State-Federal Commercial Landings Sampling Workshop – September 22-23, 2025

The Northeast Region Coordinating Council (NRCC) is organizing a virtual State-Federal Commercial Landings Sampling Workshop on September 22-23, 2025.  Reduced sampling of commercial landings in the Northwest Atlantic has been identified as a significant threat to the integrity of regional stock assessments.  This workshop will include presentations on how sampling requests for NRCC and Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission stock assessments are determined, descriptions of state and federal sampling programs, and data handling and storage of collected data.  The workshop will focus on identifying and sharing best practices and efficiencies to maximize sampling program effectiveness in an environment of limited resources.  Additional details, including an agenda and registration instructions, are located on the workshop webpage.  Questions should be directed to Dr. Russell Brown (508-274-4481; Russell.Brown@noaa.gov).  

Northeast Region Coordinating Council Announces Revisions to Stock Assessment Schedule

As a result of substantial reductions in Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) assessment science staff capacity, the Northeast Region Coordinating Council (NRCC) has worked together to revise and streamline the 2025 stock assessment schedule.

Fewer management track assessments will be conducted than originally planned for 2025. The June Management Track peer review meeting is planned to continue as scheduled with all the originally planned stocks, however, the Atlantic mackerel assessment will be moved to the September Management Track due to a delay in availability of a critical data component (mackerel egg index) for the assessment.

Stock assessments for Acadian redfish, white hake, winter flounder, and yellowtail flounder are planned for the September Management Track, and assessment plans for those assessments will be reviewed at the May 22 Assessment Oversight Panel (AOP) meeting. For other stocks that were previously scheduled for assessment in 2025, the NEFSC will provide updated data indices to inform management advice in lieu of full management track assessments this year. Those stocks are:

  • Atlantic wolffish

  • Monkfish

  • Ocean pout

  • The skate complex (barndoor, clearnose, little, rosette, smooth, thorny, winter)

  • Windowpane flounder 

With respect to research track assessments, the NRCC has agreed to continue work on the longfin inshore squid research track assessment (Spring 2026) to take advantage of the substantial progress already made by the working group. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) will also continue to work on the striped bass (Spring 2027) research track, with consultation from NEFSC.

The NRCC has decided to pause work on the winter flounder (Fall 2026), monkfish (Spring 2027), and projections (Fall 2027) research track working groups. Pausing this work will allow the NRCC to reconsider research track decisions as it works together to plan and adapt the assessment schedule and process for 2026 and beyond.

In addition to these schedule changes, the NRCC will not be holding either the Research Track Steering Committee meeting this spring, nor the Management Track Input session originally scheduled for May 21. We presently lack the needed certainty with the assessment schedule beyond 2025 to proceed with these efforts.

These changes are needed while we conduct longer-term planning. The NRCC will continue to communicate with constituents, partners, and the public as our planning and adaptation efforts continue.

Questions?

Contact: Brian Hooper, NEFSC assessment process lead

NOAA Fisheries and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Announce Efforts to Mitigate Impacts of Offshore Wind Energy Development on NOAA Fisheries’ Surveys

NOAA Fisheries and BOEM have developed a Draft Federal Survey Mitigation Strategy to address anticipated impacts of offshore wind energy development on NOAA Fisheries’ scientific surveys. Two informational webinars will be held on March 29 and 30. Comments can be submitted here through May 6.

New Paper Synthesizes Current Knowledge on the Role of Sand Lances in the Northwest Atlantic ecosystem

A paper published this week in the journal Fish and Fisheries synthesizes current knowledge on the role of sand lances in the Northwest Atlantic ecosystem and describes implications for conservation and management. Sand lances are sometimes referred to as “quintessential forage fish” and are important prey for a variety of fish, seabirds, and marine mammals. Sand lances are among the more than 50 previously unmanaged taxa included in the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s Unmanaged Forage Omnibus Amendment. This amendment implemented the first commercial possession limit for sand lance, and many other previously unmanaged forage species, in Mid-Atlantic federal waters. The paper, linked below, highlights the work of the Mid-Atlantic Council to protect these important species.

October 2019 Council Meeting Report

This summary highlights actions taken and issues considered at the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s October 2019 meeting in Durham, NC.

NEFSC to Hold Cooperative Research Engagement Sessions

The Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s Cooperative Research Branch is holding a series of workshops in August and September to hear from fisheries stakeholders throughout the Mid-Atlantic and New England.

Scientific and Statistical Committee to Meet March 13-14, 2018

The Council’s SSC will meet March 13-14, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. Topics to be discussed include blueline and golden tilefish specifications, NEFSC clam dredge survey redesign, NEFSC State of the Ecosystem Report, and a discussion paper on coefficients of variation for estimates of the overfishing limit. 

NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office Accepting Fisheries Science Proposals Through April 26

The funding opportunity focuses on links between habitat in the Chesapeake Bay and offshore to the health of black sea bass and summer flounder.

2018/2019 Monkfish Research Set Aside Funding Opportunity -- Due Dec. 21, 2017

NMFS, in coordination with the New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, is soliciting Monkfish research proposals to utilize monkfish RSA Days At Sea that has been set-aside by the Councils to fund monkfish research endeavors through the 2018/2019 Monkfish Research Set-Aside Program.