The South Atlantic Bite
Newsworthy Notes February 19th, 2026
North Carolina Lines of Communication Meetings NEXT WEEK
Reminder for North Carolina fishermen! NC representatives of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will be visiting coastal communities next week for the Lines of Communication: Conversations with the Council meetings. The meeting dates and locations are as follows:
- Bolivia | March 23rd | Brunswick County Administration Building
- Morehead City | March 24th | NC DMF Central District Office
- Hatteras | March 25th | Hatteras Village Civic Center
- Manteo | March 26th | Virginia S. Tillett Community Center
Come out, join the conversation, and make sure your voice is heard. Learn more and RSVP for a meeting near you: Lines Homepage
Greater Amberjack Count Review Workshop
A Greater Amberjack Count Review Workshop will take place next week March 24–27, 2026, bringing together independent experts to evaluate new research on greater amberjack population estimates in the South Atlantic and Gulf regions.
The workshop is part of the broader Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR) process and will assess whether the research represents the best available science and is suitable for use in future stock assessments and management decisions.
Webinar registration and materials, including the draft report, are accessible online here: https://masgc.org/greater-amberjack/review-workshop
NOAA Seeks Input on Right Whale Vessel Speed Rule
NOAA Fisheries is requesting public input as it considers updates to the North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Speed Rule. The effort aims to explore potential deregulatory changes while maintaining, or improving, protections for the endangered North Atlantic right whale while supporting the economic vitality of coastal communities.
NOAA is seeking feedback on several key topics, including the effectiveness of emerging technologies to reduce vessel strikes, vessel-size-specific risk, alternative management areas, safety exemptions, the overall performance of the current speed rule, and economic impacts on industry.
NOAA Fisheries is accepting comments through June 2, 2026. Read more and submit your comments here: https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/noaa-seeks-information-to-support-improvements-to-vessel-speed-regulations
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!