August 2019 Council Meeting Agenda

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will meet August 13-15, 2019 at the Courtyard Philadelphia Downtown (21 N. Juniper St., Philadelphia, PA 19107, Telephone 215-496-3200).

• Meeting Agenda

BOEM: Commercial Fishing Frequently Asked Questions

Open BOEM’s new Commercial Fishing Frequently Asked Questions >

MAFMC and NEFMC Launch Northeast Offshore Wind Webpage

On July 11, 2018, the New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils launched a new webpage that’s designed to serve as a repository for information relevant to offshore wind development activities in the Northeast Region.  The Councils worked closely with NOAA Fisheries on this collaborative effort.  The easy-to-navigate webpage provides one-stop-shopping for fishermen and other stakeholders who are searching for essential resources associated with offshore wind energy production.  The page provides direct links to government agencies, offshore wind developers, fishery liaisons, Council-developed comments, and more.

Take a look at Offshore Wind in the Northeast →

Fishermen in the region are highly interested in better understanding the impacts of offshore wind development on both commercial and recreational fisheries.  The New England and Mid-Atlantic Councils want to ensure that any potential impacts on Council-managed species and the marine environment are fully considered.  In light of these factors, the Councils developed the offshore wind webpage as a tool to: (1) help facilitate the exchange of information; and (2) provide quick access to available resources.

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Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf Renewable Energy Projects in New England and Mid-Atlantic waters. – BOEM graphic (click map to expand)

Here’s the Webpage Address:
http://www.mafmc.org/northeast-offshore-wind

Webpage Information Includes Links to:

• The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), along with BOEM’s Fishing Industry Communication and Engagement page, BOEM’s State Activities page, and BOEM’s email updates registry;
• Northeast offshore wind developers;
• Mid-Atlantic and New England Council policies and comment letters on offshore wind issues;
• Project-specific information on fisheries and the marine environment relative to wind activities and other ocean uses;
• Mappers for Essential Fish Habitat and Endangered and Protected Resources, Regional Ocean Data Portals; and more.

Key Fishery Management Council and NOAA Fisheries Contacts for More Information

• Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:  Jessica Coakley, jcoakley@mafmc.org, (302) 526-5252
• New England Fishery Management Council:  Michelle Bachman, mbachman@nefmc.org, (978) 465-0492 ext. 120
• NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office:  Sue Tuxbury,  susan.tuxbury@noaa.gov, (978) 281-9176
• NOAA Fisheries Northeast Fisheries Science Center: Andy Lipsky, andrew.lipsky@noaa.gov, (401) 829-8286

View PDF version of this announcement

October 2017 Council Meeting Summary

The following summary highlights actions taken and issues considered at the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s October 2017 meeting in Riverhead, NY. Presentations, briefing materials, and webinar recordings are available on the Council website at http://www.mafmc.org/briefing/october-2017.

Open October 2017 Council Meeting Summary (pdf)

Publication: A Framework for Incorporating Species, Fleet, Habitat, and Climate Interactions into Fishery Management

The following article was published in Frontiers in Marine Science, section Marine Ecosystem Ecology.

A Framework for Incorporating Species, Fleet, Habitat, and Climate Interactions into Fishery Management

Sarah K. Gaichas, Richard J. Seagraves, Jessica M. Coakley, Geret S. DePiper, Vincent G. Guida, Jonathan A. Hare, Paul J. Rago, and Michael J. Wilberg.

Abstract

Marine ecosystems are characterized by many complex interactions. Fisheries managers face the challenge of maintaining or restoring sustainability for individual living resources which are affected by both ecological and economic interactions with other species, through processes like predation and fishing fleet interactions. These species interactions are further complicated by interactions with habitats that are changing due to both human activities and climate change. Often, fishery management systems designed to promote sustainability of individual resources have few tools or processes that also address interactions between species, fleets, habitat, and climate. Here, we review existing and potential fishery assessment and management information and tools, and we develop a potential framework for addressing interactions in management at the request of the U.S. Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council. The structured framework can be used to first prioritize interactions, second specify key questions regarding high priority interactions, and third tailor appropriate analyses to address them. The primary tools for the initial steps in the framework are risk assessment and Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE). Finally, implemented management would be evaluated to ensure that objectives are being met, or to adjust measures as conditions change. In the final section, we outline an example to illustrate how a structured decision making process within the framework could work.

Full Article:

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