May 2017 Joint Meeting of the Council and ASMFC Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Boards

After the briefing book comment deadline has passed, late comments must be submitted using an online comment form. Comments submitted via the form below will be automatically posted to the website and available for Council consideration. A link to the comments submitted via this form will be available on the May 2017 Meeting Page.

Chub Amendment Scoping Comments

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council is soliciting scoping comments on the Chub Mackerel Amendment. The Council will hold six scoping hearings in May 2017, and written comments may be submitted through May 31, 2017. Comments may be submitted via email, mail, fax, or using the form below. Click here to view the scoping schedule and additional instructions for submitting written comments.

Online Comment Form

River Herring and Shad - Stocks in the Fishery Decision

The Council is considering whether to include river herring and shad as Council-managed species. The River Herring and Shad Committee will discuss this issue at the upcoming Council meeting on October 4, 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.  The full Council will consider the Committee's recommendations on October 5, 2:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. More information, including briefing materials and instructions for listening via webinar, will be posted at http://www.mafmc.org/briefing/october-2016. 

Please use the form to provide comments on whether river herring and shad should be included as Council-managed species.

Comments

Unmanaged Forage Action Scoping Comments

Deadline: Friday October 2, 2015, 11:59 p.m. EST

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council is soliciting scoping comments for an action that will address unmanaged forage species in the Mid-Atlantic. For details and supporting documents related to this action, please  review the scoping document or visit the Unmanaged Forage Action page.

Please use the form below to comment on any of the following questions/topics or other relevant issues that you believe the Council should consider as part of this proposed action. 

  1. What type of management action is most appropriate? (For example, development of a new FMP, and amendment to an existing FMP, or another action.)
  2. What type of management provisions would be most effective? (For example, designating unmanaged forage species as stocks “in the fishery”, as ecosystem component species, or as components of Essential Fish Habitat, or another provision.)
  3. Which currently unmanaged forage species should the Council include in the action?
  4. What type of fishing should the action regulate? (For example, all directed fishing, commercial fishing only, or commercial and recreational catches above a certain level.)
  5. Over what geographic area should the action apply?
  6. How should the Council prohibit the expansion of existing fisheries?     
  7. How should the Council allow new fisheries for forage species to develop?             
  8. What scientific data and models are available to inform the action?

Comment Form

Blueline Tilefish

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council is seeking public input for the development of a fishery management plan (FMP) for blueline tilefish and/or other deepwater species, or adding blueline tilefish to the existing golden tilefish FMP. This potential action will likely focus on the management of blueline tilefish off the Mid-Atlantic, and follows a Council request to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) for emergency limits on blueline tilefish landings from waters off the Mid-Atlantic (i.e. north of North Carolina).

Use the form below to submit comments by July 6, 2015, 11:59 p.m.

Go to the Blueline Tilefish Action Page for more details.

Squid Capacity Amendment Scoping Comments

The Council is soliciting scoping comments for an amendment that will consider alternatives to reduce the capacities of the longfin squid and Illex squid fleets. Use the form below to provide comments.

Deep Sea Corals Amendment

The Council has initiated an amendment to the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish fishery management plan (FMP) in order to minimize the impacts of fishing gear on deep sea corals in the mid-Atlantic. The amendment contains a range of alternatives that aim to protect corals by restricting fishing in select areas where fishing effort and prime coral habitats overlap, as well as by restricting expansion of effort into less heavily fished areas where corals are known or highly likely to be present. Additionally, this amendment proposes to modify the framework provisions of the FMP and require Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) for all Illex squid vessels. For additional information and background documents, go to the Deep Sea Coral Amendment page. 

The Council is soliciting public comments on the range of alternative identified in the amendment. Five hearings have been scheduled, and written comments will be accepted until Wednesday, January 28, 2015. 

Comment Form

Use the form below to submit written comments on the amendment. Click here for additional information on submitting written comments by mail, email, or fax.

Cost Recovery Amendment

The Cost Recovery Amendment to the Atlantic Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Fishery Management Plan (FMP) includes proposed measures to 1) collect fees and recover costs associated with the management of the surfclam and ocean quahog individual transferable quota (ITQ) fisheries, 2) facilitate incorporation of revised stock status determination criteria (i.e., biological reference points) into the FMP, and 3) modify or eliminate the optimum yield (OY) ranges currently in the FMP.  

Additional information about the amendment is available at http://www.mafmc.org/actions/cost-recovery-amendment.