Arlington, VA – The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission unanimously approved its 2019 – 2023 Strategic Plan at its 2019 Spring Meeting. The Strategic Plan revises the Commission’s long-term vision to “Sustainable and Cooperative Management of Atlantic Coastal Fisheries” and establishes eight major goals and related objectives to pursue this vision. The Strategic Plan will guide the Commission’s activities over the next five years and will be implemented through annual action plans.
“The states recognize circumstances today make the work of the Commission more important than ever before. The Strategic Plan articulates the mission, vision, goals, and objectives needed to accomplish the Commission’s mission,” said Commission Chair James J. Gilmore of New York. “It serves as the basis for annual action planning, whereby Commissioners identify strategies to tackle the highest priority issues and activities for the upcoming year. With 27 species currently managed by the Commission, finite human and fiscal resources, changing ocean conditions, and ever-increasing political pressures, Commissioners recognize the absolute need to prioritize activities. The Commission must dedicate staff time and resources where they are needed most and address less pressing issues only as resources allow. A key to prioritizing issues and maximizing efficiencies will be working closely with the three East Coast Regional Management Councils and NOAA Fisheries.”
The Strategic Plan’s eight goals are:
- Rebuild, maintain, fairly allocate, and promote sustainable Atlantic coastal fisheries
- Provide sound, actionable science to support informed management actions
- Produce dependable and timely marine fishery statistics for Atlantic coast fisheries
- Protect and enhance fish habitat and ecosystem health through partnerships and education
- Promote compliance with fishery management plans to ensure sustainable use of Atlantic coast fisheries
- Strengthen stakeholder and public support for the Commission
- Advance Commission and member states’ priorities through a proactive legislative policy agenda
- Ensure the fiscal stability and efficient administration of the Commission
Goal 3, which focuses on the data collection and data management efforts of the Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program (ACCSP), was added to reflect the incorporation of ACCSP as a Commission program in 2017. The 2019 – 2023 Strategic Plan is available on the Commission website here. For more information, please contact Tina Berger, Director of Communications, at tberger@asmfc.org.