Climate Change Scenario Planning: From 2021 to 2023, the Mid-Atlantic Council collaborated with other East Coast fishery management organizations on a climate change scenario planning exercise. The goals of this project were to assess how climate change might affect stock distribution and availability of East Coast marine fisheries over the next 20 years and to identify implications and potential actions for fishery management and governance. Throughout the multi-stage scenario planning process, hundreds of stakeholders helped generate four distinct “scenarios,” each describing a possible future for East Coast fisheries, coastal communities, and fisheries management. The capstone to this initiative was a Scenario Planning Summit, held in February 2023. The main themes and potential actions that emerged during this process are summarized in a Summit Report and a Potential Action Menu. Learn more at East Coast Climate Change Scenario Planning Initiative.

Council Committee Structure: The Council has taken steps to increase representation of New England states in the Mid-Atlantic Council process by adding seats for New England Fishery Management Council members on the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Committee and the Mackerel, Squid, Butterfish Committee. The Council may explore other changes based on recommendations from the scenario planning process.  

Blueline Tilefish: In 2015, the Council initiated management of blueline tilefish in the Mid-Atlantic in response to evidence that commercial and recreational landings of blueline tilefish in the Mid-Atlantic were increasing rapidly. The Mid-Atlantic portion of the stock was added to the Council’s Tilefish Fishery Management Plan in 2017. The South Atlantic Council continues to manage the fishery south of the NC/VA line. Learn more at Blueline Tilefish Amendment.

Black Sea Bass Allocations: In 2021, the Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission modified the state allocations of the black sea bass commercial quota in response to changes in stock distribution that have occurred since the state allocations were first established. The allocations are now based on a combination of historical allocations and biomass distribution. The revised allocations are dynamic and will be updated each time the stock assessment or other appropriate data source suggests that the regional distribution of the stock has changed. Learn more at Black Sea Bass Commercial State Allocation Amendment.

Surfclam/Ocean Quahog Species Separation Requirements: The Council is currently considering changes to the species separation requirements for the Atlantic surfclam and ocean quahog fisheries. Although current regulations do not allow for the two species to be landed on the same trip, industry has reported that it is becoming increasingly difficult to avoid mixed catches as Atlantic surfclam have shifted to deeper waters. Learn more at Atlantic Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Species Separation Requirements Amendment.

Allocation Review Policy: The Council has adopted a policy which requires allocations to be reviewed at least every 10 years. This will help ensure that the Council regularly considers new information, including changes in distribution, that may inform the need for allocation revisions. Learn more at MAFMC Allocation Review Policy.

Unmanaged Forage Protections: In 2016, the Council approved a commercial possession limit for more than 50 forage species which were previously unmanaged in Mid-Atlantic federal waters. The goal was to prohibit the development of new and expansion of existing commercial fisheries on unmanaged forage species in mid-Atlantic waters until the Council has had an opportunity to assess the scientific information and consider potential impacts. Learn more at Unmanaged Forage Omnibus Amendment.

Policy to Evaluate New or Expanding Fisheries: The Unmanaged Forage Amendment requires use of an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) as a first step towards the Council considering allowing landings beyond the 1,700 pound possession limit. In 2023, the Council approved a guidance document for review of EFP applications for species covered by the Unmanaged Forage Amendment. Guidance Document for Council Review of EFP Applications for Unmanaged Forage Amendment Ecosystem Component Species.

Annual Report on Landings of Unmanaged Species: The Council receives an annual report on commercial landings of “unmanaged” species (i.e., species not managed by the Mid-Atlantic, New England, or South Atlantic Councils, NOAA Fisheries, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, or states). These reports allow the Council to monitor landings for evidence of emerging unmanaged fisheries and determine if further evaluation is needed. Learn more at Unmanaged Landings Reports.

Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management: In 2016 the Council approved an EAFM Guidance Document which outlined a path forward to more fully incorporate ecosystem considerations into marine fisheries management. The EAFM Guidance Document is designed to help the Council incorporate key ecosystem considerations, such as climate change and climate variability, into decision making. Learn more at Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management.

State of the Ecosystem Reports: The Council reviews an annual “State of the Ecosystem” report from NOAA Fisheries that synthesizes information about recent ecosystem conditions. These reports contain detailed summaries of climate change trends (ocean temperature, heatwaves, currents, acidification) and the apparent impacts of those trends on ecosystem health.  Learn more at 2022 State of the Ecosystem Report - Mid-Atlantic Bight.

Risk Assessment: The Council also uses a comprehensive risk assessment, updated annually, to help decide where to focus limited resources to address priority ecosystem considerations. The risk assessment takes into account 25 different ecosystem risk factors, including climate vulnerability and distribution shifts, and highlights priority species/issues for more detailed evaluation. Learn more at 2022 EAFM Risk Assessment Update.

