South Atlantic Fishery Management Council
The Council will hold a series of public hearings via webinar next week for proposed measures affecting reporting requirements for federally-permitted commercial fishermen. The Comprehensive Amendment Addressing Electronic Reporting for Commercial Vessels is being developed collaboratively with the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council.
The Council’s Seminar Series continues in July with a presentation from Gulf of Maine Research Institute staff entitled “Simulated larval dispersal of snapper-grouper species to evaluate the efficacy of spawning Special Management Zones”. The presentation involves five Spawning Special Management Zones (SMZs) designated off the coasts of North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.
Members of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold their quarterly meeting June 12-16, 2023 at the World Golf Village Renaissance in St. Augustine, Florida. During the week-long meeting, Council members will discuss a broad range of federal fishery management issues.
Members of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold their quarterly meeting June 12-16, 2023 at the World Golf Village Renaissance in St. Augustine, Florida.
NOAA Fisheries recently announced the final rule for Amendment 34 to the Fishery Management Plan for Coastal Migratory Pelagics (mackerels).
Planning for your next trip offshore this spring? Beginning May 1st there are a few more species available to harvest in South Atlantic federal waters (greater than 3 nautical miles off the coasts of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and the east coast of Florida).
Members of South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) and Socio-Economic Panel (SEP) will come together in Charleston, South Carolina April 17-20, 2023 to discuss a broad range of topics relevant to federal fisheries. The members include biologists, stock assessment scientists, economists, social scientists, and natural resource specialists from academic institutions, and state and federal marine resource agencies.
Federal fisheries management is complex. Effective management involves input from persons directly involved in the fisheries. Congress recognized this back in 1976 when it passed legislation establishing eight regional fishery management councils in the United States (the Magnuson-Stevens Conservation and Management Act) and required the councils to have advisory panels. These advisory panels include private recreational, charter/for-hire, commercial fishermen, researchers, and others directly involved in and knowledgeable about fisheries. AP members provide information and recommendations at the grassroots level to better inform the federal fishery management process.
With the approval of two amendments to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan, a public hearing on measures proposed for the Wreckfish fishery, and discussion of topics ranging from beach renourishment policies to mackerel port meetings, last week’s Council meeting in Jekyll Island, Georgia was a busy one!
The Council will hold its first quarterly meeting of 2023 in Jekyll Island, Georgia beginning on Monday, March 6th and ending at noon on Friday, March 10th. The meeting will be held at the Westin Jekyll Island and is open to the public. The meeting is also available via webinar each day as it occurs. Register now for the webinar or review the week-long meeting agenda and plan to attend in person.
