The Westin Alexandria

400 Courthouse Square
Alexandria, Virginia 22314

703.253.8600

Final Agenda

The agenda is subject to change. The agenda reflects the current estimate of time required for scheduled Board meetings. The Commission may adjust this agenda in accordance with the actual duration of Board meetings. Interested parties should anticipate Boards starting earlier or later than indicated herein.

Live-Streaming

Board/Section meeting proceedings will be broadcast daily via webinar beginning at 9:00 a.m. on May 2^nd and continuing daily until the conclusion of the meeting (expected to be 2:30 p.m.) on May 5^th. The webinar will allow registrants to listen to board/deliberations and view presentations and motions as they occur. No comments or questions will be accepted via the webinar. Should technical difficulties arise while streaming the broadcast, the boards/sections will continue their deliberations without interruption. We will attempt to resume the broadcast as soon as possible. Please go to https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8950745204164174338 to register.

For ease of access, all Board and Section meeting materials and supplemental materials have been combined into 2 PDFs - CombinedFiles and SupplementalCombined. The CombinedFiles document does not include the Law Enforcement Committee, ACCSP Coordinating Council and ACCSP Executive Committee, as well as the Benchmark Stock Assessment and Peer Review Report for Red Drum, which can be found under the South Atlantic Board links.

Public Comment Guidelines

With the intent of developing policies in the Commission’s procedures for public participation that result in a fair opportunity for public input, the ISFMP Policy Board has approved the following guidelines for use at management board meetings:

For issues that are not on the agenda, management boards will continue to provide opportunity to the public to bring matters of concern to the board’s attention at the start of each board meeting. Board chairs will use a speaker sign-up list in deciding how to allocate the available time on the agenda (typically 10 minutes) to the number of people who want to speak.

For topics that are on the agenda, but have not gone out for public comment, board chairs will provide limited opportunity for comment, taking into account the time allotted on the agenda for the topic. Chairs will have flexibility in deciding how to allocate comment opportunities; this could include hearing one comment in favor and one in opposition until the chair is satisfied further comment will not provide additional insight to the board.

For agenda action items that have already gone out for public comment, it is the Policy Board’s intent to end the occasional practice of allowing extensive and lengthy public comments. Currently, board chairs have the discretion to decide what public comment to allow in these circumstances.

In addition, the following timeline has been established for the submission of written comment for issues for which the Commission has NOT established a specific public comment period (i.e., in response to proposed management action). 

1.   Comments received 3 weeks prior to the start of a meeting week will be included with the main meeting materials.

2.   Comments received by 5:00 PM on the Tuesday immediately preceding the scheduled ASMFC Meeting (in this case, the Tuesday deadline will be April 26, 2016) will be distributed electronically to Commissioners/Board members prior to the meeting and a limited number of copies will be provided at the meeting.

3.   Following the Tuesday, April 26, 2016 5:00 PM deadline, the commenter will be responsible for distributing the information to the management board prior to the board meeting or providing enough copies for the management board consideration at the meeting (a minimum of 50 copies).

The submitted comments must clearly indicate the commenter’s expectation from the ASMFC staff regarding distribution.  As with other public comment, it will be accepted via mail, fax, and email.

