MAFMC and ASMFC Approve Changes to Process for Setting Recreational Management Measures for Summer Flounder, Scup, Black Sea Bass, and Bluefish

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Interstate Fisheries Management Program Policy Board (Policy Board) have approved modifications to the process for setting recreational measures (bag, size, and season limits), as well as the recreational accountability measures, for summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, and bluefish. The Council recommended these changes through a framework action, and the Policy Board adopted these changes through Addendum XXXVI to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan (FMP) and Addendum III to the Bluefish FMP. These changes are part of a broader long-term effort by both the Council and Commission to improve recreational management of these jointly managed species.

The current process for setting recreational measures, referred to as the Percent Change Approach, was implemented in 2023 and will sunset at the end of 2025. During a joint meeting last week in Galloway, New Jersey, the Council and Policy Board discussed several options to improve or replace the Percent Change Approach for 2026 and beyond. After reviewing public comments and recommendations from technical committees and advisory panels, the Council and Policy Board agreed to maintain the current process with several modifications based on lessons learned over the past few years. These changes will be implemented in two phases.

The first phase of changes aims to better account for stock status when setting measures and will create more opportunities for stability in management measures. The current system uses three biomass categories to guide whether measures should change; the revised approach adds a fourth category for stocks near their biomass target and establishes a separate process for overfished stocks. These changes will take effect starting with the 2026 recreational measures for summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass. The Council and Policy Board delayed the implementation of these changes for bluefish until 2028 to allow time for development of an appropriate methodology for evaluating the impacts of measures on bluefish harvest and discards. The bluefish stock has been under a rebuilding plan since 2022, and recreational measures will continue to be set based on the rebuilding plan until the stock is declared rebuilt.

The second phase of modifications, which will be implemented for setting 2030 recreational measures and beyond, will update the process to use a catch-based target. Unlike the current process – which focuses on achieving a specific level of predicted harvest – a catch-based approach aims to achieve a target level of total dead catch, including both harvest and dead discards. This approach will allow for more explicit consideration of how measures affect discards. Some advisors and members of the public raised concerns about the potential for this change to create greater instability in management measures. After extensive discussion of each approach, the Council and Policy Board delayed the transition to a catch-based target until 2030 to allow time for additional analysis on the potential impacts to measures.

The Council and Policy Board also approved changes to the recreational accountability measures. These changes will be effective starting in 2026 for all four species. Under these revisions, when an accountability measure is triggered due to recent overages of the recreational annual catch limits, managers will also consider if those overages contributed to overfishing when determining the appropriate response.

The Council will submit the framework to the National Marine Fisheries Service for review and implementation, while the Commission’s measures are final for state waters. Additional information about this action is available on the Council and Commission websites.

Recreational Sector Separation and Data Collection Amendment

In other related business, the Council and Policy Board also reviewed scoping comments on the Recreational Sector Separation and Data Collection Amendment from public hearings and written comments, as well as input provided by the joint Summer Flounder, Scup, Black Sea Bass and Bluefish Advisory Panels and the Fishery Management Action Team/Plan Development Team. Based on these comments, the Council and Policy Board agreed that recreational sector separation and recreational data collection should be addressed separately. Further development of the amendment will focus on management options for recreational sector separation, including mode management, as well as consideration of for-hire permitting and reporting requirements.

The Council and Policy Board separated out the recreational data collection and use issue from the amendment due to concerns that the complexity of this issue would cause significant delays in the amendment timeline. Council and Policy Board members also noted there is a need to more clearly define the objectives for recreational data collection improvement. This issue will be explored through a white paper which will consider the feasibility of various approaches and help the Council and Policy Board clarify goals for a potential future action. Additional information and updates are available on the Council and Commission action pages.

Press Contacts:

• MAFMC: Mary Sabo, 302-526-5261

• ASMFC: Tina Berger, 703-842-0749

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).

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

ACCSP, NOAA Fisheries Release Plan to Improve Atlantic Recreational Fisheries Data

The Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program (ACCSP) and NOAA Fisheries have jointly released the Marine Recreational Information Program Regional Implementation Plan for the Atlantic Coast. It highlights data needs and funding priorities over the next 5 years for improving recreational fisheries data collection on the Atlantic Coast.

“Our regional and state partners are essential to developing, executing and improving our national network of recreational fishing surveys that inform catch estimates,” said Evan Howell, NOAA Fisheries, director of the Office of Science and Technology. “We rely on partners like ACCSP to efficiently facilitate regional partnerships and joint data collection activities, as well as identify regional priorities through tools like our regional implementation plans. I want to thank all of our partners for their hard work to develop this plan together, and we look forward to our continued partnership as the plan is implemented.” 

