December 2022 Council Meeting

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council met Monday, December 12, 2022 – Thursday, December 15, 2022 in Annapolis, Maryland. Portions of the meeting were conducted jointly with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board and Interstate Fishery Management Program Policy Board.

• Meeting Motions

• Meeting Summary

Meeting Recordings

View the complete playlist of meeting recordings here.

• Monday, December 12 - Habitat Updates, Offshore Wind, SCOQ Species Separation Amendment

• Tuesday, December 13 (AM) - HCR Framework/Percent Change Approach Presentation, 2023 Scup Rec Measures, 2023 Black Sea Bass Rec Measures (Part 1)

• Tuesday, December 13 (PM) - 2023 Black Sea Bass Rec Measures (Part 2), 2023 Summer Flounder Rec Measures, Previously-Initiated Recreational Reform Actions

• Wednesday, December 14 (AM) - Climate Change Scenario Planning

• Wednesday, December 14 (PM) - Monkfish, Protected Resources, 2023 Implementation Plan

• Thursday, December 15 - Hudson Canyon Sanctuary, Business Session

Briefing Materials

• Agenda

• Combined Briefing Book

• Late comments

Executive Committee (Closed Session)

Ricks E Savage Award Nominations

• Briefing Materials (Tab 1)

Habitat Activities Update

Presentation from Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office Habitat and Ecosystem Services Division

• Briefing Materials (Tab 2)

• Presentation

Offshore Wind Updates

• Briefing Materials (Tab 3)

• Supplemental

  • NOAA Fisheries and BOEM Federal Survey Mitigation Strategy – Northeast U.S. Region

  • Community Offshore Wind Survey Notice

  • Introduction to Leading Light Wind

  • Fisheries Compensation Fund Request for Information

  • Fisheries Compensation Fund Scoping Document

  • Fisheries Compensation Fund Press Release

• Presentation

Atlantic Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Species Separation Requirements Amendment - Final Action

• Briefing Materials (Tab 4)

• Presentation

Harvest Control Rule Framework / Addendum Percent Change Approach and Recreational Fishery Models

Joint Meeting with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (ASMFC) Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board

• Briefing Materials (Tab 5)

• Supplemental:

  • Staff Memo: Updated Recreational Demand Model Results (12/9/22)

  • GARFO Letter to MAFMC Re: 2023 Recreational Measures (12/8/22)

  • American Sportfishing Association Comment (12/8/22)

• Presentation

Summer Flounder, Scup, Black Sea Bass 2023 Recreational Measures

Joint Meeting with the ASMFC Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board

Scup

• Briefing Materials (Tab 6)

• Presentation

Black Sea Bass

• Briefing Materials (Tab 7)

• Presentation

Summer Flounder

• Briefing Materials (Tab 8)

• Presentation

Supplemental Materials for all Three Species

• Staff Memo: Updated Recreational Demand Model Results (12/9/22)

• GARFO Letter to MAFMC Re: 2023 Recreational Measures (12/8/22)

• American Sportfishing Association Comment (12/8/22)

• Summary of the November 30, 2022 Advisory Panel meeting

Previously Initiated Recreational Reform Actions

Joint Meeting with ASMFC Interstate Fishery Management Program Policy Board

• Briefing Materials (Tab 9)

• Supplemental: American Sportfishing Association Comment (12/8/22)

• Presentation

Climate Change Scenario Planning: Review Final Scenarios and Discuss Applications

• Briefing Materials (Tab 10)

• Presentation

Monkfish Framework 13: 2023-2025 Specifications and Management Measures

• Briefing Materials (Tab 11)

• Staff Memo: Monkfish Actions

• Presentation 1: Monkfish Management Track Assessment (John Deroba, NEFSC)

• Presentation 2: Monkfish Report to MAFMC (Rachel Feeney, NEFMC)

Protected Resources Updates

• Briefing Materials (Tab 12)

• Supplemental: Action Plan to Reduce Atlantic Sturgeon Bycatch in Federal Large Mesh Gillnet Fisheries

• Presentation

2023 Implementation Plan

• Briefing Materials (Tab 13)

• Supplemental: Wild Oceans Comment (12/9/22)

• Presentation

Proposed Hudson Canyon National Marine Sanctuary

NMSA Section 304(a)(5) consultation

• Briefing Materials (Tab 14)

• Presentation (updated with Council revisions)

Business Session

• Committee Reports (Tab 15):

  • SSC: 2023 Meeting Dates and Topics

  • Ecosystem and Ocean Planning Committee and AP Meeting Summary

  • Mackerel, Squid, Butterfish Committee (Please note that Illex Permit Action disapproval follow-up may also be addressed during the “2023 Implementation Plan” agenda item on Wednesday afternoon)

• Executive Director's Report (Tab 16)

  • Supplemental:

    • Staff Memo: River Herring and Shad (RH/S) Run Data Portal

    • Letter to GARFO: 2023 Implementation Plan/Black Sea Bass Commercial State Allocation Amendment (12/14/22)

•  Organization Reports

  • NMFS Greater Atlantic Regional Office - Status of Actions Report (12/9/22)

  • NMFS Northeast Fisheries Science Center

  • NOAA Office of General Counsel

  • NOAA Office of Law Enforcement - Fourth Quarter Report

  • US Coast Guard - USCG Report

•  Liaison Reports (Tab 17)

  • New England Council - NEFMC Liaison Report

  • South Atlantic Council

•  Other Business and General Public Comment