Starts July 15, 2024 12:00 am
Ends July 16, 2024 12:00 am
Location Delaware Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Control, Lewes Field Office, 901 Pilottown Road, Lewes, Delaware 19958
Information:Email: cstarks@asmfc.org; jboyle@asmfc.org The Commission’s Horseshoe Crab Management Board is convening a stakeholder workshop aimed at generating recommendations for Board consideration regarding horseshoe crab management in the Delaware Bay region. The workshop responds to public concern and differing positions related to use of the Adaptive Resource Management (ARM) Framework, which describes acceptable harvest levels for the Delaware Bay bait fishery based on the abundance of horseshoe crabs and shorebirds. The participants represent a range of perspectives reflecting various stakeholder interests, including horseshoe crab and shorebird/rufa red knot biologists; environmental organizations; commercial harvesters and dealers; biomedical industry representatives; and resource managers (see right for participants). Each stakeholder representative is encouraged to solicit input from other others within their stakeholder group so workshop participants can better understand and consider all perspectives as they work to develop consensus recommendations for Board consideration. The workshop will be facilitated by Dr. Kristina Weaver, who recently moderated a Virginia Institute of Marine Science workshop to develop a plan for the study of Atlantic menhaden in Chesapeake Bay. Dr. Weaver brings expertise in facilitation and mediation to empower communities to create shared solutions for complex social and environmental problems. The public is welcome to attend the workshop. Since the workshop will be a working meeting, there may be a limited opportunity for the public to provide comments at the end of the meeting. The workshop will be conducted from July 15-16 at the Delaware Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Control Lewes Field Office, 901 Pilottown Road, Lewes, Delaware 19958. It is important to note that no management decisions are being formulated or acted upon at the workshop. The meeting is intended to initiate discussions on ecosystem and management objectives, identify common ground among divergent stakeholder views, and develop options for Board discussion and consideration. Description