The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Advisory Panel will hold a public meeting via webinar, jointly with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Advisory Panel. The meeting will be held on Monday, November 19, 2018 from 1:00 pm to 4:00 p.m.

The purpose of this meeting is to review and provide feedback on proposed recreational management measures (e.g., bag limits, size limits, and seasons) and strategies for the recreational summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass fisheries in 2019.

The meeting will take place over webinar, which can be accessed at http://mafmc.adobeconnect.com/sfsbsb_ap_nov2018/. Meeting audio can also be accessed via telephone by dialing 1-800-832-0736 and entering room number 5068871.

Meeting Materials

• Draft Agenda

• Monitoring Committee meeting summary and recommendations

• Summer Flounder recreational measures staff memo (updated 11/15/18 for minor correction)

• Scup recreational measures staff memo

• Black Sea Bass Flounder recreational measures staff memo

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Advisory Panel and Committee will meet on Monday September 24, 2018 from 10:00 am to 12:00 p.m.

The meeting will be held via webinar, which can be accessed at: http://mafmc.adobeconnect.com/chubapcom2/ Participants may also connect via telephone by calling 1-800-832-0736 and entering room number 5068871.

The purpose of this meeting is to review and provide comments on a draft public hearing document for the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s Chub Mackerel Amendment. This amendment will consider adding Atlantic chub mackerel (Scomber colias) to the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan. The amendment will consider potential catch limits, accountability measures, and other conservation and management measures required for stocks “in the fishery.”

Meeting Materials

• Draft Public Hearing Document

This meeting has been cancelled and will be rescheduled for a later date. 

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's (Council) Spiny Dogfish Advisory Panel (AP) will meet via webinar on Monday, August 27, 2018 from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The purpose of this meeting is to review recent fishery performance and develop a Fishery Performance Report and/or other recommendations in preparation for development of annual specifications commencing May 1, 2019.

The meeting will be held via webinar at the following link: http://mafmc.adobeconnect.com/dogfishap2018/. Anyone can also attend at the Council office (800 N. State St., Suite 201, Dover, DE  19901; telephone:  (302) 674-2331). Please call the Council at least 24 hours in advance if you wish to attend at the Council office.

The purpose of the meeting is to create a Fishery Performance Report by the Council's Spiny Dogfish Advisory Panel.  The intent of the report is to facilitate structured input from the Advisory Panel members into the specifications development process. 

Meeting Materials

• 2018 Spiny Dogfish Advisory Panel (AP) Informational Document

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Advisory Panel will meet jointly with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's (ASMFC) Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Advisory Panel on Tuesday, June 26, 2018 from approximately 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The meeting will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn BWI (1516 Aero Dr, Linthicum Heights, MD 21090).

The purpose of this meeting is to discuss recent performance of the commercial and recreational fisheries for summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass, and develop annual Fishery Performance Reports for these fisheries. 

Meeting Materials 

• Meeting Agenda 
• Summer Flounder Fishery Information Document
• Scup Fishery Information Document
• Black Sea Bass Flounder Fishery Information Document
• Recreational Issues Framework/Addendum Overview

Supplemental Materials 

• Written comments from AP members received through June 24, 2018
• MADMF Scup Recreational Size Request
• MADMF Scup Mesh Size Trigger Request
• Summer Flounder Commercial Issues Amendment Draft Public Hearing Document
• Summer Flounder Commercial Issues Amendment Action Page
• Recreational Issues Framework/Addendum Action Page
• Summer Flounder Data Update
• Scup Data Update

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's Bluefish Advisory Panel will meet jointly with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) Bluefish Advisory Panel on Monday, June 25, 2018 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. The purpose of this meeting is for the Advisory Panel to create a fishery performance report (FPR). The intent of this report is to facilitate a venue for structured input from the Advisory Panel for the bluefish specifications process. The FPR will be used by the MAFMC’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) and the Bluefish Monitoring Committee (MC) when setting 2019 management measures designed to achieve the recommended bluefish catch and landings limits. In addition, the MAFMC and ASMFC will consider input from the Advisory Panels in August when reviewing these specifications.

The meeting will be held via webinar with a telephone-only connection option.

