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/
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.
–Attachment 2a: Amendment 46 Decision Document
–Attachment 2b: Amendment 46 Draft Amendment
–Attachment 6a: Draft Regulatory Amendment 35
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.
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
10:30-12:00 Habitat and Ecosystem Committee
1:30-2:30 SEDAR Committee
2:30-5:00 Council Session II
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
