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.

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

NOAA Fisheries Proposes Atlantic Chub Mackerel Measures

NOAA Fisheries has announced proposed measures adopted by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council as part of Amendment 21 to the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan to manage chub mackerel.

Because a directed fishery for Atlantic chub mackerel recently emerged in the Mid-Atlantic, in 2017 the Mid-Atlantic Council implemented initial measures to maintain existing catch levels while it developed a long-term management approach. In the intervening three years, the Council has collected more detailed information on chub mackerel and has developed management measures to help achieve and maintain the sustainability of the chub mackerel resource.

This action would designate essential fish habitat; set catch limits for 2020-2022; and implement an annual catch limit, accountability measures, possession limits, permitting and reporting requirements, and other administrative measures for Atlantic chub mackerel caught from Maine through North Carolina.  

Proposed 2020 and Projected 2021-2022 Atlantic Chub Mackerel Specifications

For more details, please read the rule as published in the Federal Register.  Supporting analysis for this rule is available on the Council’s website.

The comments due date is April 8, 2020. To submit comments, please use the Federal e-rulemaking portal, or send comments by regular mail to Michael Pentony, Regional Administrator, National Marine Fisheries Service, 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA, 01930. Please mark the outside of the envelope, "Comments on the Comments on Chub Mackerel Proposed Rule."

Questions?

• Fishermen: Contact Doug Christel, Regional Office, 978-281-9141

• Media: Contact Jennifer Goebel, Regional Office, 978-281-9175