The South Atlantic Bite
Newsworthy Notes – November 22, 2024
Meeting Materials Now Available for December 2-6, 2024 Council Meeting in Wrightsville Beach, NC
Meeting materials for the next meeting of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council are now available from the Council’s website. The meeting will be held December 2-6, 2024 at the Lumina Holiday Inn Resort, 1706 N. Lumina Avenue, Wrightsville Beach, NC 28480. Meeting materials include the agenda for the week-long meeting, individual agendas and overviews for various committee meetings, discussion documents, and presentations.
Council meetings are open to the public and available via webinar as they occur. Register now for the webinar and receive email reminders as the meeting date approaches.
The full Council will meet on Monday, December 2nd, with meetings of the Council’s Citizen Science, Dolphin Wahoo, SEDAR (Southeast Data, Assessment and Review), and Snapper Grouper Committees through Thursday afternoon. The meeting will conclude with an additional meeting of the Full Council and is scheduled to end at noon on Friday, December 6th.
Public Comment
A public comment session will be held on Wednesday, December 4th beginning at 4 p.m. and allow for both in-person and remote (via webinar) verbal comment. Registration information for remote public comment from the website.
An online public comment form to submit written comments on agenda topics is also available from the meeting website: https://safmc.net/events/december-2024-council-meeting/.
Council Sub-Committee Formed for the Commercial Snapper Grouper Fishery
Report from the initial Sub-Committee meeting will be provided during the December 2024 Council meeting
In June 2024, the Council formed the Snapper Grouper Commercial Sub-Committee and tasked it with reviewing the 2016-2020 Snapper Grouper Vision Blueprint previously developed by the Council, and creating a list of commercial management topics that require further consideration. The Sub-Committee held its initial meeting in November 2024 with the intent to to address issues facing the fishery.
After reviewing the Vision Blueprint, members of the Sub-Committee also reviewed a list of potential topics to consider for future discussion. Topics include:
- The current “2 for 1” commercial permit policy requires new entrants to purchase two existing permits to qualify for a new federal Commercial Snapper Grouper Permit
- The portfolio of permits and fishing activities necessary to sustain commercial businesses
- Improving biomass of commercially important stocks
- Permit transfers, leasing, and limited 225 lb. permit policies
- Regional management
- Ways to increase trip efficiency
Additional items are included in a report of the Sub-Committee meeting that will be provided to the Snapper Grouper Committee during the Council’s December 2024 meeting. The Council will review the Sub-Committee Report and provide guidance on future Sub-Committee activities.
Nomination Period Now Open for the Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee
NOAA Fisheries seeks nominations to fill four vacancies on the Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee, an advisory group that researches, evaluates, and provides advice and recommendations to the Secretary of Commerce and NOAA on agency policies, activities, science, conservation, and regulatory programs critical to the mission and goals of NOAA Fisheries.
Committee members are highly qualified, diverse individuals with experience in commercial, recreational, aquaculture, and non-commercial fisheries and businesses; seafood industry, including processing, marketing, restaurants, and related industries; marine, ecosystems, or protected resources management and conservation; and human dimensions or social sciences associated with living marine resources and working waterfronts.
A letter of interest and resume are due by December 23, 2024; full details on the opportunity, including instructions for submitting nominations, can be found here. NOAA Fisheries strives to ensure MAFAC members represent a diversity of individuals and interests and encourage nominations from all those interested across the country.
Additional Snippets:
Applications for Small Seafood Business Support Being Solicited
The Local Catch Network is accepting applications for the 2025 Seafood Accelerator and Innovation Lab (SAIL) Catalyst. SAIL Catalyst is a nation-wide, producer-centered business accelerator developed to strengthen local and regional seafood systems in the United States by addressing challenges associated with direct marketing. The Catalyst program supports building the knowledge, skills, and networks needed for direct marketing seafood businesses to scale up their operations and increase their capacity and viability for long-term resilience. This is a competitive process, where a total of 15 businesses will be accepted. Program applications are due by Sunday, December 15th. Register here to join a SAIL Catalyst information session on December 5th at 2 p.m. EST.
Is U.S. Wild-Caught Shrimp Sustainable? The Short Answer is Yes
U.S.-harvested shrimp is nutritious, delicious…and sustainable! The shrimp fishery has also historically been a culturally important economic engine. It provides a livelihood for thousands of U.S. commercial fishermen. U.S shrimp are a sustainable seafood option and the United States sets a global precedent for shrimp trawl bycatch reduction. But our nation’s shrimp industry is struggling to stay afloat and there’s confusion about its sustainability. See this feature article from NOAA Fisheries to get the facts and learn more about this important commercial fishery.
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!