New England Fishery Management Council Meeting
Holiday Inn by the Bay, 88 Spring Street, Portland, ME
Phone: 207-775-2311; Fax: 207-761-8224
June 18-20, 2012

Printable Version of Agenda

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

9:00 a.m. Introductions and Announcements (Chairman Rip Cunningham)

9:10 Reports on Recent Activities

Council Chairman, Executive Director, NMFS Regional Administrator, NOAA General Counsel, Northeast Fisheries Science Center and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council liaisons, and representatives of the U.S. Coast Guard, NOAA Enforcement and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission

10:30 Herring Committee Report (Doug Grout)

Initiate Framework Adjustment 3 to the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan (FMP) which will include alternatives to establish river herring/shad catch caps for the Atlantic herring fishery; review available fishery information, a summary of the May 23, 2013 Herring PDT/Mackerel Monitoring Committee Report, a summary the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s development of river herring/shad catch caps for the mackerel fishery, and any related committee recommendations; provide guidance to further develop the Framework 3 alternatives

12:30 p.m. Lunch Break

1:40 Open Period for Public Comments (Rip Cunningham)

2:00 Update on the Status of Atlantic Sturgeon (Kim Damon-Randall, NERO)

2:45 Overview of a Porposed Mussel Farm off MA (DAvid Alves/Harry Mears, NERO)

Opportunity for Council and public comments on a proposed commercial scale mussel farm 8.5 miles off Cape Ann, MA; the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is currently reviewing the proponents application for a permit

3:30 Summary of the 2013 Monkfish Opeational Stock Assessment Update

4:00 Scientific and Statistical Committee Report (Dr. Jake Kritzer, SSC Chairman)

Overview of the SSC’s discussions about the monkfish assessment and the development of an Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC) recommendation; SSC conclusions and recommendations about the approach used by the Council’s Groundfish Closed Area Technical Team to spatially analyze juvenile and spawning protection for key groundfish stocks

5:00 Adjourn for the Day

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

8:30 a.m. Adding ACE Trades to Net Revenue Estimates (Drew Kitts and Chad Demares,Social Sciences Brank NEFSC)

Overview of the SSC’s discussions about the monkfish assessment and the development of an Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC) recommendation; SSC conclusions and recommendations about the approach used by the Council’s Groundfish Closed Area Technical Team to spatially analyze juvenile and spawning protection for key groundfish stocks

9:30 Groundfish Committee Report (Terry Stockwell)

Consider and approve committee recommendations concerning the development of Amendment 18 to the Northeast Multispecies FMP, in particular any revisions to the goals and objectives of the amendment; possibly initiate a framework adjustment to the FMP to modify rebuilding plans and other measures

11:00 Habitat Committee Report (David Preble)

Final review of the Memorandum of Understanding developed in cooperation with the MAFMC and SAFMC concerning deep sea coral protection, management and areas of responsibility

11:15 Joint Habitat/Groundfish Committee Report (David Preble/Terry Stockwell)

Approve spatial management alternatives for analysis in the Essential Fish Habitat Omnibus #2 Amendment Draft Environmental Impact Statement

12:15 p.m. Lunch Break

1:30 Joint Habitat/Groundfish Committee Report Continued Until the Meeting Adjourns for the Day

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6:15 (est.) Post-Meeting Presentations: Defining the Ecological Impacts of Spiny Dogfish in Southern New England (Dr. James Sulikowski, University of New England)

Thursday, June 20, 2013

8:30 a.m. Transboundary Management Guidance Committee Report (Rip Cunningham)

Discuss options for trading quota under the provisions of the U.S./Canada Resource Sharing Understanding; possibly initiate an action to implement U.S./Canada trading mechanisms

10:00 Enforcement Committee Report (Frank Blount)

Review and discuss and/or approve recommendations concerning a new Council Enforcement Policy (as proposed by NOAA Fisheries and the U.S. Coast Guard), and minimizing the use of fishing vessel compartments to hide illegal fish

10:30 Monkfish Committee Report (Tom Dempsey)

Initiate Framework 8 to consider and implement Annual Catch Targets (ACTs), days-a-sea (DAS) and trip limit specifications for the 2014-2016 fishing years, and any other changes to the management program recommended by the committee;

Receive an update on Amendment 6 development, including possible formal action to remove the Individually Transferrable Quota (ITQ) alternative;

Consider any changes to the Research Set-Aside Program priorities

11:45 Lunch Break

12:45 Overview of the Northeast Regional Ocean Council’s Planning Initiatives and Council Discussion (Doug Grout and John Weber, NROC)

Overview of the Northeast Regional Ocean Council’s draft goals for regional ocean planning and potential actions; briefing on its series of public meetings held to date

1:30 Standard Bycatch Reporting Methodology (SBRM) Report (Douglas Potts, NERO)