The public is invited to attend the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's June 2017 meeting to be held June 6-8, 2017 in Norfolk, Virginia. The meeting will be held at the Hilton Norfolk The Main, 100 East Main St., Norfolk, VA 23510, Telephone 757-763-6200.
Meeting Materials: Briefing documents will be posted at http://ww.mafmc.org/briefing/june-2017 as they become available.
Public Comments: Written comments must be received by Wednesday, May 24, 2017 to be included in the Council meeting briefing book. Comments received after this deadline but before close of business on Thursday, June 1, 2017 will be posted as “supplemental materials” on the Council meeting web page. After that date, all comments must be submitted using an online comment form available at available at http://www.mafmc.org/public-comment. Comments submitted via the online form will be automatically posted to the website and available for Council consideration.
Webinar: For online access to the meeting, enter as a guest at: http://mafmc.adobeconnect.com/june2017.
Agenda
Tuesday, June 6th
9:00 a.m. Council Convenes
9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. SARC Presentation – Surfclam/Ocean Quahog Assessments, Jim Weinberg - NEFSC
9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Surfclam/Ocean Quahog Specifications
- Develop recommendations for 2018- 2020 specifications
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Surfclam/Ocean Quahog Excessive Shares Amendment
- Approve scoping document
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Lunch
1:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Lobster Standardized Bycatch Reporting Methodology Framework, GARFO Staff
- Discuss alternatives
1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Risk Policy Framework – First Meeting
- Review and approve options for potential revision to current MAFMC Risk Policy and ABC Control Rules
2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Climate Velocity Over the 21st Century and Its Implications for Fisheries Management in the Northeast U.S., James Morley – Rutgers
- Review climate-velocity-driven species distribution projections for 2020 through 2100.
- Identify potential propriety species for adaptation of fisheries management to climate change
3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Cooperative Research in the Mid-Atlantic
- Review of NEFSC Cooperative Research and response to MAFMC request, Jon Hare - NEFSC
- Mid-Atlantic Council approach to collaborative research
Wednesday, June 7th
9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Mackerel, Squid, Butterfish Committee, Meeting as a Committee of the Whole - Specifications
- Review fishery performance and make recommendations for 2018-2020 specifications, including butterfish cap
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Shad/River Herring (RH/S) Committee, Meeting as a Committee of the Whole
- Review RH/S cap operation and RH/S progress update
- Make recommendations for RH/S cap amount modification if necessary
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Lunch
- 1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Mackerel, Squid, Butterfish Committee, Meeting as a Committee of the Whole – Squid Amendment
- Review alternatives, public comments, and staff recommendations
- Select preferred alternatives and adopt amendment
3:30 p.m. Council Convenes
3:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Law Enforcement Reports
- NOAA Office of Law Enforcement
- U.S. Coast Guard
4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Data Modernization in the Northeast Region, Barry Clifford – NMFS and Mike Cahall - ACCSP
5:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Habitat Update
- EFH review progress
- Mid-Atlantic fish habitat assessment project
Thursday, June 8th
9:00 a.m. Council Convenes
9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Business Session
- Committee Reports
- SSC Committee
- Ecosystem and Ocean Planning Committee
- Executive Director’s Report, Chris Moore
- Review and approve SOPP revision regarding paid parental leave
- Science Report, Rich Seagraves
- Organization Reports
- NMFS Greater Atlantic Regional Office
- NMFS Northeast Fisheries Science Center
- NOAA Office of General Counsel
- Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
- Liaison Reports
- New England Council
- South Atlantic Council
- Regional Planning Body
- Continuing and New Business
The above agenda items may not be taken in the order in which they appear and are subject to change as necessary. Other items may be added, but the Council cannot take action on such items even if the item requires emergency action without additional public notice. Non-emergency matters not contained in this agenda may come before the Council and / or its Committees for discussion, but these matters may not be the subject of formal Council or Committee action during this meeting. Council and Committee actions will be restricted to the issues specifically listed in this agenda. Any issues requiring emergency action under section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act that arise after publication of the Federal Register Notice for this meeting may be acted upon provided that the public has been notified of the Council’s intent to take final action to address the emergency. The meeting may be closed to discuss employment or other internal administrative matters.