Public Hearings Scheduled for Recreational Measures Setting Process Framework/Addenda

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission) are considering changes to the process for setting recreational management measures (bag, size, and season limits) for bluefish, summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass. The Council is considering these changes through a framework action, and the Commission is considering an identical set of options through draft addenda.

The Framework/Draft Addenda are intended to establish a process that will replace the currently used Percent Change Approach implemented through the Harvest Control Rule Framework/Addenda, which will sunset at the end of 2025. The Commission’s Draft Document for Public Comment provides detailed information about the specific management options under consideration. The option that is ultimately selected by the Council and Commission will be used to set recreational management measures for 2026 and beyond.

Public Hearings

The Commission has scheduled a series of public hearings to gather input on its Draft Addenda. Although the Council’s framework development process does not include public hearings, all public comments provided during the Commission’s comment period will be considered by both groups before taking final action. All those interested in the management of the recreational summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, and bluefish fisheries are encouraged to provide input during any of five public hearings to be held between January 14 and January 29, 2025. Written comments may be submitted through February 15, 2025. Please see the Commission’s press release for a hearing schedule and instructions for submitting comments.

Learn More

The Council’s Recreational Measures Setting Process Framework/Addenda page contains further details, including an action development timeline and links to relevant background documents.

If you have questions or need additional information, please contact Julia Beaty (jbeaty@mafmc.org) or Chelsea Tuohy (ctuohy@asmfc.org).

Mid-Atlantic Council Seeks Contractor to Develop Climate-Ready Updates to Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) Source Documents – Proposals due Dec. 20

The Mid‐Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) is seeking a contractor(s) to update and develop Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) source documents for all Federally managed species in the Northeast. The proposal submission deadline is December 20, 2024.

Background: The regional fishery management councils are required under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to identify and describe EFH for all federally managed species. In the past, the Northeast Fisheries Science Center has compiled information on the distribution, abundance, and habitat requirements for each species managed by the Mid-Atlantic and New England Councils. These documents, referred to as “EFH source documents,” provide foundational information to support EFH reviews and designations. In addition to describing habitat requirements, these documents present information on all aspects of fish life history and ecology, including food habits, predator-prey dynamics, movement/migration, and stock genetics/structure. Although EFH source documents continue to be used by managers and researchers, they have not been revised or updated since the mid-2000s.

The goal of this project is to update EFH source documents for all Federally managed species to include new information on life history and ecology, distribution, habitat requirements, and climate impacts. These updates will ensure that EFH designations, consultations, and management decisions are guided by the most up-to-date science, supporting resilient, climate-ready fisheries across the Northeast US.

Scope of Work: The contractor(s) will conduct in-depth literature reviews and update all sections of the EFH source documents for all species currently managed by the Mid-Atlantic and New England Councils. EFH source documents were not previously prepared for a small number of managed species and will therefore need to be newly developed. The structure for the new and updated source documents will be developed by the contractor and approved by a project oversight team. Climate change adaptation is a focus area for both Councils. New and updated source documents should be “climate ready” in the sense that they should reflect any research literature that explains recent spatial changes in fish habitat use or adjustments to timing of activities such as spawning or migration.

Additional Information: Complete details about the project, contractor qualifications, and proposal submission instructions can be found in the request for proposals (RFP).

Proposed 2025 Specifications for the Summer Flounder, Scup, Black Sea Bass, and Bluefish Fisheries

NOAA Fisheries is proposing the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s recommended 2025 summer flounder, scup, and bluefish specifications. These specifications are consistent with those adopted by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission). The proposed catch limits are based on the results of recently conducted stock assessments for summer flounder, scup, and bluefish, and the recommendations of the Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee for all three species. The proposed 2025 specifications for black sea bass consistent with those adopted by the Commission.

Comments must be received on or before October 31, 2024.

• Read the proposed rule

East Coast Fishery Management Organizations Release Suite of Potential Actions to Help Managers Respond to the Effects of Climate Change on Marine Fisheries

East Coast Fishery Management Organizations Release Suite of Potential Actions to Help Managers Respond to the Effects of Climate Change on Marine Fisheries

July 2023

Over the past two years, marine fishery management organizations along the U.S. East Coast have been exploring governance and management issues related to climate change and fishery stock distributions. This effort recognizes the profound impact that climate change is having on our ocean ecosystems and coastlines and the need to plan for how fishery management organizations and coastal communities can best adapt to these changes in a thoughtful and deliberate way.

