December 18, 2024 - Atlantic Sea Scallop Research Track Assessment Community Engagement Meeting

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.

Council Coordinating Committee Solicits Proposals for the Development of a Series of Videos to Celebrate 50-Years of Federal Fisheries Management – Proposals due Jan. 10

The Council Coordination Committee (CCC), on behalf of the eight U.S. regional fishery management councils, has issued a Request for Proposals to develop a series of eight short videos and one long video that tells the story of federal fisheries management through the eyes of those who live it every day.  The contractor will be tasked with developing a minimum of eight short videos centered around interviews of federal fishermen and associated fisheries in each of the eight fishery management council regions.  The interviews will highlight successes in various commercial and recreational fisheries identified by each regional management council.  The contractor will also be tasked with developing an umbrella video that highlights the diversity and successes of federal fisheries management, the council system, and the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.

This project should be completed by the end of 2025 and a maximum of $185,000 is available to fund the work.

The Request for Proposals including the full scope of work can be found here.

Proposals Submission Deadline: 5:00 PM, PST on January 10, 2025.

Contact us at quotes@gulfcouncil.org with questions.

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).

Request for Proposals: Evaluation of Low-Profile Gillnets to Mitigate Sturgeon Bycatch in the Commercial Spiny Dogfish Fishery

Summary: The Mid‐Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) seeks a highly qualified contractor to evaluate the use of low-profile gillnets to mitigate sturgeon bycatch in the commercial spiny dogfish fishery.

Proposal Submission Deadline: April 15, 2024

Details: Request for Proposals: Evaluation of Low-Profile Gillnets to Mitigate Sturgeon Bycatch in the Commercial Spiny Dogfish Fishery