The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council met August 11-13, 2026 in Philadelphia, PA. This document summarizes key actions taken and issues considered during the meeting. Presentations, briefing materials, motions, and webinar recordings are available on the Council’s August 2026 meeting page.
During this meeting, the Council:
Adopted 2027-2028 specifications for Atlantic surfclam and ocean quahog
Reviewed and recommended no changes to previously adopted 2027 specifications and commercial measures for summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass
Reviewed and recommended no changes to previously adopted 2027 specifications and recreational measures for bluefish
Approved modifications to the commercial scup Winter I trip limit requirements and landings-based accountability measures through the Commercial Scup Winter I Framework
Adopted 2027-2029 specifications for butterfish
Reviewed and recommended no changes to previously adopted 2027 specifications for chub mackerel
Reviewed input from listening sessions on potential monkfish/skate fishery improvements
Received informational presentations on the Marine Resource Education Program and federal fishery-independent surveys conducted by the Northeast Fisheries Science Center
Re-elected Joe Cimino as Council Chair and Skip Feller as Council Vice Chair
Check out the full summary linked below for complete details.