Upcoming December SAFMC Meeting 

 

The South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council (SAFMC) is meeting in Beaufort, NC December 4-8 at the Beaufort Hotel. This meeting has a lot on the agenda that will have direct impact on many of our fisheries in North Carolina. The meeting will begin Monday morning at 8:30 and will run through noon on Friday. Public comment will be on Wednesday, December 6th at 4:00pm.

 

Location: The Beaufort Hotel, 2440 Lennoxville Road, Beaufort, NC

 

https://safmc.net/events/december-2023-council-meeting/

 

meeting agenda

 

submit public comment

 

webinar registration

 

 

A Few Agenda Items That May Be of Interest 

 

Monday December 4th

8:30-noon is a closed to the public council session 

 

1:30-5:00 Council Session I will have updates from law enforcement, Coast Guard, council liaisons and state agencies

 

Tuesday December 5th

8:30-10:00 Mackerel Cobia Committee will discuss the mackerel cobia advisory panel report, updating Spanish mackerel catch levels and mackerel port meetings.

     –Attachment 1: Mackerel Cobia Advisory Panel Report (November 2023)

     –Attachment 2: CMP Framework Amendment 13 Decision Document

     –Attachment 3: Mackerel Port Meetings Discussion Document

 

10:00-11:00 Dolphin Wahoo Committee will discuss the dolphin wahoo advisory panel report and receive an update on the Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) for dolphin.

     –Attachment 1a: Dolphin Wahoo Advisory Panel Summary Report

     –Attachment 1b: Revised Wahoo Fishery Performance Report

 

11:00-4:30 Snapper Grouper Committee will discuss the snapper grouper advisory panel report, private recreational reporting and reconsider submittal of red snapper Amendment 35.

     –SG AP Report

     –Attachment 2a: Amendment 46 Decision Document

     –Attachment 2b: Amendment 46 Draft Amendment

     –Attachment 6a: Draft Regulatory Amendment 35

     –Attachment 6b: Presentation on Approach for Snapper Grouper Management and Ending Overfishing of Red Snapper

     –Attachment 6c: Approach for Snapper Grouper Management and Ending Overfishing of Red Snapper – Detailed Timeline

 

4:30-5:00 Comments from Janet Coit, Assistant Administrator for NOAA Fisheries

 

Wednesday December 6th

9:00-6:00 FISHstory photo scanning day, bring historic fishing photos from the 1940s-1980s to help document catch and size of fish before catch monitoring programs were in place.

     –FISHstory Scanning Event

 

8:30-3:45 Continued Snapper Grouper Committee

 

4:00 Public Comment

     -You can comment in person or online. If you intend to comment online you are asked to sign up HERE

 

Thursday December 7th

8:30-10:30 Citizen Science Committee 

     –Agenda and Overview

 

10:30-12:00 Habitat and Ecosystem Committee 

     –Agenda and Overview

 

1:30-2:30 SEDAR Committee 

     –Agenda and Overview

 

2:30-5:00 Council Session II

     –Agenda and Overview

 

Friday December 8th

9:00-12:00 Continued Council Session II

 

The SAFMC only meets in North Carolina once a year and if you want to talk to the council and/or council staff in person this is your closest opportunity until next December. As always if you have questions or concerns please reach out.

 

Thomas Newman

Fisheries Liaison 

Thomasnewman@ncfish.org