Throughout the multi-stage scenario planning process, hundreds of stakeholders helped generate four distinct “scenarios,” each describing a possible future for East Coast fisheries, coastal communities, and fisheries management. The capstone to this initiative was a Scenario Planning Summit, held in February 2023, which brought together representatives from the three East Coast Regional Fishery Management Councils, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, and NOAA Fisheries. During the Summit, participants used the scenarios as a platform from which to develop a set of potential governance and management actions that could help prepare fishery management organizations for future challenges related to climate change.

Scenario Planning Outcomes

The main themes and potential actions that emerged during this process are summarized in two documents: the Summit Report and a Potential Action Menu. The Summit Report summarizes the discussions that occurred at the Summit, while the Potential Action Menu builds upon the Summit Report by suggesting possible next steps for the management organizations to consider as they plan for the future. The Potential Action Menu is organized around three overarching themes: (1) cross-jurisdictional governance; (2) managing under increased uncertainty; and (3) data sources and partnerships. Each theme’s potential actions are prioritized, with high priority given to those that could be quickly or easily implemented or that the fishery management organizations viewed as important issues to address in the near-term. The table below provides a summary of high priority potential actions under each theme. 

The Potential Action Menu is intended to be an evolving document, used as a planning tool to guide development of priorities and a place to capture future issues and ideas. Over the next several months, fishery management organizations will meet individually and collectively to discuss how best to integrate the high priority items into actions.

Overarching Themes and High Priority Potential Actions

Theme	High Priority Actions
Cross-Jurisdictional Governance Refers to ways in which governance structures and processes may need to be modified to address changes in species distribution.	Evaluate Council committee structure, use, and decision-making Evaluate Advisory Panel representation Develop joint management agreements to clarify roles and increase efficiency Improve coordination across NOAA offices and regions
Managing Under Increased Uncertainty Environmental changes may mean that historical conditions can no longer be used to predict the future, increasing uncertainty in management.	Identify ecosystem-level contextual information that can be considered in management to incorporate climate information into decisions Streamline fishery management plan documentation and rulemaking
Data Sources and Partnerships Coordination of accurate and timely data between all stakeholders and partners will play a large role as we adapt to changing conditions.	Expand study fleet, include recreational fisheries, and ensure data are used Use survey mitigation around offshore wind to transition to industry-based surveys or other survey platforms Improve the use of existing data

Next Steps

Two new groups are being formed to help support the implementation of scenario planning outcomes.

• The East Coast Climate Coordination Group will be responsible for tracking progress toward implementation of potential actions, promoting prioritization of actions (jointly or by individual management organizations), estimating resources needed, and supporting coordinated implementation.

• The Climate Innovation Group will track information and changes relevant to East Coast fisheries, identify ideas that are worthy of consideration by the Coordination Group, and identify possible actions to undertake.

Scenario Planning Toolkit and More Information

A Scenario Planning Toolkit has been created to support ongoing conversations about how climate change is affecting fisheries. The toolkit consists of materials to provide guidance to other stakeholders who may wish to undertake their own scenario work, with resources including a set of overview slides, worksheet templates, draft agendas for various types of sessions, guidance on different scenario approaches, and guidelines for facilitators.

Additional information about the East Coast Climate Change Scenario Planning Initiative, including contact information for current core team members, is available at https://www.mafmc.org/climate-change-scenario-planning.

View PDF Version of this Press Release

Final Rule: 2023 Atlantic Bluefish Fishery Specifications

View Announcement >

NOAA Fisheries Announces Final Rule to Implement the Bluefish Allocation and Rebuilding Amendment (Amendment 7)

NOAA Fisheries announces measures to implement Amendment 7 to the Atlantic Bluefish Fishery Management Plan (also referred to as the Bluefish Allocation and Rebuilding Amendment), as adopted by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council. The purpose of this comprehensive amendment is to update the FMP with the best scientific information available, and to respond to changes in the fishery over time. Specifically, this action will:

• Update the Bluefish FMP goals and objectives from those that were initially established in 1991, to better reflect the current fishery.

