Upcoming Meetings Target Federal Fisheries Management Issues
Scientists convene in April; Advisory panels provide input; Port meetings continue
Fishermen and others interested in federal fishery management issues may want to mark their calendars for upcoming meetings that will impact fisheries such as snapper grouper, dolphin wahoo, and mackerel. Several advisory panel meetings are scheduled in the coming weeks in order to provide recommendations to the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council.
Agenda items include marine protected areas, transportation of fillets from the Bahamas into the U.S. by recreational fishermen, allocations of dolphin (mahi mahi) between commercial and recreational fishermen, and permit options for federally permitted mackerel fishermen. Advisory panel members, representing commercial fishermen, recreational fishermen, fish house operators and others knowledgeable about fisheries issues, provide grass roots input into the fishery management process. The Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will also provide science-based recommendations following its April meeting.
Community Port Meetings continue to be held as part of the Council’s Visioning Project for the snapper grouper fishery. Information on the Visioning Project, including a schedule of the port meetings is available from the Visioning Project page of Council’s website at www.safmc.net. Additional information about other meetings listed below, including meeting agendas, overviews and briefing book materials will be posted on the SSC and Advisory Panel Meetings page of the Council’s web site as they become available. Members of the public are invited to attend all meetings. The SSC and advisory panel meetings will also be accessible online via webinar as they occur. Webinar registration is required and registration details will be posted on the Meetings pages of the website as they become available.
April 28 - May 1, 2013 - Scientific and Statistical Committee/Socio-Economic Panel M