Pelagic Fisheries: U.S. and European Perspectives and Shared Experiences

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council held two workshops in collaboration with the European Union’s Pelagic Advisory Council (http://www.pelagic-ac.org/) in May and June 2018. The objective of these workshops was to share information and best management practices across U.S. and European pelagic and small-mesh fisheries. Both workshops involved a combination of presentations, group discussions, and field trips designed to give participants first-hand knowledge of local fishery operations and issues.

• U.S. Workshop: April 30 – May 3, 2018, Beauport Hotel Gloucester, 55 Commercial St, Gloucester, MA 01930

• E.U. Workshop: June 4 – 8, 2018, Skaga Hotel, Willemoesvej 1, 9850 Hirtshals, Denmark (Agenda)

U.S. Workshop

• Final Agenda

• Participant List

• Summary of Key Points from the Workshop

Background Documents

• MAFMC Overview

• MAFMC Risk Assessment

• Mid-Atlantic State of the Ecosystem Report

Presentations

Tuesday, May 1

• Workshop Intro, Jason Didden (MAFMC)

• Pelagic Advisory Council, Verena Ohms (PELAC)

• Implications of Ecosystem Approaches to Fisheries Management for Pelagic Fisheries, Sarah Gaichas (NEFSC)

• Forage and Pelagics: New England Herring, Min-Yang Lee (NEFSC)

Wednesday, May 2

• Bycatch Intro, Jason Didden

• Mid-Water Trawl River Herring Bycatch Avoidance Program, Bradley Schondelmeier (SMAST) and David Bethoney (Mass DMF)

• Atlantic Herring Mid-water Trawl Electronic Monitoring Project, Nichole Rossi (NEFSC), Morgani Wealti (Saltwater, Inc.), and Andrew Jones (NEFSC)

• Industry involvement in surveys/assessment, Jon Hare (NEFSC)

• Role of Acoustics in U.S. Science/Management, Michael Jech (NEFSC)

E.U. Workshop

• Agenda

• Meeting Report

• Participants

Presentations

• Role of ICES advice in European fisheries management

• The role of fisheries scientists working for the pelagic industry

• Marine spatial planning in the E.U.

• Advisory Councils on their route towards EAFM in the EU

• Industry survey of Western herring Industry survey... and other things

• Genome sequencing and its practical application for fisheries management

• North-east Atlantic Mackerel

• Gear trials in Skagerrak - A “new” pelagic grid

Steering Committee

U.S. Members: Chris Moore, Jason Didden, Mary Sabo, Jeff Kaelin, Eric Reid

E.U. Members: Gerard van Balsfoort, Verena Ohms, Jesper Raakjær, Esben Sverdrup-Jensen