Engaging the Recreational Community in the Council Management Process   On December 2-3, 2011 the Council held a focus group with approximately 30 recreational fishermen in Baltimore, MD.  The purpose of this non-decisional meeting was to diversify the involvement of the recreational fishing community in the Council management process and complement the Council's Visioning Project.  Final Focus Group Summary Focus Group Objectives: • To enhance the recreational community’s understanding of the regulatory process, focusing on the recreational summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass fisheries; • To gather perspectives from the recreational community on their engagement in the Council process, including clear steps that the Council can take to improve communication; • To increase awareness of the Council’s Visioning Process, and support the recreational community’s participation in creating a vision for the future of Mid-Atlantic fisheries; and • To identify and communicate different perspectives on the regulatory options and tradeoffs for managing the summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass recreational fisheries.   Meeting Materials: Agenda Pre-Focus Group Survey Results Presentation: Visioning and the Recreational Fishing Community Presentation: The Process for Setting Recreational Regulations for Summer Flounder, Scup, And Black Sea Bass Presentation: Magnuson Act Changes and Input on Regulations Breakout 3 Summary: What are the recreational community’s views on various regulatory strategies for summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass?   What participants are saying: http://fishinginjersey.wordpress.com/2011/12/06/the-difference-between-being-listened-to-and-being-heard/   Contacts:   Staff: Mary Clark            email: mclark@mafmc.org phone: 302-526-5261

Last Updated:  March 01, 2012