Public Comment         

Mar. 23: NOAA Fisheries requests your 
comments on a proposed rule to implement Framework Amendment 4 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Coastal Migratory Pelagics Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Region (Framework Amendment 4).  Measures for Atlantic cobia in the proposed rule for Framework Amendment 4 would  increase the recreational minimum size limit,  reduce the recreational bag limit,  establish a recreational vessel limit, 
establish a commercial trip limit and 
modify the recreational accountability measure (Find more information here).
 
Mar. 31: ASMFC seeks public comment on Draft Addendum XXIX to the Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan, The document, approved by the Board in early February, presents alternatives for shortening the length of the commercial scup summer period and extending the length of the winter period(s) to better allocate the commercial quota (Find more information here).
 
Mar. 31NOAA Fisheries requests public comment on a proposed rule to remove the restriction on fishing for and retaining the recreational bag limit of king and Spanish mackerel in the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf), South Atlantic, and Mid-Atlantic on a vessel with a federal commercial permit for king or Spanish mackerel when the vessel is on a recreational trip and commercial harvest of king or Spanish mackerel in that zone or region is closed (Find more information here).
 
Apr. 3: The New England Fishery Management Council has scheduled a series of public scoping hearings from Maine to Connecticut to solicit ideas for potentially changing the region's groundfish monitoring and reporting system. The purpose of this initiative is to improve reliability and accountability of the monitoring program since successful management of the fishery depends on accurate and timely catch reporting. The changes are being considered under Amendment 23 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan. The Council is encouraging fishermen and other stakeholders to participate in this very early stage of the amendment development process 
( Find more information here).

Apr. 7:  ASMFC seeks public comment on Draft Addendum I to Amendment 3 of the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Herring. Draft Addendum I includes management options to ensure the seasonal quota is distributed throughout Trimester 2, are applied consistently by the states adjacent to Area 1A, and address excessive capacity. The Draft Addendum presents six management options to improve the performance of the Area
1A fishery, ranging from restricting a vessel from landing fish caught on days out of the fishery to limiting transfers at sea a well as the amount  a vessel can land per
  week. The document also seeks input on a tiered weekly landing limit for future management consideration 
(Find more information here).
 
Apr. 7:  ASMFC seeks public comment on  Draft Addendum XXV to Amendment 3 to the Interstate FMP  for American Lobster. The Draft Addendum seeks to address the  depleted condition of the Southern New England (SNE) stock while preserving a functional portion of the SNE lobster fishery. The document presents a suite of management measures to increase egg production and lower fishing mortality through a combination of management tools including gauge size changes, season closures, and trap reductions (Find more information here).
National Updates
Regional Updates
Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO)
Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC)
Southeast Regional Office (SERO)
Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC)
USFWS - Northeast Office (Region 5)
USFWS - Southeast Office (Region 4)
New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC)
Potomac River Fisheries Commission (PRFC)
Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC)
South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC)
Featured Stories for the Week of March 16
BOEM and Corps of Engineers Sign Agreement Formalizing Coordination in Managing Offshore Sand Resources

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that 
will enhance coordination on managing sand, gravel and shell resources from the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), which consists of Bureau of Ocean Energy Management 1.7 billion acres of seafloor under federal jurisdiction. 
 
This agreement establishes a framework for early and sustained coordination and cooperation between BOEM and the Corps. It will help each agency meet its mission by building upon the relationship they have had for more than two decades. The MOU supports consistency in environmental compliance, project scheduling, and negotiated agreement requirements for projects proposing to use OCS sand, gravel, and shell resources, for which there has been a growing demand in recent years. 

Find more information here.

BOEM Receives Requests to Develop Wind Energy on OCS

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has received unsolicited lease requests from two companies to develop wind energy on the Outer Continental Shelf.  BOEM determined that the applicants are "legally, technically, and financially qualified to pursue offshore wind energy leases."  Find more information at New York and Massachusetts.
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The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine is Seeking Nominations for Atlantic Offshore Renewable Energy Development and Fisheries Steering Committee

FL FWCC: Be a Citizen-scientist this Horseshoe Crab Spawning Season
Spring is approaching and that means it is peak mating season for horseshoe crabs. Biologists with FL FWCC  are asking the public to report horseshoe crab sightings.  Horseshoe crabs mate year-round, and spring is the peak season to see them in groups along the shore. To identify mating pairs, look for a smaller male on top of a larger female. Beachgoers will likely have the best luck spotting horseshoe crabs around high tide, within three days of a new or full moon. The next full moon is Sunday, March 12, and the new moon is Monday, March 27.    
For 15 years, citizens have reported horseshoe crab sightings to the FWC, providing important information about population distribution. Although horseshoe crabs have been around for approximately 450 million years, their numbers have declined in recent decades due to overfishing and loss of habitat. If you see a horseshoe crab on its back, gently pick it up (holding both sides of the shell) and release it back into the water. Simple actions like this help conserve this species and the countless other species that depend on it.
Find more information here
VMRC Releases Mobile APP on the Location of Shellfish Leases and Other Map Features