Webinar Link: http://mafmc.adobeconnect.com/bfap2018/
Telephone instructions are provided upon connecting, or you can call direct: 1-800-832-0736 Room number: 5068609

Meeting Materials

• Meeting Agenda
• 2018 Bluefish Advisory Panel Information Document
• 2018 Bluefish Data Update

The Mackerel, Squid, Butterfish Committee and Advisory Panel will meet jointly via webinar on Thursday, May 17, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. 

The purpose of the meeting is to develop recommendations for the Council regarding modifications to the Atlantic mackerel commercial fishery closure possession limits. Currently no Atlantic mackerel possession is allowed by federally-permitted commercial vessels once 100% of the commercial landings quota is reached. The Council is considering changing the trip limit once 100% of the commercial landings quota is reached. The Council is scheduled to take final action on this issue at its June 2018 Council meeting via a Framework Adjustment to the MSB Fishery Management Plan. 

Webinar Link: http://mafmc.adobeconnect.com/msb-com-ap-2018-01/

To participate, the audio connection is by telephone only. Telephone instructions are provided upon connecting, or you can call direct: 800-832-0736, Rm: *7833942#.

Contact Jason Didden at jdidden@mafmc.org or 302-526-5254 if you would like to test your ability to connect to the webinar before the day of the meeting.

Meeting Materials

• Briefing Memo: Atlantic Mackerel Closure Options

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Advisory Panel and Committee will meet on Tuesday, May 15, 2018 from 10:00 am to 4:00 p.m. The meeting will be held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Baltimore – BWI Airport, 890 Elkridge Landing Road, Linthicum, Maryland, 21090; telephone: (410)-859-8400.

The purpose of this meeting is to review development of the chub mackerel amendment and to develop recommendations to the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council on management alternatives and other aspects of the amendment. The amendment will consider adding Atlantic chub mackerel (Scomber colias) to the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan. The amendment will consider potential catch limits, accountability measures, and other conservation and management measures required for stocks “in the fishery.”

Meeting Materials

1. Agenda
2. 2018 chub mackerel fishery information document
3. Memo on chub mackerel assessment and ABCs
4. MAFMC and GARFO correspondence regarding the chub mackerel management unit
5. Summary of April 27, 2018 FMAT meeting

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Advisory Panel will meet on Friday, April 13, 2018 from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. The meeting will be held via webinar at http://mafmc.adobeconnect.com/scoq2018ap/

The purpose of the meeting is to develop a fishery performance report by the Council’s Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Advisory Panel. The intent of this report is to facilitate structured input from the Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Advisory Panel members to the Council and its Scientific and Statistical Committee. Advisors will also receive an update on the clam dredge access framework under development by the New England Fishery Management Council.

Meeting Materials

1. 2018 Surfclam AP Fishery Information Document
2. 2018 Quahog AP Fishery Information Document
3. 2017 Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Fishery Performance Report

The Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Advisory Panel of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will meet via webinar on Friday, April 13, 2018 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  

The meeting will be held via webinar with a telephone-only audio connection: http://mafmc.adobeconnect.com/msb-ap-2018/.  Telephone instructions are provided upon connecting, or the public can call direct: 800-832-0736, Rm: *7833942#.

The purposes of the meeting include:

1. To create a Fishery Performance Report by the Council’s Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish (MSB) Advisory Panel. This report facilitates structured input from the Advisory Panel members for the MSB specifications process for the Council and its Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC).
2. Gather Advisory Panel input regarding rebuilding options and other management measures for Atlantic mackerel, including the river herring and shad catch cap.

Meeting Materials

• 2018 MSB AP Fishery Information Document
• 2017 MSB Fishery Performance Report

The Tilefish Advisory Panel of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will meet via webinar on Wednesday, February 21, 2018, 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM.

The purpose of the meeting is to create fishery performance reports by the Council’s Tilefish Advisory Panel. The intent of these reports is to facilitate a venue for structured input from the Advisory Panel members for the Golden and Blueline Tilefish specifications process, including recommendations by the Council and its Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC).

Webinar

The meeting will take place over webinar with a telephone-only connection option.

• Webinar: http://mafmc.adobeconnect.com/tilefish2018apmeeting/
• Audio: Audio will pop up when you connect to the webinar, or you can call 1-800-832-0736, Room: 5068609#

Meeting Materials

• Agenda
• 2018 Golden Tilefish Fishery Information Document
• 2018 Blueline Tilefish Fishery Information Document
• 2017 Golden Tilefish Fishery Performance Report
• 2017 Blueline Tilefish Fishery Performance Report