• Re-allocate bluefish quota between fishery sectors; allocating 14 percent to the commercial fishery and 86 percent to the recreational fishery.

• Re-allocate bluefish commercial quota to the states from Maine to Florida based on a recent 10 years of landings data including a 0.1-percent minimum default allocation. This change in commercial allocation to the states would be phased in equally over a period of seven years, so each state would only experience 1/7th of the change in allocation percentages each year until 2028.

• Implement a 7-year rebuilding plan.

• Revise the sector quota transfer measures to allow quota to be transferred in either direction (from commercial to recreational sector or vice versa), with a revised maximum transfer cap of 10-percent of the acceptable biological catch.

• Revise the specifications process to account for sources of management uncertainty separately between the commercial and recreational fishery sectors.

For more information, read the final rule as filed in the Federal Register, or the bulletin posted on the web.

Questions?

Fishermen: Contact Cynthia Ferrio, Sustainable Fisheries Division, 978-281-9180

Media: Contact Allison Ferreira, Regional Office, 978-281-9103

East Coast Fishery Management Organizations Invite Stakeholder Input on Climate Change Scenario Planning

*** Please note that this questionnaire has closed ***

To help prepare fisheries for an era of climate change, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council is collaborating with other East Coast fishery management organizations on a climate change scenario planning initiative. Scenario planning is a way of exploring how fishery management may need to evolve over the next few decades in response to climate change. Additional details are available in the introductory brochure.

We are currently in the scoping phase of the initiative. During this phase we are gathering stakeholder input on forces of change that could affect East coast fisheries in the future. We are inviting all interested stakeholders to complete a questionnaire about the ways you think climate change and other factors will affect fisheries and management in the future. The questionnaire, available at the link below, contains 12 questions and should take 10-30 minutes to complete. This is a great and easy opportunity to become involved and offer your ideas to help guide the issues that we will explore throughout this initiative.

The link will remain open until September 30, 2021, but we encourage you to submit responses as soon as possible. Additional Information about scenario planning can be found at the links below.

• East Coast Climate Change Scenario Planning Page

• Introductory Brochure

• Introductory Videos:

  • Introduction to East Coast Climate Change Scenario Planning

  • Introduction to Scenario Planning

  • Initiative Details

  • Process and Participants

Climate Change Scenario Planning: Input Needed to Prepare for Uncertainty in Ocean Conditions and Fisheries

On the East Coast of the United States, some species of fish are already experiencing climate-related shifts in distribution, abundance, and productivity. Although the future is uncertain, a continuation or acceleration of climate change has the potential to strain our existing fishery management system and alter the way fishermen, scientists, and the public interact with the marine environment.

Global climate models can project how ocean conditions will change over time. This figure shows how ocean bottom temperatures are projected to increase, especially north of Cape Hatteras, NC by the 2060s to 2080s under a “high CO2 emissions” scenario where carbon dioxide (CO2) increases by 1% per year and doubles after 70 years. Image © NOAA Fisheries NEFSC

In order to begin preparing for this possibility, management bodies along the entire Atlantic seaboard have teamed up to launch a new project called East Coast Climate Change Scenario Planning. Scenario planning is a way of exploring how fishery management may need to evolve over the next few decades in response to climate change. You can find additional details in the introductory brochure.

Weigh In! Stakeholder Input is Key to Effective Scenario Planning

The initiative is being organized by a Core Team of representatives from the New England, Mid-Atlantic, and South Atlantic Fishery Management Councils, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, and NOAA Fisheries. The team has lined up three kick-off webinars:

1. Monday, August 30, 4:00 – 5:30 p.m.

2. Wednesday, September 1, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.

3. Thursday, September 2, 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.

Please register at the links above. The webinars will introduce stakeholders to the overall initiative, explain the benefits of participating in the process, outline additional ways to become involved, and begin collecting stakeholder input. All three webinars will have the same presentations; it is not necessary to attend more than one webinar.

