The South Atlantic Bite

Posted October 24, 2024

Newsworthy Notes – October 24th, 2024

Advisory Panel Seats Open

Applications due November 8, 2024

Become more involved in the federal fishery management process! The Council is currently soliciting applicants for various seats on its advisory panels. Advisory panels inform and advise the Council in developing federal fishery management plans and amendments.

Open seats include members for the Council’s new For-Hire Reporting Advisory Panel. This advisory panel is being created on a temporary basis to provide stakeholder insight on improving the Southeast For-Hire Integrated Electronic Reporting (SEFHIER) Program.

Applications are being solicited for the following advisory panels:

• For-Hire Reporting
• Law Enforcement
• Mackerel Cobia
• Shrimp
• Deepwater Shrimp
• Snapper Grouper – (2) NC Seats; (2) GA Seats; and (1) FL Seat
• Spiny Lobster

Additional details, including application forms, are available from the Council’s website. Applications must be received by Friday, November 8, 2024 to be considered by the Council during the December 2-6, 2024 meeting in Wrightsville Beach, NC.

---

King and Spanish Mackerel Port Meetings Continue in the Mid-Atlantic Region

A series of port meetings are being hosted by the Council, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, and state partners along the Atlantic coast throughout 2024. The meetings are being held to gather input on Atlantic King Mackerel and Atlantic Spanish Mackerel fisheries, managed through the Coastal Migratory Pelagic Fishery Management Plan along the entire Atlantic coast as well as the Gulf of Mexico.

This November port meetings will be held in Virginia, Maryland, and New Jersey. Meetings include discussion of a variety of issues related to the mackerel fisheries including changing environmental conditions, needed management changes, and commercial and recreational fishery dynamics.

Attendees will have the chance to actively discuss their perspectives with other fishery participants and Council staff. The informal meetings allow stakeholders to share their insights and help determine the future of these fisheries. A list of goals and objectives for the port meetings is available from the Council’s website. Those wishing to attend a meeting are encouraged to sign up via the website.

Meetings were held in North Carolina in April, New England in May, New York in June, Georgia in July, and Florida and South Carolina in early October.

Upcoming Port Meetings (all held from 6-8 pm)

Questions? Contact Christina Wiegand at Christina.Wiegand@safmc.net.

What New Insights Are Fishers Reeling In?

Anglers unlock information about the snapper grouper fishery

Released fish often represent a question mark for fishery management agencies, and that question mark is getting bigger in the South Atlantic.

The region is home to some remarkable fishing, and participation in the activity is greater here than on average in the U.S. This, combined with regulatory measures that limit what fishers can keep, has led to increases in the number of released fish.

So begins the recent post on NC Sea Grant’s Hook, Line, and Science blog highlighting the Council’s Citizen Science project, SAFMC Release. The post, written by Meg Withers, Citizen Science Project Coordinator for the Council, explains how fishermen are answering questions about released fish. Using the mobile app SciFish, fishermen are able to share their on-the-water observations to address key questions about their released shallow-water grouper and Red Snapper.

Read more about this and other projects available through Hook, Line, and Science, dedicated to highlighting research findings for the fishing community. Learn more about the Council’s Citizen Science Program and SAFMC Release from the Council’s website.

Best Fishing Practices Master Volunteer Program Workshops Scheduled for North Carolina

Fishermen who target snapper grouper species in federal waters take note! Plan now to attend an in-person two hour workshop in your area and be a part of the Council’s Best Fishing Practices (BFP) Master Volunteer Program (MVP).

The workshops will focus on best practices that improve survival of released fish and how to get involved in the Council process, including Citizen Science projects. Participants will receive a BFP MVP workbook full of helpful information and have a chance to win a descending device from Sea Grant!

Registration is not required but encouraged. Learn more about the BFP MVP workshops and sign up today! Questions? Contact Ashley Oliver at Ashley.Oliver@safmc.net.

Upcoming Workshops

All workshops are held from 5:00 – 7:00 P.M.

New PBS Video Highlights the Use of Descending Devices and Best Practices

The PBS series SCI NC recently aired a story highlighting the importance of utilizing best fishing practices, including descending devices to help improve the survival of released snapper grouper species. The 7-minute feature “This simple device could save more deep-sea fish” will take you on a fishing trip with charter captain and Council member Tom Roller off the coast of North Carolina. You’ll see amazing underwater video of descending devices in action and observe Sea Grant, Council, and NMFS staff demonstrating the effectiveness of descending devices and discussing the future of the fishery.

SCI NC is a local public television program presented by PBS NC that highlights the latest science stories from North Carolina and across the Nation. This feature and others are available online at: https://www.pbs.org/show/sci-nc/.

Request for Proposals: Evaluating Climate-Driven Distribution and Habitat Changes in South Atlantic Fisheries

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council seeks proposals to update species distributions, fishery distributions, and Essential Fish Habitat designations for species managed under the Snapper Grouper, Coastal Migratory Pelagics, and Dolphin Wahoo Fishery Management Plans.

Climate change presents a myriad of challenges to the stability and productivity of marine ecosystems. In recognition of these challenges, the U.S. East Coast Regional Fishery Management Councils, Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, and the National Marine Fisheries Service undertook the East Coast Climate Change Scenario Planning effort to begin to consider how to collectively address climate change in fisheries. As a result of that planning effort, identifying and monitoring climate-driven changes in spatial distributions and habitat has been prioritized.

The Council seeks proposals for work to identify, analyze and integrate appropriate data sources to update spatial distributions and habitat associations with these species. Proposals are due November 15, 2024.

Additional details are available from the Council’s website.

Additional Snippets:

Request for Comments: Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement on Secretarial Amendment to End Overfishing of Red Snapper in the South Atlantic

NOAA Fisheries intends to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) to analyze management alternatives to be included in a Secretarial Amendment to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (Secretarial Amendment). The EIS will evaluate a range of alternatives for setting and managing catch for South Atlantic Red Snapper to end overfishing and support rebuilding objectives for the stock. Comments are due by November 8, 2024. Details, including an FAQ are available in the Fishery Bulletin from NOAA Fisheries.

Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program 2025 Funding Opportunity Open

The Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program provides funding to support applied management projects and activities to reduce bycatch. Bycatch reduction is a top priority for NOAA Fisheries, as outlined in the National Bycatch Reduction Strategy. Bycatch contributes to overfishing, threatens endangered and threatened species and protected marine mammals, and can close fisheries, significantly impacting U.S. economic growth. NOAA Fisheries supports the development and testing of fishing gears that minimize bycatch and habitat impacts through this program. Pre-proposals are due by December 13, 2024. Full proposals are due March 21, 2025. Learn more.

Plan Approved to Turn SS United States Into the World’s Largest Artificial Reef

The famed ocean liner s.s. United States is one step closer to becoming the world’s largest artificial reef after the purchase of the vessel was recently approved by the Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioner in Florida. With an agreed payment of $1 million to acquire the 990′ vessel, several conditions must be met. The plan calls for the vessel to be moved from Philadelphia to Norfolk, VA for remediation before going to the Destin/Ft. Walton Beach area of Florida. Completed in 1952, the s.s. United States was the fastest ocean liner traveling during her trials at a speed of over 38 knots. She becomes the first ocean liner to be purposefully sunk to become a reef. Learn more from The Maritime Executive.

Mark Your Calendar

Keep track of meetings scheduled by the Council from the Meetings page of the website and register for meeting webinars as information becomes available. Register early and receive email reminders as the meeting date(s) approach!