety concerns, and incidental catch of dogfish.
Omnibus ABC Framework
The Council took final action on an Omnibus Acceptable Biological Catch Framework. The framework will improve stability when multi-year specifications are developed and is intended to expedicte the incorporation of new scientific information for the criteria that determine "overfished" and "overfishing" stock statuses. The recommended alternative would essentially allow an averaged ABC to be used across a 3-year timeframe instead of using different ABCs for each year.
Research Set-Aside Program Review
The Council discussed several topics related to the Research Set-Aside (RSA) program, including recent law enforcement activities and implementation of recommendations to improve the program. The Council was also informed that the Northeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program (NEAMAP) would be fully funded through NOAA Fisheries. In previous years, NEAMAP has been funded through the RSA program. The Council will consider the future of the RSA program at its next meeting in August.
Ecosystems and Ocean Planning Committee
The Ecosystem and Ocean Planning Committee received presentations from Lou Chiarella (GARFO, Habitat Division) and Toni Kerns (ASMFC), on a variety of habitat initiatives. Council staff presented an overview of a New Habitat Pilot project being initiated with the NOAA Fisheries Habitat Divisions and Council. The committee also reviewed the habitat-related objectives in the Council's 2014-2018 strategic plan and considered options for development of the committee’s role. Based on this discussion, the committee identified the following activities as priorities for 2014 and 2015: (1) Continue development of Deep Sea Coral Amendment; (2) Engage in new Habitat Pilot Project; (3) Develop comments on the NEFMC Omnibus Habitat Amendment; (4) Engage and comment on the NOAA Fisheries Blueprint and Habitat Focus Implementation Plans; (5) Work to identify partnerships in the offshore marine environments (public and private partners); and (6) Engage proactively in wind energy discussions.
- Briefing Materials
- Presentation - Committee Role
- Presentation - ASMFC Habitat Activities
- Presentation - NOAA Habitat Activities
Listening Session
Russ Dunn from NOAA Fisheries gave a presentation on the Recreational Fisheries Policy currently being developed by NOAA Fisheries as part of its Recreational Fishing Initiative. The policy will outline a set of principles that guide recreational management decisions and will serve as the underpinning to Agency's the recreational fisheries action agenda. Following his presentation, the Council and members of the public provided input and ideas for what should be included in the policy.
Other Business
Lieutenant Commander Kevin Saunders was recognized for his four years of distinguished service as the Fifth Coast Guard District Commander's appointee to the Mid-Atlantic Council. Over the course of his tenure, LCDR Saunders served on the Council's Committees for Demersal and Coastal Migratory species, Law Enforcement, Atlantic Sturgeon, Ecosystem and Ocean Planning, Protected Resources, ACLs/AMs, and Highly Migratory Species.