July 3, 2019

Sector series: Northeast groundfish meetings start July 18

Jessica Hathaway

Guest Author:

Groundfish meetings — The New England Fishery Management Council will hold a series of meetings this summer as part of its mandatory review of the groundfish sector management system.

The New England Fishery Management Council will hold a series of meetings this summer as part of its mandatory review of the groundfish sector management system. These hearings will serve to gather public comments, which can also be submitted directly to the council in writing through Aug. 19 at 5 p.m.

The review focuses on the first six years of the catch share program under Amendment 16 to the FMP, from May 1, 2010, through April 30, 2016. Information prior to the program’s implementation will be included for the period of May 1, 2007, through April 30, 2010.

Each meeting runs from 4:30 to 7 p.m.

Ellsworth, Maine – July 18 at the Moore Community Center, 5 General Moore Way

Portland, Maine – July 19 at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, 350 Commercial Street

Hyannis, Mass. – July 23 at the Hyannis Youth and Community Center, 141 Bassett Lane

Plymouth, Mass. – July 24 at Plymouth Library, 132 South Street

Gloucester, Mass. – July 25 at Gloucester Library, 2 Dale Avenue

Portsmouth, N.H. – July 26 at Portsmouth High School, 50 Andrew Jarvis Drive

Riverhead, N.Y. – Aug. 14 at the Kermit W. Graf Building, Cornell Cooperative Extension, 423 Griffing Avenue

Point Judith, R.I. – Aug. 15 at the Narragansett Office of Town Managers, 25 Fifth Avenue, Narragansett

New Bedford, Mass. – Aug. 16 at Fairfield Inn and Suites, 185 MacArthur Drive

The council expects to receive summaries of the input from the public meetings as well as written comments at its September meeting in Gloucester, Mass.

Gulf of Maine Research Institute is contracted to conduct the port meetings, and MRAG Americas will support the technical working group conducing the review. MRAG Americas is contracted to:

Facilitate working group meetings;
Research and summarize pertinent information, and coordinate working group review documents;
Assist with developing and writing the draft Catch Shares Program Review document; and
Present the draft document to the Groundfish Plan Development Team, Groundfish and Recreational Advisory Panels, Scientific and Statistical Committee, Groundfish Committee, and the full council.

You can submit written comments via email [email protected], via fax (978) 465-3116 or by mail:

Tom Nies, Executive Director
New England Fishery Management Council
50 Water St., Mill 2
Newburyport, MA 01950

If you have questions about the review process, contact Dr. Jamie Cournane, the council’s groundfish plan coordinator, at (978) 465-0492 ext. 103 or [email protected].