Council Action Development Process

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) develops and recommends fishery management actions for federal waters (generally 3–200 nautical miles from shore) in the Mid-Atlantic region. Each fishery managed by the Council has a fishery management plan (FMP) outlining the characteristics of the fishery and how it is managed. There are three main types of Council actions:

  1. FMP Amendments are used to make substantial changes to an FMP

  2. Framework Adjustments are used to make minor changes and modifications to existing measures

  3. Specifications establish catch limits and related measures for managed stocks on an annual or multi-year basis

While the timing and details may vary by action and fishery, most management actions follow a similar sequence of problem identification, analysis, public input, Council decision-making, and review by NOAA Fisheries.

FMP Amendments

FMP Amendments are used for substantial or long-term changes to management programs. Because of their scope, amendments typically require extensive analysis and multiple opportunities for public input. The amendment development process can take several years to complete. The Council usually holds two rounds of public hearings to gather public input on an amendment  – scoping hearings are held early in the amendment development process, and public hearings are held after the range of alternatives has been identified. This document describes the timing and steps involved in developing a new FMP or major amendment.

Framework Adjustments

Framework adjustments allow the Council to modify certain management measures more efficiently than through an amendment. Each of the Council’s FMPs specifies the range of management options that may be added or modified via frameworks. While amendments may take several years to complete and address a variety of issues, frameworks can be completed in as little as 6‐12 months and may address one or a few issues in a fishery. This document provides additional details on the framework development process.

Fishery Specifications

Annual (or multi-year) harvest specifications establish catch limits and related measures for managed stocks, including overfishing limits (OFLs), acceptable biological catch (ABCs), annual catch limits (ACLs), commercial quotas, recreational harvest limits, and associated management measures, as needed. Specifications are developed on a regular cycle and rely heavily on stock assessments and SSC recommendations.