VMRC has developed a mobile app that uses smartphone GPS to show the users position relative to shellfish leases and other map features. Mapped areas include private oyster ground leases, oyster ground applicat  ions, fixed fishing devices, public clamming grounds, artificial reefs and the blue crab sanctuary. The app is available from the Apple or Google app stores, search for "VMRC Maps" on your smartphone to install, or click here.
DC DOEE Mayor Bowser Signs Fisheries and Wildlife Omnibus Amendment Act of 2016

In late February, Mayor Muriel Bowser, along with Tommy Wells, Director of DC's DOEE, and Ann Honious, National Park Service's Deputy Superintendent of National Capital Parks - East, signed the Fisheries and Wildlife Omn ibus Amendment Act of 2016. This legislation grants DOEE more authority over the protection of natural resources as well as the sale and regulation of licenses for recreational fishing, and increases environmental protections for aquatic life, wetlands, and shorelines in Washington, DC. The Act also authorizes the Mayor to impose penalties on persons who knowingly transport or trade in certain invasive plants and non-indigenous species.

The signing of the Act is the latest in a series of environmental commitments by the Bowser Administration. In just the past year, the Administration has signed the Anacostia River Accord and the Renewable Portfolio Standard bill, launched Climate Ready DC, and announced the Canopy 3,000 Tree Planting Initiative.The new legislation also expands various regulations around fishing in Washington, DC.

Find more information here.
MD DNR: Striped Bass Season Opens April 15

The 2017 spring season for the state fish, striped bass, kicks off April 15 in Maryland's portion of the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries. Recreational fishing opportunities for rockfish - as striped bass is known locally - will run from 5 a.m. April 15 through midnight May 15, with a catch limit of one fish per person, per day, 35 inches or larger.

Regulations for the combined summer/fall season, running May 16 through Dec. 20, will remain the same as last year. Anglers can keep two fish per day greater than 20 inches, with one required to be less than 28 inches. Size is measured from the tip of the snout to the tip of the tail.

Find more information   here  

DE DNREC: Recreational Summer Flounder Size Limit to Increase to 17" Effective April 1 : Possession Limit & Season Unchanged

Effective April 1, Delaware's recreational minimum size limit for summer flounder will increase to 17 inches. DNREC Secretary David S. Small signed an Emergency Secretary's Order to increase Delaware's minimum size limit regulation by one inch to remain compliant with an  addendum to ASMFC's Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan (FMP). Delaware's flounder four-fish possession limit and year-roun  d open season remain unchanged.

Recreational harvest reductions also were required in other coastal states. The decision was made after consulting with Delaware's ASMFC regional neighbors Maryland and Virginia, both of which also have committed to adopting a 17-inch minimum size limit and a four-fish possession limit by April 1.

Find mo re information here  
 
Upcoming Meetings and Events 
   
 
Mar. 15-16: Commercial Marine Expo (Providence, RI)
 
Mar. 19-21: Boston Seafood Show (Boston, MA) 


Mar. 20-25: Quahog Week (RI)
 
Mar. 23-24: Safety & Survival Suit Training and Drill Conductor Training Programs (Sandwich, MA)
 
Mar. 28: NEFMC Groundfish Webinar

Apr. 5-7: Marine Mammal Commission Annual Meeting (North Falmouth, MA)

Apr. 5-7: Northern Shrimp Data Workshop (Portland, ME)
 
Apr. 11-13: MAFMC (Avalon, NJ)
 
Apr. 9-11: Northeast Fish & Wildlife Conference (Norfolk, VA)
 
Apr. 18-20: NEFMC (Mystic, CT)
 
Apr. 19-25: International Pectinid Workshop (Portland, ME)
 
May 8-11: ASMFC Spring Meeting (Alexandria, VA)
Coastwide Updates
State Updates
Maine Department of Marine Fisheries (ME DMR)
New Hampshire Fish & Game Department (NH FGD)
Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (MA DMF)
Rhode Island Division of Fish and Wildlife (RI DFW)
Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (CT DEEP)
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC)
Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC)
New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife (NJ DFW)
Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife (DE DFW)
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Maryland Department of Natural Resources (MD DNR)
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District Department of the Environment  (DC DOEE)
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Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC)
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North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (NC DMF)
South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SC DNR)
Georgia Department of Natural Resources - Coastal Resources Division (GA CRD)
Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWCC)