Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Winter Meeting

Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC)
Winter Meeting February 4 – 6, 2020
The Westin Crystal City
Arlington, Virginia

Just a note from DSF … If you send in comments prior to this meeting they will make the agenda and be considered. Despite that people think writing letters doesn’t help, it actually does. Comment information is at the bottom of this press release … Rich King

(Dec 20, 2019) … Please find attached and below the preliminary agenda and public comment guidelines for the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s 2020 Winter Meeting, February 4-6, 2020, in Arlington, VA. The agenda is also available at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2020-winter-meeting.  Materials will be available on January 22, 2020 on the Commission website at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2020-winter-meeting.

Preliminary Agenda

The agenda is subject to change. Bulleted items represent the anticipated major issues to be discussed or acted upon at the meeting. The final agenda will include additional items and may revise the bulleted items provided below. The agenda reflects the current estimate of time required for scheduled Board meetings. The Commission may adjust this agenda in accordance with the actual duration of Board meetings. Interested parties should anticipate Boards starting earlier or later than indicated herein.

Tuesday, February 4

9:30 – 11:00 a.m.                     Atlantic Herring Management Board
·        Consider Approval of Draft Addendum III for Public Comment
·        Technical Committee Review of Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site
·        Review and Set Atlantic Herring Fishery Specifications for 2020 Season

11:15 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.            Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board (lunch will be provided)
·        Review and Consider State Implementation Plans and Conservation Equivalency Proposals

3:15 – 4:00 p.m.                      Coastal Sharks Management Board
·        Update on Implementation of CITES Appendix ll Provisions for Atlantic Shortfin Mako
·        Update on Atlantic Shortfin Mako  from November International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas Meeting (if available)

4:15 – 5:00 p.m.          
             Bluefish Management Board  
·        Review and Consider Approval of Conservation Equivalency Proposals

Wednesday, February 5

8:30 a.m. – Noon             Atlantic Menhaden Management Board |

·        Review 2019 Atlantic Menhaden Single-Species and Ecological Reference Point Benchmark Stock Assessments and Peer Review Panel Reports, and Consider Approval for Management Use
·        Consider Management Response to Benchmark Stock Assessments

1:00 – 5:00 p.m.        South Atlantic State/Federal Fisheries Management Board

·        Consider Atlantic Croaker Addendum lll and Spot Addendum ll for Final Approval

·        Consider Management Action to Align State and Federal Management of Spanish Mackerel

Review SEDAR 58 Cobia Benchmark Stock Assessment and Peer Review Reports and Consider Approval for Management Use

   Consider Management Response to SEDAR 58 Cobia Assessment Results

·        Consider Initiation of Red Drum Stock Assessment and Draft Terms of Reference

Thursday, February 6

8:00 – 10:00 a.m.                     Executive Committee

·        Discuss Potential Allocation of Remaining Plus-Up Funds

·        Update on Future Annual Meetings

10:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
         Interstate Fisheries Management Program Policy Board

·        Executive Committee Report
·        Review and Discuss Commissioner Survey Results
·        Progress Update on American Shad and American Lobster Benchmark Stock Assessments
·        Review and Consider Revisions to Stock Status Definitions
·        Discuss Strategy to Incorporate Ecosystem Management into the Interstate Fisheries Management Process

12:15 – 12:30 p.m.                   Business Session
·        Consider Noncompliance Recommendations (If necessary)

Public Comment Guidelines

With the intent of developing policies in the Commission’s procedures for public participation that result in a fair opportunity for public input, the ISFMP Policy Board has approved the following guidelines for use at management board meetings:

For issues that are not on the agenda, management boards will continue to provide opportunity to the public to bring matters of concern to the board’s attention at the start of each board meeting. Board chairs will use a speaker sign-up list in deciding how to allocate the available time on the agenda (typically 10 minutes) to the number of people who want to speak.

For topics that are on the agenda, but have not gone out for public comment, board chairs will provide limited opportunity for comment, taking into account the time allotted on the agenda for the topic. Chairs will have flexibility in deciding how to allocate comment opportunities; this could include hearing one comment in favor and one in opposition until the chair is satisfied further comment will not provide additional insight to the board.

For agenda action items that have already gone out for public comment, it is the Policy Board’s intent to end the occasional practice of allowing extensive and lengthy public comments. Currently, board chairs have the discretion to decide what public comment to allow in these circumstances.

In addition, the following timeline has been established for the submission of written comment for issues for which the Commission has NOT established a specific public comment period (i.e., in response to proposed management action). 

1.   Comments received 3 weeks prior to the start of a meeting week will be included in the briefing materials.

2.   Comments received by 5:00 PM on the Tuesday immediately preceding the scheduled ASMFC Meeting (in this case, the Tuesday deadline will be January 28, 2020) will be distributed electronically to Commissioners/Board members prior to the meeting and a limited number of copies will be provided at the meeting.

3.   Following the Tuesday, January 28, 2020 5:00 PM deadline, the commenter will be responsible for distributing the information to the management board prior to the board meeting or providing enough copies for the management board consideration at the meeting (a minimum of 50 copies).

The submitted comments must clearly indicate the commenter’s expectation from the ASMFC staff regarding distribution.  As with other public comment, it will be accepted via mail, fax, and email.