General Background Materials

Final Agenda

May 2

American Lobster Management Board Supplemental  Presentations Audio1  Audio2

• Welcome/Call to Order (D. Borden)    
• Board Consent
  • Approval of Agenda
  • Approval of Proceedings from February 2016
• Public Comment
• Discuss Next Steps for Management of the Southern New England American Lobster Stock Possible Action
  • Technical Committee Report (B. Glenn)
  • Plan Development Team Report (M. Ware)
  • Consider Tabled Motion to Initiate an Addendum to Address the Declining Stock Conditions
  • Motion to begin a new addendum to address the declining lobster stock conditions in Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic (SNE/MA). The Plan Development Team with input from the Lobster Conservation Management Teams is instructed to explore the following alternatives:
    • Analyzing the plans rebuilding targets and thresholds to account for current environmental conditions;
    • Work to stabilize and increase spawning stock biomass through changes in management measures
    • Improve permitting and accountability of SNE/MA lobster fisheries by requesting the National Marine Fisheries Service consider permit endorsement for Area 3 vessels fishing in SNE (west of 70 longitude);
    • Improve current management and compliance with lowered trap limits of nearshore trap fisheries by proposing a uniform closed season and new trap tag deadlines;
    • Accelerate trap allocation cuts that are already codified for the next 5 years in Areas 2 and 3; and
    • Recognize the SNE/MA trap fishery as a bona fide mixed crustacean fishery and develop strategies and policies that recognizes the multispecies nature of the catch.
• Discuss Next Steps for Management of Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank American Lobster Stock (P. Keliher) Possible Action
• Draft Addendum I to the Jonah Crab FMP for Final Approval Final Action
  • Review Options (M. Ware)
  • Public Comment Summary (M. Ware)
  • Advisory Panel Report (E. Gwin)
  • Law Enforcement Committee Report (M. Robson)
  • Consider Final Approval of Addendum I
• Discuss Need to Create a Coastwide Standard for Claw Landings in the Jonah Crab Fishery Possible Action
  • NOAA Letter on Current Claw Exemption (A. Murphy)
• Update on New England Fishery Management Council Deep Sea Coral Habitat Amendment and ASMFC Survey to Area 3 Fishermen (M. Ware) Possible Action
• Discuss Offshore Monuments Proposal and Board Response (D. Grout) Possible Action
• Other Business/Adjourn

Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program (ACCSP) Executive Committee (A portion of this meeting will be a closed session for Committee members only)

• Welcome/Introductions (Coordinating Council Chair R. Boyles, Jr.)
• Public Comment* (R. Boyles, Jr.)
• Committee Consent (R. Boyles, Jr.) Action
  • Approval of Agenda
  • Approval of Proceedings from April 2016
• ACCSP Program Status Updates (M. Cahall)
  • Program Status
  • Committee Updates
    • APAIS Update
• Standard Operating Procedures Approval Action
  • PM – 02-06 ACCSP’s Value to Congressional Delegations
  • PM – 13 Collaboration ASMFC
• Independent Program Review Update
  • Governance Discussion (if needed)
• Other Business
• Executive Session (Closed)
• Adjourn

*See Public Comment Guidelines: http://www.accsp.org/documents/ACCSP_PublicCommentPolicyOct2013

ACCSP Coordinating Council

• Welcome/Introductions (R. Boyles, Jr.)
• Public Comment* (R. Boyles, Jr.)
• Council Consent (R. Boyles, Jr.) Action
  • Approval of Agenda
  • Approval of Proceedings from February 2016
• ACCSP Status Report
  • Program Update (M. Cahall)
  • Committee Updates (P. Campfield)
• Governance Program Decision (C. Patterson) Action
  • Executive Committee Recommendation
• Consider Acceptance of Independent Program Review Package (R. Boyles, Jr.) Action
  • Standard Operating Procedures
  • Governance Decision
  • Outreach Strategic Plan
  • Long-term Funding Strategy
• Review and Consider Approval of 2016 Request for Proposals Action
• Other Business
• Adjourn

May 3

Executive Committee Supplemental (A portion of this meeting will be a closed session for Commissioners and Committee members only)

• Welcome/Call to Order (D. Grout)
• Committee Consent
  • Approval of Agenda
  • Approval of Meeting Summary from February 2016
• Public Comment
• Report of the Administrative Oversight Committee (J. Gilmore) Action
  • Presentation of the FY17 Budget
• Discuss State Assessments
  • Level Funded in 2016
  • Confidential vs. Non-confidential Data
• Discuss Black Sea Bass Management in Maine
• Discuss Priorities for Saltonstall/Kennedy Research
• Discuss Plan Development Team Membership
• Discuss Conservation Equivalency
• Discuss Offshore Monuments Proposal and Potential Commission Response
• Future Annual Meetings Update (L. Leach)
  • October 23-27, 2016 Bar Harbor, Maine
  • 2017-Virginia
  • 2018-New York
  • 2019-New Hampshire
• Closed Session
  • Discuss ACCSP Governance
  • Executive Director Performance Review
• Other Business/Adjourn

Horseshoe Crab Management Board Supplemental  Presentations  Audio

• Welcome/Call to Order (J. Gilmore)
• Board Consent
  • Approval of Agenda
  • Approval of Proceedings from February 2016
• Public Comment
• Update on Adaptive Resource Management Framework Review (J. Lyons)
• Discuss Biomedical Data Confidentiality and Stock Assessment Planning (K. Anstead)
• Review of Alternative Bait Cost Comparison (K. Rootes-Murdy)
• Other Business/Adjourn

