MAFMC and ASMFC Approve Changes to Commercial and Recreational Allocations of Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass

The revised allocations are intended to better reflect the current understanding of the historic proportions of catch and landings from the commercial and recreational sectors. These changes are expected to take effect January 1, 2023.

Reminder: MAFMC and ASMFC to Consider Final Action on Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Commercial/Recreational Allocation Amendment

Next week, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board (Board) will consider final action on the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Commercial/Recreational Allocation Amendment during the Council’s December 2021 Council Meeting.

Final action was previously considered in April 2021 but was postponed until December to allow further progress to be made on the Recreational Harvest Control Rule Framework and Addendum. The purpose of this joint amendment is to consider adjusting the allocations of catch or landings between the commercial and recreational fisheries for summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass. Details on the specific alternatives being considered are available in the Decision Document and in the Combined Briefing Materials. Additional background information can be found here.

Meeting Details: This agenda item is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 14 (please note that this start time is subject to change). Members of the public are welcome to attend in person at the Westin Annapolis (100 Westgate Circle Annapolis, MD 21401) or online via Webex webinar (Meeting number: 2330 933 4966; Meeting password: ncKMj56xX6p). Please see the December 2021 Meeting Page for additional details, including health and safety precautions. A live stream of the meeting will also be available on our YouTube channel.

Public Comment: Members of the public participating in person and remotely will have opportunities to provide oral comments during the meeting. There is no need to pre-register for public testimony. At the appropriate time, the chairman will provide instructions on how to indicate your desire to speak. You may also submit written comments through the December 2021 Public Comment form or via email to cmoore@mafmc.org. Comments submitted by 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 9, will be combined and posted as supplemental materials on the meeting page (please note that comments submitted by December 1 are already included in the briefing materials). After December 9, comments may only be submitted through the comment form (no email).

Questions? For questions about the amendment, contact Kiley Dancy (kdancy@mafmc.org, 302-526-5257) or Dustin Colson Leaning (dleaning@asmfc.org, 703-842-0714). For questions about the meeting or public comment procedures, contact Mary Sabo (msabo@mafmc.org, 302-526-5261).

December 2021 Council Meeting - Quick Links

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

Reminder: Commercial VTRs Must be Submitted Electronically as eVTRs

On November 10, 2021, NOAA Fisheries implemented a new rule requiring all GARFO-permitted commercial fishing vessels to submit vessel trip reports electronically as eVTRs within 48 hours of the end of the trip. This also applies to vessels holding a NEFMC for-hire permit. This does not apply to vessels holding only an American lobster permit.

  • Paper vessel trip reports packages will no longer be distributed by GARFO.

  • After November 10, VTRs will only be accepted electronically.

  • If you have any delinquent VTRs, please mail them as soon as possible for processing before the deadline.

See GARFO’s webpage for more information on the requirements, and use this decision tree to help you decide if you need to use eVTR. Additional resources are available on the Council’s Commercial eVTR page.

How to Report

Vessel operators have several NOAA Fisheries-approved eVTR applications to choose from. Visit the NOAA Fisheries eVTR Software Options page for detailed information about approved applications and other aspects of electronic reporting. NOAA Fisheries has also developed a Decision Tree to help permit holders to determine which reporting applications will best meet their needs. Many commercial operators have chosen the SAFIS eTrips/mobile 2 or the NOAA Fish Online programs.

Training Opportunities

The Council and GARFO have both hosted eVTR training webinars. Recordings from those webinars are available at the links below.

Additional eVTR Resources

The pages and videos linked below provide information to help get you started.

General

eVTR Tutorials

eTrips/Mobile 2 Tutorials:

NOAA Fish Online Tutorials

Get Answers to Your eVTR Questions: Council to Host Q&A Session – October 26, 5:00 p.m.

Beginning on November 10, 2021, all commercial vessels with federal permits for species managed by the Mid-Atlantic or New England Council will be required to submit vessel trip reports (VTRs) electronically as eVTRs within 48 hours of the end of a trip. Vessel operators have several NOAA Fisheries-approved eVTR applications to choose from. Many commercial operators have chosen the eTrips/mobile 2 or NOAA Fish Online.

In preparation for the upcoming implementation of these new requirements, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold an informal question and answer session on Tuesday, October 26, 2021 at 5:00 p.m. Participants can join by Webex webinar or call in by phone (details below). Staff from the Mid-Atlantic Council, NOAA/GARFO, and ACCSP will be available to answer your questions about all things related to electronic reporting and using eTrips/mobile 2 or NOAA Fish Online. The webinar will begin at 5:00 p.m. and will be open for at least an hour, but staff will remain online longer if needed to address any outstanding questions.

This is a great opportunity to get answers to your questions about using eTrips/mobile 2 or Fish Online. Questions that have been addressed in recent training webinars include:

  • Can I report the use of different gears or different fishing areas in a single trip?

