2019 New England Recreational Fishing Workshops

NOAA Fisheries’ Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office is hosting three workshops to provide an opportunity for stakeholder input on developing potential short- and long-term management approaches for the recreational fishing community. Workshops are scheduled for October 19, 22, and 24.

Workshop/Conference |
New England/Mid-Atlantic

About

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Workshop Purpose and Goal

Through a collaborative process, we will develop potential management approaches for the recreational groundfish fishery that balance the need to prevent overfishing with enabling profitability in the for-hire fleet and worthwhile fishing opportunities for anglers.

Objectives

  1. Long-term: Think creatively about how the recreational groundfish fishery could be managed to improve alignment with angler and for-hire captain needs, including how to meaningfully use the new Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) data.
  2. Short-term: Develop short-term steps for achieving potential long-term management approaches that achieve, but not exceed, recreational catch limits, including Gulf of Maine cod and haddock. See the Recreational Management Measures Toolbox.
  3. Assess and evaluate available research around: methods for avoidance and reduction of bycatch mortality, calculation methods for dead discards, and  release methods. We will also identify gaps for future research.
  4. Develop methods to regularly engage with captains and anglers throughout the season to get feedback on catch and trends, and develop ideas on how to enhance coordination between NOAA Fisheries, state partners, scientists, and the recreational fishing community.

Registration

Registration opens to the general public on August 26th. Registration will be free, but please be sure to register early once registration opens because space will be limited. The agendas are posted below in the 'Schedule' section.

All stakeholders, including private anglers, for-hire vessel captains and owners, as well as charter boat customers, are encouraged to attend. Stakeholders may request a travel stipend for mileage. Registration is free, though space is limited, so please register in advance through Eventbrite for one of the following workshops:

October 19: Plymouth, Massachusetts

October 22: Portsmouth, New Hampshire

October 24: Narrangansett, Rhode Island

After the Workshops

These workshops will provide an opportunity to brainstorm short- and long-term approaches for possible future recreational fisheries management strategies. The findings of these workshops will be summarized and shared with the New England Fishery Management Council, including its Groundfish Committee and Recreational Advisory Panel. Any recommendations would be considered within the current Council process for developing recreational management measures with input from all groundfish stakeholders and the public.

Contacts

For more information, contact Moira Kelly, Recreational Fisheries Coordinator, Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office or Jessica Joyce, Meeting Planner and Facilitator, Tidal Bay Consulting, LLC.

Schedule

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3

DRAFT AGENDA

New England Recreational Fishing Workshop

October 19th, 2019

Plymouth, MA

Hotel 1620, 180 Water St., Plymouth, MA

8:30     Registration (Standish Meeting Room)

9:00     Opening Remarks 

  • Welcome – Moira Kelly (Recreational Fisheries Coordinator, Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office, GARFO)
  • Agenda review – Jessica Joyce (Facilitator, Tidal Bay Consulting)

9:15     Status of the Recreational Fishery

  • Presentations
    • Federal fisheries management primer, Jamie Cournane (Groundfish Fishery Analyst, New England Fishery Management Council, NEFMC)
    • Marine Recreational Information Program overview, Moira Kelly (GARFO)
    • Trends in recreational catch, Scott Steinback (Economist, Northeast Fisheries Science Center, NEFSC)
    • Update on groundfish stock assessments, TBD (Population Dynamics Branch staff, NEFSC)
  • Question & Answer

10:45   Break

 

Research

 

11:00   Recent Fisheries Research

  • Presentations
    • Deriving release survival estimates and best practices for promoting survival in the Gulf of Maine recreational groundfish fishery, Matt Ayer (Recreational Fisheries Biologist, MA Division of Marine Fisheries)
    • Gulf of Maine cod bycatch minimization, TBD
    • Update on the Atlantic cod stock structure working group, Richard McBride (Chief, Population Biology Branch, NEFSC)
  • Group discussion

12:00   Lunch

 

Management Approaches and Data Utility

 

12:45   Long-term Management Approaches

  • Break-out groups – Discussion around specific questions to generate ideas and potential long-term management approaches.

1:45     Long-term Management Approaches (continued)

  • Group discussion

2:15     Short-term Management Approaches

  • Presentation – Recreational measures toolbox, Member/Staff (NEFMC Recreational Advisory Panel)
  • Break-out groups – Considering long-term approaches as well as existing measures and new ideas, how can we take steps in the short-term to achieve but not exceed quotas?

