Upcoming SAFMC and ASMFC Meetings
SAFMC Lines of Communication
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC) is coming to North Carolina the first week of February to hold a series of in-person stakeholder meetings. The meetings will be held nightly from 6-8pm at 4 different locations.
These meetings are meant to allow attendees to actively discuss their perspectives with our North Carolina council members in an informal setting much different than regular council meetings. The council hopes these meetings will build and strengthen relationships with fishery stakeholders through open dialogue and mutual learning.
The meetings are open to everyone and there is no set agenda. Key takeaways from these meetings will be recorded and presented to the full council and outcomes from these meetings can help identify topics that need to be addressed, set overall workload priorities, and guide active management decisions.
Your attendance at these meetings is important, as it lets the council know we care about our fisheries and we want to help guide future management decisions.
Lines of Communications Webpage
Wilmington
Monday, February 2nd
6:00-8:00pm
Town Creek Community Center
6420 Ocean Highway East
Winnabow, NC 28479
Morehead City
Tuesday, February 3rd
6:00-8:00pm
NC DMF Central District Office
5285 Highway 70
West Morehead City, NC 28557
Hatteras Village
Wednesday, February 4th
6:00-8:00pm
Hatteras Civic Center
56658 NC Hwy 12
Hatteras, NC 27943
Manteo
Thursday, February 5th
6:00-8:00pm
Virginia S. Tillet Community Center
950 Marshall C Collins Drive
Manteo, NC 27954
ASMFC 2026 Winter Meeting
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) is holding their 2026 Winter Meeting February 3-5 in Arlington, Virginia. This will be a hybrid meeting to allow commissioners and stakeholders to participate both in-person and remote. Public comment will be taken throughout the meeting at appropriate times. Written public comment can also be submitted on the meeting webpage.
Topics scheduled for discussion and action include but are not limited to: spiny dogfish, MRIP, Essential Fish Habitat Amendment, cobia, Spanish mackerel, and black sea bass.
ASMFC 2026 Winter Meeting Webpage
I will follow up again on these meetings next week with reminders and a few more details. If you have any questions or concerns in the meantime, please let me know.
Thomas Newman
Fisheries Liaison