Shad and River Herring Management Board Presentations  Audio

• Welcome/Call to Order (B. Goldsborough)
• Board Consent
  • Approval of Agenda
  • Approval of Proceedings from May 2015
• Public Comment
• Timetable for American Shad and River Herring Stock Assessments (J. Kipp) Action
• Report from the Data Standardization Collection Workshop (K. Rootes-Murdy)
• Update on Activities of the River Herring Technical Expert Work Group (K. Rootes-Murdy)
• Consider Approval of 2015 Shad and River Herring FMP Review and State Compliance (K. Rootes-Murdy) Action
• Elect Vice-Chair Action
• Other Business/Adjourn

• Call to Order/Roll Call of the LEC Representatives (M. Eastman)
• Approval of Agenda and Minutes from November 2015
• Public Comment
• Review Jonah Crab Addendum I LEC Comments and Follow-Up
• Presentation of Maine’s Lobster Trap Tag Transferability Program
• American Lobster Enforcement Subcommittee Update
• Discuss Other ISFMP Species (tentative)
• Review and Discuss Ongoing Enforcement Activities (Closed Session)
• Joint Enforcement Agreement Update/Federal Agency Reports
• Review and Update of Dual Landings Allowances
• Review and Discuss 2016 Action Plan Tasks for the LEC
• Report of Other Enforcement Committees and LEC Coordination
• Other Business/Recess

Climate Change Workshop US Climate Resilience Toolkit Northeast Fish and Shellfish Climate Vulnerability Assessment  Presentations  Audio

• Review and Discuss Northeast Fish and Shellfish Climate Vulnerability Assessment (J. Hare)
• Review and Discuss NOAA Climate Science Action Plans
• Northeast Climate Science Action Plan (J. Hare)
• Southeast (Atlantic) Climate Science Action Plan (H. Lovett)
• Begin Discussion of Next Steps for Commission Action in Response to the Climate

American Eel Management Board  Supplemental   Presentations  Audio

• Welcome/Call to Order (J. Clark)
• Board Consent
  • Approval of Agenda
  • Approval of Proceedings from February 2016
• Public Comment
• Discuss Timing of 2017 Stock Assessment for American Eel (M. Waine)
• Discussion to Consider Changes to Addendum IV Yellow Eel Allocations (J. Gilmore) Possible Action
• Progress Report on North Carolina’s Approved Glass Eel Aquaculture Plan (M. Duval)
• Other Business/Adjourn

May 4

8 – 10 a.m.

Atlantic Menhaden Management Board  Supplemental  Presentations  Audio

• Welcome/Call to Order (R. Ballou)
• Board Consent
  • Approval of Agenda
  • Approval of Proceedings from February 2016
• Public Comment
• Consider Extension and Revision to Episodic Event Set Aside Program (R. Ballou) Final Action
• Consider Draft Addendum I for Public Comment (M. Waine) Action
• Provide Guidance to the Technical Committee Regarding Stock Projections (R. Ballou)
  • Review Stock Projection Methodology (J. McNamee)
• Biological Ecological Reference Points (BERP) Working Group Progress Report (S. Madsen)
• Consider Approval of 2016 FMP Review and State Compliance (M. Waine) Action
• Elect Vice-Chair Action
• Other Business/Adjourn

Law Enforcement Committee (continued)

• Social (Open to Commissioners and Staff)
• Aerial Enforcement Issues and Subcommittee Formation
• State Agency Reports
• Review and Update of Safe Harbor Issues
• Tautog Tagging Program Update and Subcommittee Review
• Review Other ISFMP Species (as needed)
• LEC Webpage Review and Discussion
• Information Exchange on Enforcement Grants and Funding Opportunities
• New Business
• Adjourn

Interstate Fisheries Management Program (ISFMP) Policy Board
Supplemental  Presentations  Audio

