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Sustainably Managing Atlantic Fisheries
As a partnership of coastal states, we work together to protect essential marine species, ensuring vibrant fisheries, thriving communities, and resilient ecosystems, all through science-driven, cooperative management.
Meetings Calendar
Meetings Calendar
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Meeting today
Hilton Garden Inn Outer Banks/Kitty Hawk: 5353 N. Virginia Dare Trail, Kitty Hawk, NC
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Friday, December 12
Webinar
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Monday, December 15
The Madison Hotel, 1177 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
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Monday, December 15
Webinar
Our Programs
POLICY: Promoting Sustainable Fishing Practices for the Atlantic Coast
The goal of fisheries management is to balance sustainable harvests that support the fishing and seafood industries while safeguarding the productivity and health of marine ecosystems. Learn more about our management program, dive into species-specific information, and explore our Action Tracker that offers detailed insights into ongoing challenges, management discussions, and the steps being taken to address them. Discover how ASMFC’s law enforcement program upholds regulations to protect our fisheries.
SCIENCE: Providing Robust and Actionable Science to Inform Management Decisions
Sustainable management of fisheries relies on accurate and timely scientific advice. Find out more about how the Commission conducts rigorous stock assessments to guide sustainable fishing practices. Delve into our work on fish ageing, conserving fish habitat, tagging, resource surveys, and the integration of multispecies and ecosystem approaches.
DATA: Producing Dependable and Timely Marine Fisheries Data
Effective management depends on quality fishery-dependent data to inform stock assessments and fisheries management decisions. Learn how state, regional and federal partners work to ensure accurate catch, effort, and biological data on Atlantic coast recreational, for-hire, and commercial fisheries through the ACCSP.
Access the Action Tracker
Stay informed and engaged with the latest developments in fisheries management. You can explore current issues, ongoing discussions, and the actions being taken to address them.
Latest News & Resources
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Atlantic Herring Area 1A Days Out Meeting on December 15, 2025
Atlantic Herring Management Board members from the states of Maine, New Hampshire and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts will meet via webinar on December 15, 2025 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., to discuss days out…
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Atlantic Striped Bass Addendum III to Amendment 7 – October 2025
Addendum III, as approved by the Board in October 2025, establishes a definition of total length for measuring a striped bass, changes the point of tagging to the first point of landing for the commercial…
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Spiny Dogfish Plan Review Team Meeting Agenda — December 2025
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Atlantic Striped Bass Commercial Tagging Ten-Year Review Report – 2025
The Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board tasked the Plan Review Team (PRT) with reviewing the striped bass commercial tagging program since it has been over a decade since the program was implemented. Requirements for striped…
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Atlantic Coast Fisheries Infographic
Graphic on the economic impact of Atlantic coast fisheries
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Northern Shrimp Section and Advisory Panel Meeting Materials — December 2025
Draft agendas; Technical Committee Memo: Northern Shrimp Technical Committee Memo: 2025 Data Update and Management Trigger Evaluation; 2025 Pilot Winter Sampling Program Report
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Directed Atlantic Herring Area 1A Fishery Closure Effective 6 PM, November 24, 2025— November 2025
This memorandum announces closure dates for the Western Maine and Massachusetts/New Hampshire spawning areas; and days out measures for the 2025 Area 1A (inshore Gulf of Maine) Atlantic herring fishery for Season 2 (October 1 – December 31).
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Status Of The Stocks Overview
Quick Guide to ASMFC Species Stock Status (Current as of August 2025)
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Report of the Quality Assurance/Quality Control Fish Ageing Workshop — 2025
The objectives of the 2025 workshop were to: (1) Age samples collected and prepared from labs along the Atlantic coast for Atlantic menhaden, black sea bass, red drum, scup, striped bass, tautog, and winter flounder; (2) Identify areas of inconsistency that persist for processing or reading ageing structures; (3) Provide information on ageing error for…
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Atlantic Menhaden Ageing Exchange Report — 2025
The goals of the Atlantic menhaden ageing structure exchange are to: (1) Establish methods to prepare and read otoliths and/or scales; (2) Determine the precision and bias of age reading data between different readers and labs or agencies along the coast; (3) Make recommendations to improve and standardize ageing practices; and (4) Move bait sample…
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Atlantic Herring Area 1A Fishery Season 2 Days Out Measures — November 2025
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Atlantic Herring Management Board members from Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts met November 19 via webinar to set effort control measures for the 2025 Area 1A fishery for Season 2 (October 1 – December 31) following an increase in available quota for Area 1A. The 2025 Area 1A sub-annual…
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ASMFC Schedules Educational Webinars for Delaware Bay Horseshoe Crab Management Stakeholder Process
The Commission’s Horseshoe Crab Management Board is convening a stakeholder engagement process to inform revisions to the Delaware Bay Horseshoe Crab Adaptive Resource Management (ARM) Framework, including a series of three educational webinars and an in-person stakeholder workshop. The process will be facilitated by Compass Resource Management with the goal of identifying stakeholder values and…
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Dive into the latest updates and catch all the important news by joining our newsletter mailing list. Stay in the loop with meeting agendas, fisheries management news, and more.