ACCSP is the state-federal partnership that collects, manages, and disseminates Atlantic commercial and recreational fisheries data and serves as the MRIP Regional  Implementation Team for the Atlantic Coast. It also coordinates state conduct of the MRIP Access Point Angler Intercept Survey and For-Hire Survey from Maine to Georgia. Program partners include coastal resource agencies from 15 states and the District of Columbia, 2 interstate marine fisheries commissions, 3 regional fishery management councils, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and NOAA Fisheries. To provide better data for stock assessment and management, the ACCSP Coordinating Council and Recreational Technical Committee (RecTech) identified top priorities for improving recreational data collection on the Atlantic Coast through 2027. 

Atlantic Coast Prioritized Activities

• Improved precision and presentation of MRIP estimates

• Comprehensive for-hire data collection and monitoring

• Improved recreational fishery discard and release data

• Improved timeliness of MRIP recreational catch and harvest estimates

• Expanded biological sampling of recreational fisheries 

• Improved in-season monitoring

“Through the ACCSP, state, regional and federal partners are able to cooperatively identify and prioritize recreational fishery data needs for the entire Atlantic Coast and coordinate efforts to address these needs and improve recreational data collection,” said Angela Giuliano, ACCSP RecTech chair. RecTech is composed of ACCSP partner personnel who specialize in survey design, statistical estimation of fishing effort, catch, and participation, and the operation of recreational sampling programs.

The Atlantic Regional Implementation Plan will help guide NOAA Fisheries’ allocation of resources to best address the data needs of regional fishery stock assessors and managers. 

“Working together, we have allocated targeted increases in sample size by month and mode to improve precision of MRIP estimates,” said Dawn Franco, RecTech vice-chair. “We are also working on methodology to improve for-hire data collection. Over the next 5 years, we can achieve even more by building on our momentum and nurturing the relationships that have been forged.”

National Perspective

NOAA Fisheries maintains a central role in developing data collection and estimation methods, administering recreational fishing surveys, implementing survey and data standards, and producing recreational fisheries statistics. Regional and state partners identify regional data collection priorities, coordinate survey operations and on-site data collection, and participate in quality assurance and quality control procedures.

Through Regional Implementation Plans, each region plays a critical role in identifying  which survey methods are most suitable for its science, stock assessment, and management needs. NOAA Fisheries uses these plans to develop a national inventory of partner needs and associated costs, and to annually specify priority-setting criteria for supporting those needs. These plans inform MRIP decision-making for ongoing research priorities and budget allocation. The Regional Implementation Plans are adjusted at least every 5 years or as necessary based on changing science, management needs, and budget availability.

This collaborative approach is critical to addressing region-specific needs for improving recreational fishing data and supporting fishing opportunities for generations to come.

NOAA Fisheries Approves the Council's Recreational Harvest Control Rule Framework

Effective March 9

Today, NOAA Fisheries issued a final rule implementing a new process to set recreational management measures (bag, size, and season limits) for summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, and bluefish as recommended by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Interstate Fisheries Management Program Policy Board. The approved changes also include modifications to the recreational accountability measures. The new approach is part of a broader long-term effort by both the Council and Commission to improve recreational management of these four species.  The new management program aims to provide greater stability and predictability in recreational measures from year-to-year while accounting for scientific variability in stock assessment and management data, including recreational data.

The new process allows managers to consider two factors: 1) biomass compared to the target, and 2) estimated recent recreational harvest compared to future harvest limits, to determine if management measures need to change and, if so, by how much.

Additional information can be found on the Council’s webpage.

For more information read the final rule as filed in the Federal Register or our bulletin.

Questions?

Fishermen: Contact Emily Keiley, Sustainable Fisheries, 978-281-9116

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

Reminder: Public Comment on Recreational Harvest Control Rule Framework/Addenda to Close Friday, April 22

The deadline for submitting public comment on the Recreational Harvest Control Rule Framework/Draft Addenda is this Friday, April 22nd at 11:59 PM. 

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 summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, and bluefish. The Council is considering these changes through a framework action, and the Commission is considering an identical set of options through draft addenda. Collectively, these management actions are referred to as the Recreational Harvest Control Rule Framework/ Draft Addenda. The Council and Commission are scheduled to consider final action during the June 2022 Council Meeting.

Written comments may be submitted through April 22, 2022. Comments should be sent to Dustin Colson Leaning at comments@asmfc.org (Subject line: Harvest Control Rule). 

The Commission’s Draft Document for Public Comment provides detailed information about each option under consideration in the Framework/Draft Addenda. Additionally, an Options Reference Guide has been developed to help stakeholders understanding and compare the proposed management options.

Contact: If you have questions or need additional information, please contact Julia Beaty at jbeaty@mafmc.org or (302) 526-5250.

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

February 2018 Council Meeting Summary

• Open February 2018 Council Meeting Summary (pdf)