April 2026 Council Meeting

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council met Tuesday, April 7 – Thursday, April 9, 2026, at the Westin New York Grand Central (212 East 42nd Street, New York, NY 10017; 212-490-8900) with a webinar option for those who choose to participate virtually.

• Meeting Motions

• Meeting Summary

• Meeting Recordings

Agenda and Briefing Materials

• Agenda

• Stock Status

• Combined Briefing Book

Tuesday, April 7th

1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Omnibus Essential Fish Habitat Amendment

• Briefing Materials (Tab 1)

• Presentation

3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Habitat Activities Update – Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO) Habitat and Ecosystem Services Division (HESD)

• Briefing Materials (Tab 2)

• Presentation

4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Sturgeon Project Update - Dewayne Fox, Delaware State University

• Briefing Materials (Tab 3)

• Presentation

Wednesday, April 8th 

9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Scup Winter I Quota Period Landings Threshold Analysis

• Briefing Materials (Tab 4)

• Supplemental:

  • Staff Memo

  • Supplemental Comments (submitted between 3/26 and 4/2)

  • Late Comments (submitted after 4/2)

• Presentation

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Multi-Year Specifications

• Briefing Materials (Tab 5)

• Presentation

12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. ---------- LUNCH ----------

1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Recreational Tilefish Permitting and Reporting Framework

• Briefing Materials (Tab 6)

• Late Comment

• Presentation

3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Program Scoping for Monkfish and/or Skate Wings - Jennifer Couture, NEFMC

• Briefing Materials (Tab 7)

• Supplemental:

  • Joint AP/Committee Meeting Summary

  • 2025 joint monkfish/skate report

• Presentation

4:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Spiny Dogfish Ageing Project Summary - Madison Philipp and Dr. Michelle Passerotti, NOAA Fisheries

• Briefing Materials (Tab 8)

• Presentation

4:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Council Award Presentation

• Presentation of the 2025 Ricks E Savage Award

Thursday, April 9th

9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Business Session

• Committee Reports:

  • Scientific and Statistical Committee

  • Northeast Trawl Advisory Panel (NTAP)

• Executive Director’s Report – Dr. Chris Moore

  • Supplemental:

    • NEFMC comments to USFWS regarding the Definition of Shellfish

    • GARFO letter to NEFMC: Southern Windowpane Flounder and Ocean Pout Accountability Measures

• Organization Reports:

  • NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office - GARFO Status of Actions Report

  • NOAA Fisheries Northeast Fisheries Science Center

  • NOAA Office of General Counsel

  • NOAA Office of Law Enforcement

  • US Coast Guard

• Liaison Reports

  • New England Council

  • South Atlantic Council

• Other Business and General Public Comment