Climate Vulnerability Assessments: The Council and its Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) review vulnerability assessments developed by the Northeast Fisheries Science Center. These assessments identify species, habitats, and communities that are most vulnerable to a changing climate. The Council and SSC use this information to understand ecosystem risk, identify research priorities, and prepare and plan for a changing environment. Learn more at Climate Vulnerability Assessments.

SSC Ecosystem Working Group: A working group of the Council’s SSC is developing strategies to advance the operational use of ecosystem information in science and management decisions.

Essential Fish Habitat Amendment: The Council is developing an omnibus amendment that will review and update essential fish habitat (EFH) designations for all Council-managed stocks. This action is an opportunity to utilize the best available fish habitat science to improve EFH designations and support the Council’s fish habitat conservation efforts. Learn more at Omnibus Essential Fish Habitat Amendment.

Northeast Regional Habitat Assessment (NRHA): The Council also recently collaborated with its science and management partners on a comprehensive assessment of fish habitat distribution, abundance, and quality in the Northeast. This project resulted in a powerful Data Explorer Tool which allows users to explore information on fish distribution, habitat, and more. Learn more at Northeast Regional Habitat Assessment.

Habitat Crosswalk: One particularly useful component of the NRHA Data Explorer is the Habitat Crosswalk, which identifies the dependence or occurrence of species on specific habitat types while conveying information about species and habitat vulnerability to climate change. Learn more at NRHA Habitat Crosswalk.

Short-Term Forecasts of Species Distributions for Fisheries Management: The Council and Rutgers University are developing forecast models to predict short-term climate-induced distribution changes for four economically important Mid and South Atlantic managed species (summer flounder, spiny dogfish, Illex squid, and gray triggerfish). Learn more here.

Expansion of the South Atlantic Deepwater Longline (SADL) Survey: The Council is collaborating with the NOAA Fisheries’ Southeast and Northeast Fisheries Science Centers and the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council to expand the SADL survey north to include areas off Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey. The SADL survey currently uses industry fishing vessels to collect information on a variety of deepwater species, such as golden and blueline tilefish, from the Florida Keys to the NC/VA border. The expansion of the survey will allow scientists and managers to monitor potential distribution shifts of deepwater species and collect information on blueline tilefish throughout its range.

Climate/Ecosystem Terms of Reference for Stock Assessments: in 2020, the Northeast Region Coordinating Council implemented a new stock assessment process designed to improve the quality, timing, and planning of Northeast stock assessments. As part of this process, new Terms of Reference were developed that task scientists with identifying relevant ecosystem and climate influences on a particular stock and how those factors may impact the available data, modeling approaches, reference points, stock status, and projections.

Electronic Reporting: NOAA Fisheries recently implemented the Council’s recommendation to require commercial and for-hire fishermen and some private anglers to submit trip reports electronically. The transition from paper to electronic reporting increases the timeliness and accuracy of fishery-dependent data, allowing fishery managers to identify and respond to management issues, including climate-related concerns, more quickly. Learn more at Electronic Reporting.

Strategic Plan: The Council’s Strategic Plan serves as the primary framework for setting long-term goals, planning management activities, and tracking progress. The current strategic plan, for the years 2020-2024, contains several climate-related objectives and strategies, plus additional objectives and strategies that indirectly support the Council’s response to climate change. Learn more at MAFMC Strategic Plan.

Annual Implementation Plans: Each year, the Council develops a detailed Implementation Plan which describes the management activities the Council expects to undertake in the upcoming year within the context of the Council’s five-year strategic plan. This process gives Council members and stakeholders an opportunity to raise new issues and ensures that the Council is continuing to make progress toward long-term goals. Learn more on the Strategic Plan page linked above.

Five-Year Research Priorities: The Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA) requires that each regional Council develop a five-year research priorities document. The Council’s current 5-year research priorities document identifies a number of climate-related research needs. Learn more at 2020-2024 Research Priorities.

Mid-Atlantic Council

• East Coast Climate Change Scenario Planning

• MAFMC Climate Science and Fisheries Workshop (2015)

• East Coast Climate Change and Fisheries Governance Workshop (2014)

NOAA/NOAA Fisheries

• Climate Change in the Northeast U.S. Shelf Ecosystem

• The Northeast Shelf: A Changing Ecosystem

• Northeast Regional Climate Action Plan

• NOAA Fisheries Distribution and Analysis Mapping Portal (DISMAP)

• Current Conditions of the Northeast U.S. Shelf Ecosystem

• Climate Vulnerability Assessments

• Integrated Ecosystem Assessment

• NOAA Climate Program Office

Other

• Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Climate Change Page

• Ocean Adapt - Changes in Marine Species Distributions (Rutgers University)