The South Atlantic Bite

Posted September 8, 2025

Newsworthy Notes – September 4th, 2025

Briefing book materials, including committee agendas and overviews, presentations, and an online public comment form are now available from the Council’s website for the September 15-19, 2025 meeting of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council. The meeting will be held at the North Charleston Marriott, 4770 Goer Drive, North Charleston, SC. The meeting is open to the public and also available via webinar as it occurs.

The meeting begins on Monday, September 15th at 8:30 a.m. with a meeting of the Council’s Snapper Grouper Commercial Sub-Committee. The Council will also hold meetings of the full Council and meetings of the Snapper Grouper Committee, Shrimp Committee, SEDAR Committee, and a joint meeting of the Habitat & Ecosystem Committee and Shrimp Committee during the week. The meeting is scheduled to end at 12 p.m. on Friday.

Public Comment

A public comment session will be held on Wednesday, September 17th beginning at 4 p.m. The public comment session will allow for in-person and remote (via webinar) verbal public comment. Individuals intending to provide comments remotely may sign up using the link from the meeting web page. Those wishing to comment in person will be asked to sign in at the meeting.

An online public comment form is also available from the meeting web page. Comments submitted to the Council become part of the official administrative record and are publicly accessible.

Executive Order 14276 – Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness

Council to review draft response and proposed measures during September meeting

The Council began discussion of the Executive Order at its June 2025 meeting, acknowledging the importance of gathering perspectives from the public as part of the response process. To that end, public input was solicited on what types of management actions may achieve the goals stated in the Executive Order via the Council’s website earlier this summer. In addition to soliciting public comments, the Council hosted an online meeting of its advisory panels in August to gather feedback. A summary of the Executive Order comments is provided in the September Council meeting briefing materials.

The Council will also review a draft letter outlining proposed topics to consider in response to Executive Order 14276 and an update on recommendations made in October 2020 in response to Executive Order 13921 on Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth. The draft response considers guidance provided by NOAA Fisheries and input from advisors and the public. It addresses data, policy, and fishery management topics that would stabilize markets, improve access to fishing opportunities, enhance economic profitability, and prevent closures for fisheries that are managed by the Council.

Some items listed in the draft response under the Council’s authority include:

• Remove or consider ecosystem component designation for species in the Snapper Grouper Management Plan.
• Reinstate bag limit sales for Dolphin and Wahoo.
• Improve ability to transfer commercial Atlantic Spanish mackerel quota between zones.
• Allow commercial vessels on muti-day trips to harvest multiple day’s worth of limits.
• State led data collection and management of Red Snapper.

The Council will review the draft response letter during the September Council meeting and make modifications as needed. The Council will also receive presentations from various agencies in September relative to state management of federal fisheries. Visit the September Council meeting web page for additional details and to provide public comment.

Additional Snippets:

Lines of Communication Meetings Offer Opportunity to Meet with Your Council Members

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is holding a new series of meetings, known as Lines of Communication, offering the chance for fishermen to sit down with Council members in an informal, relaxed setting. Unlike traditional meetings, they are all about dialogue. Your voice helps shape the future of fisheries in the South Atlantic, and we want to hear from you. Meetings will be held along the coast, starting in November – stay tuned for dates and locations. Visit the Council’s website to learn more!

NOAA Fisheries Bolsters American Seafood Industry With New Import Provisions

NOAA Fisheries recently announced robust comparability findings under Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) import provisions, reinforcing America’s leadership in sustainable seafood production. The agency issued full comparability findings for 89 nations and partial comparability findings for 34 nations’ fisheries, and denied comparability for 12 nations’ fisheries. In total, fisheries from 46 nations now face stringent import restrictions, ensuring that seafood entering U.S. markets adhere to the same high standards as American-caught seafood. The the news release for NOAA for additional details.

Request for Comments: Proposed Rule for Amendment 55 to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan in the South Atlantic Region (Scamp and Yellowmouth Grouper)

NOAA Fisheries is currently accepting comments on management measures proposed for Scamp and Yellowmouth Grouper. Amendment 55 responds to the most recent stock assessment that determined Scamp and Yellowmouth Grouper to be overfished, but not undergoing overfishing. Details are available in the NOAA Fishery Bulletin. The comment period on the proposed rule is open through September 24, 2025.

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!