Council Chairman, Executive Director, Acting NMFS Regional Administrator (to include a brief discussion about the possible establishment of a Standard Bycatch Reporting Methodology Committee and Confidentiality Proposed Rule Update), NOAA General Counsel, Northeast Fisheries Science Center and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council liaisons, and representatives of the U.S. Coast Guard, NMFS Enforcement/VMS, and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
Following a discussion of Magnuson-Stevens Act discretionary provisions related to deep sea corals, possibly consider removing coral alternatives from the Omnibus Essential Fish Habitat Amendment and address them in a separate action
A review of regional issues and work completed to date concerning the “state of science” as it relates to climate change and its impact on fisheries in the Northeast
Open and informal question and answer session for stakeholders, interested parties and the general public; this is an opportunity to ask questions about Council issues or comment on items relevant to Council business but not otherwise listed on this agenda; it will not replace the public’s opportunity to make comments during Council consideration of any agenda item.
Review and discuss public comments received, as well as Herring Plan Development Team, Advisory
Panel, and Herring Committee recommendations regarding the management alternatives/options
under consideration in Amendment 5 to the Atlantic Herring FMP and its Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (DEIS)Approve final measures for inclusion in Amendment 5, scheduled for submission to NMFS in July
2012; proposed measures would establish a catch monitoring program for the herring fishery and address bycatch; other measures may include adjustments to the fishery management program, measures to address carrier vessels and transfers at-sea, trip notification, permitting, and reporting requirements; measures to address interactions with the Atlantic mackerel fishery; the allocation of observer coverage on limited access herring vessels; measures to maximize sampling and address net slippage; measures to address river herring bycatch; and criteria for midwater trawl vessel access to groundfish closed areas
Consider a motion deferred from the April Council meeting that would remove Individually Transferrable
Quotas (ITQs) from the range of alternatives under development in Amendment 6 to the Monkfish FMP
Approve Draft Amendment 19 management measures, including alternatives to increase the whiting possession limit from 30,000 up to 40,000 pounds for vessels using trawls with 3-inch or larger mesh in all or part of the Southern New England and Mid-Atlantic Exemption Areas
Discuss and possibly propose actions to mitigate the impact of the low catch limits recently set for Georges Bank yellowtail flounder; receive a summary of the scoping comments submitted for proposed Amendment 18 to the Northeast Multispecies FMP; approve initial action on a framework adjustment to modify sector measures (including monitoring requirements), as well as set acceptable biological catches for fishing year 2013-2015, and adjust annual catch limits and accountability measures
Review public hearing comments and approve final management measures for inclusion in Amendment 19 to the Northeast Multispecies FMP; the action would establish annual catch limits and accountability measures for stocks of red hake, silver hake and offshore hake