  • Can I edit a trip once I have submitted it?

  • How can I complete my trip if I don’t have WiFi or cellular connection at sea?

Webinar and Call-In Information

  • Click here to join the webinar (If prompted, enter Meeting number: 2341 450 5348; Meeting password: nKjY7pD6vM2)

  • To join by phone: Dial 1-844-621-3956 and enter Access Code: 23414505348#

Additional eVTR Resources

Commercial fishermen are encouraged to transition to electronic reporting as soon as possible to allow time for any issues to be addressed before the November 10 implementation date. The pages and videos linked below provide information to help get you started.

General

Past Training Webinars

The Council and GARFO have both hosted training webinars with step-by-step demonstrations of electronic reporting applications. Recordings from those webinars are available at the link below.

eVTR Tutorials

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.

Council to Host eVTR Training Workshop – September 15, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Beginning on November 10, 2021, all commercial vessels with federal permits for species managed by the Mid-Atlantic or New England Council will be required to submit vessel trip reports (VTRs) electronically as eVTRs within 48 hours of the end of a trip. This workshop will include a step by step tutorial of ACCSP’s free software application eTrips Mobile 2.

Obituary of Dr. James H. "Jim" Gilford, Former Council Member and Chairman

Dr. James "Jim" Harold Gilford, age 92, passed away on Thursday, August 19, 2021. Dr. Gilford served on the Council from 1992 to 2001, including six years as Council Chairman. After his tenure as a Council member, he continued to serve on the Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) and served as SSC Chair from 2005 to 2008. In 2008, Dr. Gilford was presented with the Council’s Ricks E Savage Award. This award is designed to recognize a person who has added value to the Mid-Atlantic Council's processes and management goals through significant scientific, legislative, enforcement or management activities. Dr. Gilford was recognized for, among other things, his leadership, service, and dedication to the Council while serving as its Chairman.

Obituary for Dr. James "Jim" Harold Gilford

Phase 2 of Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan Modifications

NOAA Fisheries is requesting input on efforts to reduce the risk of entanglement to right, humpback, and fin whales in U.S. East Coast gillnet, Atlantic mixed species trap/pot, and Mid-Atlantic lobster and Jonah crab trap/pot fisheries. Scoping meetings will be held September 9 - October 14. Written comments may be submitted through October 21.

Council Revises Black Sea Bass Commercial State Allocation Recommendations

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council approved a 1% increase in New York’s black sea bass commercial allocation, bringing New York’s baseline share of the coastwide quota to 8%, during a meeting last week with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (Commission) Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Management Board (Board). This action modifies the state commercial quota allocations that had been previously approved through the Council’s Black Sea Bass Commercial State Allocation Amendment and the Commission’s Addendum XXXIII to the Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan.

The Amendment and Addendum, approved in February 2021, address significant changes in the distribution of black sea bass that have occurred since the original allocations were implemented in 2003. Among other things, these actions changed Connecticut’s baseline allocation from 1% to 3% of the coastwide quota to address its disproportionally low allocation compared to the increased availability of black sea bass in state waters. The Amendment and Addendum also added the state-by-state allocations to the federal FMP.

In March, New York appealed the allocation changes approved by the Board in February, arguing that its baseline quota should increase similarly to that of Connecticut as it too had experienced a significant disparity between allocation and the abundance/availability of black sea bass in Long Island Sound, which is shared by New York and Connecticut.

The Commission’s Interstate Fisheries Management Program Policy Board (Policy Board) considered the appeal in May. Finding that it was justified, the Policy Board remanded the section of Addendum XXXIII addressing baseline allocations back to the Board for corrective action to address impacts to New York’s baseline allocation in a manner comparable to the consideration given to Connecticut. Based on the Policy Board’s decision, the Board was required to increase New York’s baseline allocation by up to 2%.

During their June Council Meeting, the Council considered the implications of this decision and agreed to revisit these allocations with the Board, with the goal of maintaining the same final recommendations in the Council’s Amendment and the Commission’s Addendum.

During last week’s meeting, the Council and Board considered various potential increases in New York’s baseline quota. Both management bodies ultimately approved a 1% increase. The Council will forward its revised recommendations to NOAA Fisheries for final approval. A table containing the revised state allocations of the black sea bass commercial quota can be found below.

For more information, visit http://www.mafmc.org/actions/bsb-commercial-allocation or contact Julia Beaty, Fishery Management Specialist, jbeaty@mafmc.org, (302) 526-5250.

*These allocations represent the baseline quota plus the regional biomass distribution based on the results of the 2021 Operational Stock Assessment. These allocations will be updated if future assessments indicate a change to the biomass distribution.

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

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

Organizations Working on East Coast Climate Change Scenario Planning