Greetings all, several items:

Comments on 2014 MSB specs are due to NMFS by February 10, 2014: http://www.nero.noaa.gov/regs/2014/January/14smb2014specspr.html.

Comments on MSB Framework 8 are due to NMFS by March 3, 2014: http://www.nero.noaa.gov/regs/2014/January/14smbfw8pr.html. Framework 8 considers modifications to the butterfish cap. Council action was a while ago but it took a while to wrap up the NEPA work because of other ongoing MSB actions.

There is an Advisory Panel (AP) meeting (webinar) on Framework 9 (Slippage) 2pm Monday Feb 10: http://www.mafmc.org/council-events/2014/mackerel-squid-butterfish-advisory-panel-meeting.

There may be an open comment agenda item if time allows, but the focus will be on AP input. The Council is scheduled to take action on Framework 9 Wednesday February 12: http://www.mafmc.org/briefing/february-2014 (see Tab 2 - if the tab doesn’t open automatically when you click on it, right click on it to save it to your computer).

Also on Wednesday February 12 the Council is getting a first look at work done on the Omnibus Observer Funding Amendment. It considers setting up a framework for industry-funded observer coverage and possibly establishing such a program for Atlantic herring and Atlantic mackerel at the same time. More on this to come later…

The butterfish assessment review in Woods Hole last week went well, and it looks like we might actually get some reference points! I’ll pass along the report once it is completed.

I’ve been getting some calls asking me if there are any plans to change access to the squid (longfin and Illex) fisheries. While the Council has discussed that only a fraction of the squid permits harvest most of the squid in a given year, and there is some general concern about what would happen if lots more latent vessels became active, there are no changes currently being considered or developed by the Council. That could change in the future, but it would likely take 2-3 years of work once begun and involve lots of public notice/comment/etc. The Council did establish new squid control dates last year (in case there is a surge of effort in the future), but that is it:

http://www.nero.noaa.gov/regs/2013/May/13smblongfinbutterfishcontroldatefr.pdf, http://www.nero.noaa.gov/regs/2013/August/13smbillexcontroldatefr.pdf.

All for now,
Thanks,
Jason

Jason Didden
Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Plan Coordinator
jdidden@mafmc.org
www.mafmc.org
(302) 526-5254 (direct)
(302) 397-1131 (cell)
(302) 674-5399 (fax)