Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission

ASMFC Summer Meeting - August 6 - 8, 2019

The Westin Crystal City

1800 S. Eads Street
Arlington, VA 22202

703.486.1111

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.

For ease of access, all Board meeting documents have been combined into two documents -- Main Meeting Materials and Supplemental Materials. Not included in either combined documents are materials for the Executive Committee and the Committee on Economics and Social Sciences.  Links to individual board/committee materials can be found below.

Live-Streaming

Board meeting proceedings will be broadcast daily via webinar beginning at 10:15 a.m. on Tuesday, August 6th and continuing daily until the conclusion of the meeting (expected to be 5:00 p.m.) on Thursday, August 8th. 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. To register, please go to https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3215930074468838914

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 in the briefing 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 July 30, 2019) 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, July 30, 2019 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

Tuesday, August 6
8 - 10 AM

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

  • Welcome/Call to Order (J. Gilmore)
  • Committee Consent
    • Approval of Agenda
    • Approval of Meeting Summary from May 2019
  • Public Comment
  • Consider Policy Addressing Non-Payment of State Assessments (R. Beal) Action
  • Consider Proposed Revision to the Annual Report (R. Beal) Action
  • Decision on Transitioning the For-hire Telephone Survey to State/ACCSP Conduct (R. Beal)
  • Discuss Commission Involvement in Biosecurity and Bait Sources (R. Beal)
  • Other Business/Adjourn
10:15 AM - Noon

South Atlantic State/Federal Fisheries Management Board Supplemental  Presentations  Audio

  • Welcome/Call to Order (P. Geer)
  • Board Consent
    • Approval of Agenda
    • Approval of Proceedings from May 2019
  • Public Comment
  • Amendment 1 to the Cobia Fishery Management Plan for Final Approval (M. Schmidtke) Final Action
    • Review Options and Public Comment Summary
    • Review Committee Reports
    • Consider Final Approval of Amendment 1
  • Review 2018 Traffic Light Analyses for Atlantic Croaker and Spot (C. McDonough)
  • Consider Approval of 2019 Fishery Management Plan Reviews and State Compliance for Atlantic Cobia and Atlantic Croaker (M. Schmidtke) Action
  • Other Business/Adjourn
Noon - 1:15 PM Legislators and Governors' Appointees Luncheon
1:30 - 2:30 PM

American Eel Management Board  Supplemental  Presentations  Audio

  • Welcome/Call to Order (M. Gary)
  • Board Consent
    • Approval of Agenda
    • Approval of Proceedings from October 2018
  • Public Comment
  • Update on Board Working Group Recommendations on Addressing Coastwide Cap Overages (K. Rootes-Murdy)
  • Review and Consider Approval of 2020 Aquaculture Proposals (K. Rootes-Murdy) Action
  • Other Business/Adjourn
2:45 - 3:30 PM

Horseshoe Crab Management Board  Supplemental  Presentations  Audio

  • Welcome/Call to Order (M. Rhodes)
  • Board Consent
    • Approval of Agenda
    • Approval of Proceedings from May 2019
  • Public Comment
  • Consider Management Response to the 2019 Horseshoe Crab Benchmark Stock Assessment (M. Rhodes) Possible Action
  • Other Business/Adjourn
3:45 - 5:15 PM

Atlantic Menhaden Management Board  Presentations  Audio

  • Welcome/Call to Order (N. Meserve)
  • Board Consent
    • Approval of Agenda
    • Approval of Proceedings from February 2019
  • Public Comment
  • Progress Update on 2019 Menhaden Single-Species and Ecological Reference Point Benchmark Stock Assessments (K. Anstead, K. Drew)
  • Consider Approval of 2019 Fishery Management Plan Review and State Compliance (M. Appelman) Action
  • Set 2020 Atlantic Menhaden Specifications (N. Meserve) Final Action
  • Other Business/Adjourn

Wednesday, August 7
8:30 - 10:30 AM

Interstate Fisheries Management Program Policy Board  Presentations  Audio

  • Welcome/Call to Order (J. Gilmore)
  • Board Consent
    • Approval of Agenda
    • Approval of Proceedings from May 2019
  • Public Comment
  • Update from Executive Committee and State Director’s Meeting (J. Gilmore)
  • Review 2019 Annual Performance of the Stocks (T. Kerns)
  • Review and Consider Changes to Commission Guiding Documents (T. Kerns)
    • ISFMP Charter Final Action
    • Technical Support Group Guidance and Benchmark Stock Assessment Process Final Action
    • Working Group Standard Operating Procedures and Policies Possible Action
  • Update on American Lobster Enforcement Vessel (R. Beal)
  • Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership Committee Report (L. Havel)
  • Progress Update on the Shad Benchmark Stock Assessment (J. Kipp)
  • Review Noncompliance Findings (If Necessary) Action
  • Other Business/Adjourn
9 AM - 4 PM