An online questionnaire will be available soon to serve as an additional tool to collect input. Watch the Scenario Planning webpage for updates.

Next Steps and Expected Outcomes: Over the next year, fishery science and management organizations, guided by the Northeast Region Coordinating Council (NRCC), will bring together fishery participants, fishery managers, researchers, and other stakeholders to discuss climate change issues. The intent is to emerge with ideas and recommendations on how fishery management can adapt to climate change. However, nothing will happen immediately and managers will need to discuss the recommendations from the scenario planning project to determine next steps.

Organizations Working on East Coast Climate Change Scenario Planning

MAFMC and ASMFC Approve Bluefish Rebuilding Plan and Revised Allocations

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) and Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Bluefish Management Board (Board) jointly recommended approval of the Bluefish Allocation and Rebuilding Amendment. The Amendment updates the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) goals and objectives, initiates a rebuilding plan, establishes new allocations between the commercial and recreational sectors, implements new commercial allocations to the states, revises the process for quota transfers between sectors, and revises how the management plan accounts for management uncertainty.

The Council and Board initiated the Amendment in December 2017 to consider revisions to the commercial and recreational fisheries allocations and the state-specific commercial allocations. In 2019, an operational stock assessment for bluefish indicated the stock was overfished, and the Council and Board subsequently decided to incorporate the rebuilding plan in the Amendment.

During their joint meeting last week, the Council and Board reviewed a summary of the five virtual hearings and written comments submitted by 378 individuals and organizations, in addition to the recommendations of their joint Advisory Panel.   

After weighing the pros and cons of shorter and longer rebuilding plan timeframes, the Council and Board ultimately selected the rebuilding plan which utilizes a constant fishing mortality approach and is projected to rebuild the stock in 7 years. Rebuilding progress will be analyzed through management track stock assessments every two years. The management track assessment scheduled for later this month will be the first step in informing specifications for the 2022-2023 fishing years.

The revised sector allocations increase the recreational allocation from 83% to 86% of the acceptable biological catch and decrease the commercial allocation from 17% to 14%. The Council and Board used catch data from 1981-2018 as the basis for sector allocations since it more accurately captures the cyclical nature of the fishery, while providing each sector with sufficient access to the resource considering historical usage.

The Council and Board based state commercial allocations on more recent data to improve efficiency within the commercial fishery and better reflect the current distribution of the stock. As such, the Amendment allocates a baseline quota of 0.1% to each state, and then allocates the rest of the commercial quota based on landings data from 2009 to 2018 (see Table 1 below). Recognizing that several states will be losing quota during a time when the coastwide commercial quota is already at an historic low, the Council and Board decided to phase-in the allocation changes over 7 years in order to reduce short-term economic impacts to the affected commercial fishing industry. The Council and Board also committed to reviewing the approved state allocations within 5 years.

Table 1. Revised state allocation percentages of the bluefish commercial quota based on 2009-2018 landings data with a minimum default allocation of 0.1%. Previous allocations are provided for comparison purposes.

The Amendment also updates the sector transfer process to allow for quota transfers in either direction between the commercial and recreational sectors. Previously, quota could only be transferred from the recreational sector to the commercial fishery. The transfers will now be capped at 10% of the acceptable biological catch for a given year.

Finally, the Amendment modified the management uncertainty tool within the FMP to a sector-specific approach. It allows the Council and Board to apply a buffer to either sector, in the form of a quota reduction, to account for management uncertainty during specifications. While this tool has not been used often, the modified approach allows managers to better target areas of uncertainty within one sector without reducing the quota or harvest limit in the other sector.

As next steps, the Council will forward its recommended approval of the Amendment to NOAA Fisheries for final consideration and implementation. The Commission will consider final approval of the Amendment at its August meeting.

Additional information about this action is available on the Bluefish Allocation and Rebuilding Amendment page.

For more information, please contact:

• Matthew Seeley, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, mseeley@mafmc.org, 302-526-5262

• Dustin Colson Leaning, Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, dleaning@asmfc.org, 703-842-0714

PDF Version

Reminder: Bluefish Allocation and Rebuilding Amendment Public Comments Due April 23

View Details