• Welcome/Call to Order (D. Grout)
• Board Consent
  • Approval of Agenda
  • Approval of Proceedings from February 2016
• Public Comment
• Executive Committee Report (D. Grout)
• Discuss Request from South Atlantic Fishery Management Council to Consider a Cobia Interstate Fishery Management Plan (G. Waugh) Possible Action
• Discuss Recommended Changes to the Conservation Equivalency Guidance Document (T. Kerns)
• Joint Management and Science and Assessment Science Committee Reports (S. Madsen) Action
  • Review and Approve the Stock Assessment Schedule
• Discuss Next Steps for Commission Action in Response to the Climate Change Workshop (D. Grout)
• Update on the Sturgeon Stock Assessment (K. Drew)
• Law Enforcement Committee Report (M. Robson)
• Other Business/Adjourn

Business Session  Presentations  Audio

• Welcome/Introductions (D. Grout)
• Board Consent
  • Approval of Agenda
  • Approval of Proceedings from February 2016
• Public Comment
• ACCSP Governance Action
• Review Non-compliance Findings (if necessary)
• Other Business/Adjourn

CANCELLED: Northern Shrimp Section   Supplemental

This meeting has been cancelled and will be rescheduled for later this month in the New England area.

• Welcome/Call to Order (D. Grout)
• Board Consent
  • Approval of Agenda
• Public Comment
• Review Summary of Maine’s Industry Meetings Held in March (T. Stockwell)
• Resume Development of Draft Amendment 3 for Public Comment (D. Abbott)
• Other Business/Adjourn         

Commissioner Parliamentary Workshop

May 5

Weakfish Management Board  Presentations  Audio

• Welcome/Call to Order (R. Allen)
• Board Consent                     
  • Approval of Agenda
  • Approval of Proceedings from November 2015
• Public Comment                                                                                        
• 2016 Weakfish Benchmark Stock Assessment Action
  • Presentation of Stock Assessment Report (J. Brust)
  • Presentation of Peer Review Panel Report (P. Campfield)
  • Consider Acceptance of Benchmark Stock Assessment and Peer Review Report for Management Use         
• Discuss Next Steps for Management of Weakfish (R. Allen) Possible Action
• Other Business/Adjourn

ACCSP For-Hire Inventory Workshop (Lunch to be served)

• Welcome/Introductions (G. White)      
• Review Results of Updated Atlantic and Gulf Coast Inventory of For-Hire Data Collection Programs (E. Wyatt)
• Set Up Focus Questions (A. Loftus)
  • Discuss Survey Results and Means to Identify and Reduce Duplicate Reporting
• Focus Questions
  • Identify Preferred Timeliness of Reporting For-Hire Data Collection Programs
  • Identify Core Common data Elements Necessary for For-Hire Reporting
  • Discuss the Capabilities of Existing Programs Moving to Electronic Reporting
  • Identify Opportunities for Reducing Duplicate Reporting for State and Federal
•  Permitted Vessels, all Charter Boats and Head Boats
  • Develop Recommended Measures to Modify Existing Reporting Mechanisms to Develop   Greater Convergence Between For-Hire Reporting on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts
• Status of Related Projects
  • South Carolina For-Hire Logbook Validation Methodology (B. Floyd)
  • SAFMC and MAFMC Mandatory For-Hire Reporting (G. Waugh; J. Didden)
• Adjourn

Coastal Sharks Management Board  Presentations  Audio

• Welcome/Call to Order (A. Nowalsky)
• Board Consent
  • Approval of Agenda
  • Approval of Proceedings from February 2016
• Public Comment
• Review and Consider Approval of Addendum IV for Public Comment (A. Harp) Action
• Other Business/Adjourn

South Atlantic State/Federal Fisheries Management Board
Supplemental  Presentations  Audio

• Welcome/Call to Order (J. Estes)
• Board Consent
  • Approval of Agenda
  • Approval of Proceedings from February 2016
• Public Comment
• 2016 Red Drum Benchmark Stock Assessment Action
  • Presentation of Stock Assessment Report (J. Kipp; M. Murphy)
  • Presentation of Peer Review Panel Report (J. Brust)
  • Consider Acceptance of Benchmark Stock Assessment and Peer Review Report for Management Use
• Discuss Next Steps for Management of Red Drum (J. Estes) Possible Action
• Progress Report on the Spot and Atlantic Croaker Benchmark Stock Assessments (J. Kipp)
• Review North Carolina Report on Spanish Mackerel Commercial Pound Net Landings as Required by the FMP (C. Batsavage)
• Elect Vice-Chair Action
• Other Business/Adjourn