The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council is seeking public input on potential modifications to the Summer Flounder Small Mesh Exemption Program and the flynet exemption from the summer flounder minimum mesh size requirements. Interested stakeholders are invited to provide comments during a webinar to be held on April 2, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. The Council is particularly interested in input from participants in commercial trawl fisheries who utilize the Small Mesh Exemption Program and/or flynet exemption.

Register for the Webinar

The Council is considering these changes through a joint framework action/addendum being developed jointly with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Board (Board). The Council and Board are seeking comments to inform their consideration of a draft range of alternatives at their April 2024 joint meeting.

• Small Mesh Exemption Program Area Revisions: The Small Mesh Exemption Program currently allows trawl vessels to obtain a Letter of Authorization (LOA) to land more than 200 pounds of summer flounder east of longitude 72° 30.0'W, from November 1 through April 30, using mesh smaller than 5.5-inch diamond or 6.0-inch square. The Council and Board will consider modifications to the boundaries of the exempted area, including evaluating suggested revisions made by fishing industry representatives during the Fall 2023 review process for this exemption.
• Flynet Exemption Gear Definition Updates: Current regulations provide an exemption to the minimum mesh size requirements for vessels fishing with a two-seam otter trawl flynet. Through this action, the Council and Board will consider modifying the regulatory definition of a flynet in light of changes in the use and configuration of commercial trawl gear since this exemption was put in place in the 1990s.

An overview of draft alternatives will be posted to the calendar page prior to the meeting. Additional background and context for the action is available on the Summer Flounder Commercial Mesh Size Exemptions Framework/Addendum action webpage.

Written comments can be emailed to Kiley Dancy at kdancy@mafmc.org, and will be included in the Council and Board’s April meeting materials if received by 5p.m. on Thursday, April 4, 2024. Please contact Kiley for more information, or visit the framework/addendum action page.

FEBRUARY 20,2024 

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is conducting six scoping meetings to solicit comments regarding the range of alternatives to consider in Amendment 10 (A10) to the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The Council is proposing to take action through A10 to address spatial and temporal allocation and management of Atlantic herring at the management unit level to minimize user conflicts, contribute to optimum yield and support rebuilding of the resource. The Council is also proposing to take action to enhance river herring (alewife and blueback herring) and shad (American shad and hickory shad) avoidance and other catch reduction measures to better support ongoing coastwide restoration efforts for those species. The Council is scheduling the scoping meetings in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and the National Environmental Policy Act.

Wednesday, March 27 - 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Hampton Inn 12 Kendall Rae Place
Buzzards Bay, MA 02532
Phone: (508) 444-4508

View the full details and schedule of all six upcoming scoping meetings.

Council staff will brief the public on the A10 scoping document before receiving comments on the proposed amendment. The document is available on the Council’s website or by contacting the Council office.

Written comments must be received on or before 8 a.m. EST, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. Comments should be addressed to Cate O’Keefe, PhD, Executive Director, New England Fishery Management Council, 50 Water Street, Mill #2, Newburyport, MA 01950; and sent by mail or email: comments@nefmc.org. Please note on your correspondence; “Atlantic Herring Amendment 10 Scoping Comments.”

FEBRUARY 20,2024 

South Fork Wind (owned by Ørsted) announced that their eligibility application for direct compensation has opened for commercial and recreational fishing vessels that have experienced economic impacts from construction and/or interruptions during operation from offshore wind vessels operating in the South Fork Wind Project Area. PKF O’Connor Davis (PKFOD), the third-party administrator for South Fork Wind, will be reviewing and processing eligibility and direct compensation claims. For commercial vessels, information required for determining eligibility is Vessel Trip Report (VTR) data (if filed with NMFS), Massachusetts trip-level reporting data (electronic or paper), or tax returns for three years prior to construction or interruptions to fishing from offshore wind vessels operating with within the South Fork Wind Project Area. Optional documents to include consist of chart-plotter data within the South Fork Wind area, logbooks, vessel monitoring system (VMS) or observer program data relevant to your vessel. For for-hire party/charter boat vessels, required documentation includes eTRIPS Desktop or Mobile trip data submitted to NMFS for three years prior construction or interruptions to fishing from offshore wind vessels operating with within the South Fork Wind Project Area. Optional documentation for-hire vessels include other electronic information, such as chart-plotter data or logbooks. All applicants (for-hire and commercial) will also need to provide proof of either Massachusetts residency or demonstrate the vessel’s homeport is in Massachusetts. A map of the South Fork Wind Project Area is provided below.  

Ørsted also has a Navigational Enhancement and Training Program (NETP) that offers vouchers for professional training, pulse compression radar systems, and new or upgraded Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) transceivers for eligible MA commercial and for-hire fisherman. Currently, eligibility for the NETP is contingent upon eligibility for fisheries direct compensation. While Ørsted funds this program, claim eligibility is administered through the third-party administrator (PKFOD). Voucher limits towards purchasing and installation of pre-approved equipment for navigation equipment for commercial vessels (US Coast Guard inspected) is $10,000 and $5,000 for for-hire vessels. For training, vessel owners may nominate two crew members for professional mariner training at a preapproved training facility (up to $1,000 vouchers each for crew members).

For more information and eligibility applications on the direct compensation process :  https://www.fisheriescompensationprogram.com/massachusetts-fisheries-direct-compensation-program

MA fisheries direct compensation program eligibility application: Click here.

Once deemed eligible, complete the claim application form found here.

Email address to send eligibility and claim applications: SouthForkFisheriesClaims@pkfod.com ‍

For more information about Ørsted’s Navigational Enhancement and Training Program, click here. 

Contact information for the third-party administrator (PKFOD)

PKFOD Phone: (781) 937-5737

General Claims Email: SouthForkFisheriesClaims@pkfod.com

Beth da Silva (CPA, CFF)- edasilva@pkfod.com

Tom Pannell (CPA,CFF)- tpannell@pkfod.com