Committee on Economics and Social Sciences

  • Welcome/Introductions (S. Ebbin)
  • Approval of Agenda
  • Updates from CESS Species Representatives (S. Ebbin)
  • Discussion of Draft Risk and Uncertainty Policy (S. Murray)
  • Overview of ASMFC Processes (S. Murray)
  • Discussion of ASMFC Socioeconomic Information Needs (S. Ebbin, S. Murray)
  • Recess to Observe Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Board Meeting
  • Discussion of Committee’s Current and Future Role in ASMFC Processes (S. Ebbin)
  • Other Business
  • Public Comment
  • Adjourn
10:30 - 10:45 AM

Business Session  Audio

  • Welcome/Call to Order (J. Gilmore)
  • Committee Consent
    • Approval of Agenda
    • Approval of Proceedings from May 2019
  • Public Comment
  • Consider Approval of Atlantic Cobia Amendment 1 Final Action
  • Consider Noncompliance Recommendations (if necessary) Final Action
  • Other Business/Adjourn
11:00 AM - Noon

Spiny Dogfish Management Board   Presentations  Audio

  • Welcome/Call to Order (R. O’Reilly)
  • Board Consent
    • Approval of Agenda
    • Approval of Proceedings from October 2018
  • Public Comment
  • Consider Draft Addendum VI for Public Comment (K. Rootes-Murdy) Action
  • Other Business/Adjourn
1 - 3:45 PM

Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Management Board  Supplemental  Presentations  Audio

  • Welcome/Call to Order (R. Ballou)
  • Board Consent
    • Approval of Agenda
    • Approval of Proceedings from May 2019
  • Public Comment
  • Review Potential Black Sea Bass Commercial Management Strategies and Consider Initiating Management Action to Address Commercial Allocation (C. Starks) Possible Action
  • Update on the Summer Flounder Management Strategy Evaluation: A Recreational Fishery Project (J. McNamee)
  • Report from the Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership/Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council Project: Characterizing Black Sea Bass Habitat in the Mid-Atlantic Bight (B. Stevens)
  • Discussion on Discard Mortality (C. Starks)
  • Progress Update on the Recreational Management Reform Working Group (C. Starks)
  • Other Business/Adjourn
4 - 5 PM

Tautog Management Board  Supplemental (revised 8/2/19)  Presentations  Audio

  • Welcome/Call to Order (D. McKiernan)
  • Board Consent
    • Approval of Agenda
    • Approval of Proceedings from October 2018
  • Public Comment
  • Review Implementation Guidelines for the Commercial Harvest Tagging Program (C. Starks) Possible Action
  • Consider Approval of 2019 Fishery Management Plan Review and State Compliance (K. Rootes-Murdy) Action
  • Elect Vice-Chair Action
  • Other Business/Adjourn

Thursday, August 8
8:30 - 11:30 AM

Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board  Supplemental  Presentations   Audio

  • Welcome/Call to Order (M. Armstrong)
  • Board Consent
    • Approval of Agenda
    • Approval of Proceedings from April 2019
  • Consider Draft Addendum VI for Public Comment (M. Appelman) Action
  • Consider Postponed Motions from April 2019 (M. Armstrong) Action
    Main Motion: Move to initiate an Amendment to the Atlantic Striped Bass Fishery Management Plan to address the needed consideration for change on the issues of fishery goals and objectives, empirical/biological/spatial reference points, management triggers, rebuilding biomass, and area-specific management. Work on this Amendment will begin upon the completion of the previously discussed Addendum to the Management Plan.

    Motion to Amend: Move to amend to add reallocation of commercial quota between states.
  • Consider Approval of 2019 Fishery Management Plan Review and State Compliance (M. Appelman) Action
  • Other Business/Adjourn
12:30 - 5 PM

Wind Power Workshop for New England & Mid-Atlantic Commissioners and NOAA Fisheries  Presentations  Audio

(This Workshop is focused on wind energy activities in New England and the Mid-Atlantic, however, all Commisisoners are welcome to partcipate.)

  • Welcome/Introductions (J. Gilmore/M. Pentony)
  • Public Comment
  • Fisheries and Wind Powere Co-existence: Overview of Issues, Challenges, and Opportunities (A. Lipsky)
  • Presentation on NOAA Fisheries Role in Offshore Wind Activities (M. Pentony)
  • Questions and Discussion on Projects and Federal Role
  • Presentations on State Level Policy and Research Activities Associated with Offshore Wind Development
    • Massachusetts
    • Rhode Island
    • Connecticut
    • New York
    • New Jersey
  • Fishing Industry Engagement in Research and Development (A. Hawkins)
    • Responsible Offshore Development Alliance
    • Responsible Offshore Science Alliance
  • Discussion on Coordination of State and Federal Activities
    • Would Increased State Coordination Improve Engagement in Wind Power Development?
    • What is the Best Approach to Ensure State Coordination?
    • What is the Best Approach to Ensure State/Federal/Regional Council Coordination?
    • Is There a Role for ASMFC in State Coordination or State/Federal Coordination?
  • Other Business/Adjourn