3:30     Break

3:45     Short-term Management Approaches (continued)

  • Group discussion

 

Next Steps

 

4:45     Next Steps

  • Council and regulatory process – Jamie Cournane (NEFMC) and Moira Kelly (GARFO)
  • Workshop report – Jessica Joyce (Tidal Bay Consulting)

5:00     Adjourn

DRAFT AGENDA

New England Recreational Fishing Workshop

October 22, 2019

Portsmouth, NH

Hilton Garden Inn, 100 High St., Portsmouth, NH

8:30     Registration (Penhallow Meeting Room)

9:00     Opening Remarks 

  • Welcome – Moira Kelly (Recreational Fisheries Coordinator, Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office, GARFO)
  • Agenda review – Jessica Joyce (Facilitator, Tidal Bay Consulting)

9:15     Status of the Recreational Fishery

  • Presentations
    • Federal fisheries management primer, Jamie Cournane (Groundfish Fishery Analyst, New England Fishery Management Council, NEFMC)
    • Marine Recreational Information Program overview, Moira Kelly (GARFO)
    • Trends in recreational catch, Scott Steinback (Economist, Northeast Fisheries Science Center, NEFSC)
    • Update on groundfish stock assessments, TBD (Population Dynamics Branch staff, NEFSC)
  • Question & Answer

10:45   Break

 

Research

 

11:00   Recent Fisheries Research

  • Presentations
    • Deriving release survival estimates and best practices for promoting survival in the Gulf of Maine recreational groundfish fishery, TBD
    • Gulf of Maine cod bycatch minimization, TBD
  • Group discussion

12:00   Lunch

 

Management Approaches and Data Utility

 

12:45   Long-term Management Approaches

  • Break-out groups – Discussion around specific questions to generate ideas and potential long-term management approaches.

1:45     Long-term Management Approaches (continued)

  • Group discussion

2:15     Short-term Management Approaches

  • Presentation – Recreational measures toolbox, Member/Staff (NEFMC Recreational Advisory Panel)
  • Break-out groups – Considering long-term approaches as well as existing measures and new ideas, how can we take steps in the short-term to achieve but not exceed quotas?

3:30     Break

3:45     Short-term Management Approaches (continued)

  • Group discussion

 

Next Steps

 

4:45     Next Steps

  • Council and regulatory process – Jamie Cournane (NEFMC) and Moira Kelly (GARFO)
  • Workshop report – Jessica Joyce (Tidal Bay Consulting)

5:00     Adjourn

DRAFT AGENDA

New England Recreational Fishing Workshop

October 24, 2019

University of Rhode Island, Coastal Institute Building

Narragansett Bay Campus, 215 South Ferry Rd., Narragansett, RI

8:30     Registration (Hazard A & B Meeting Rooms)

9:00     Opening Remarks 

  • Welcome – Moira Kelly (Recreational Fisheries Coordinator, Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office, GARFO)
  • Agenda review – Jessica Joyce (Facilitator, Tidal Bay Consulting)

9:15     Status of the Recreational Fishery

  • Presentations
    • Federal fisheries management primer, Jamie Cournane (Groundfish Fishery Analyst, New England Fishery Management Council, NEFMC)
    • Marine Recreational Information Program overview, Moira Kelly (GARFO)
    • Trends in recreational catch, Scott Steinback (Economist, Northeast Fisheries Science Center, NEFSC)
    • Update on groundfish stock assessments, TBD (Population Dynamics Branch staff, NEFSC
  • Question & Answer

10:45   Break

 

Research

 

11:00   Status of Recreational Fisheries Research

  • Presentations
    • Deriving release survival estimates and best practices for promoting survival in the Gulf of Maine recreational groundfish fishery, TBD
    • Atlantic cod in southern New England: are they climate deniers? Joseph Langan (PhD Candidate, University of Rhode Island)
    • A hook and line reconnaissance survey assessing the relative prevalence of Atlantic cod spawning aggregations at and near the South Forth Wind Farm, Brian Gervelis (Project Scientist, Inspire Environmental)
  • Group Discussion

12:00   Lunch

 

Management Approaches and Data Utility

 

12:45   Long-term Management Approaches

  • Break-out groups – Discussion around specific questions to generate ideas and potential long-term management approaches.

1:45     Long-term Management Approaches (continued)

  • Group discussion

2:15     Short-term Management Approaches

  • Presentation – Recreational measures toolbox, Member/Staff (NEFMC Recreational Advisory Panel)
  • Break-out groups – Considering long-term approaches as well as existing measures and new ideas, how can we take steps in the short-term to achieve but not exceed quotas?

3:30     Break

3:45     Short-term Management Approaches (continued)

  • Group discussion

 

Next Steps

 

4:45     Next Steps

  • Council and regulatory process – Jamie Cournane (NEFMC) and Moira Kelly (GARFO)
  • Workshop report – Jessica Joyce (Tidal Bay Consulting)

5:00     Adjourn

Last updated by Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office on 08/16/2019