Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE), in cooperation with the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, will hold a workshop to collect industry input on the current scup Gear Restricted Areas (GRAs). The Council and CCE are particularly seeking input from small mesh trawl fishermen. However, anyone with an interest in the scup GRAs is invited to attend.
When: Tuesday, March 31, 2026, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Where: The workshop will be held at three in-person locations with a webinar option available:
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County Office – 423 Griffing Ave., Riverhead, NY 11901
Superior Trawl – 55 State St., Narragansett, RI 02882
Lund’s Fisheries – 997 Ocean Drive, Cape May, NJ 08204
Webinar (Zoom) – Additional details coming soon.
Registration: Additional details coming soon.
Workshop Purpose: The workshop will be facilitated by CCE as part of a Council-funded project titled “Utilizing Collaborative Strategies to Assess and Adapt Scup GRAs in Response to Climate Change.” First implemented in 2000 and 2001, the Council’s two scup GRAs are intended to reduce juvenile scup discards in small mesh fisheries during certain times of the year. Recent data suggest there has been a shift in where and when scup discards occur, and it is anticipated that changes may continue with changing ocean conditions and species distributions. During this workshop, preliminary results of mapping and modeling analyses will be presented and industry input will be gathered to evaluate potential changes to the GRAs.
Additional Information: Visit the Cornell Cooperative Extension page to learn more.