NOAA Fisheries Service’s new Northeast Regional Administrator, John Bullard, has been holding a series of public meetings around the region.  His goal was to learn more from fishermen, scientists, environmentalists, seafood dealers and processors, the aquaculture industry and other members of the interested public about not only the challenges they are facing, but also what success looks like.   Here are some of the key points raised during each discussion.

In the wake of the Independence Day boating tragedy on Long Island Sound, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer, N.Y., introduced legislation that would require the posting of capacity limits on boats over 20 feet.

“In light of the Coast Guard’s refusal to act, Schumer introduced the Boating Capacity Standards Act of 2012, which will require the Coast Guard to develop capacity limits for boats over 20 feet in length and require capacity limits to be posted on all new boats to help prevent future tragedies,” Schumer’s office said in a statement.

This notice announces EPA's decision to identify certain water quality limited waters and the associated pollutant to be listed pursuant to the Clean Water Act on New York's list of impaired waters, and requests public comment. The Act requires that States submit, and EPA approve or disapprove, lists of waters for which existing technology-based pollution controls are not stringent enough to attain or maintain State water quality standards and for which total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) must be prepared.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) Staff will hold the second meeting of the Visioning and Strategic Planning Working Group. During this meeting, the group will finalize draft vision and mission statements, perform an abridged analysis of the Council's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, and develop a goal structure for the strategic plan.

The meeting will be held on Friday, September 21, 2012, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The National Marine Fisheries Service maintains the current General category (commercial) daily retention limit of three large medium or giant Atlantic bluefin tuna  (measuring 73" or greater) per vessel per day/trip for September 1 through December 31, 2012.  This limit applies to vessels permitted in the Atlantic tunas General category, and to vessels permitted in the HMS Charter/Headboat category while fishing commercially.  

Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA) chief of staff Rob Simms is leaving, and will be replaced by current deputy chief of staff Stephen Martinko. Kelley Halliwell will be deputy chief of staff, Jamie Boone Biondi will serve as legislative director, and Brittany Psyhogios-Smith will be a staff assistant

The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries recently announced the availability of grants for fiscal year (FY) 2013 and are currently seeking applications. Only Virginia localities are eligible. These grants will assist cities, counties and towns in providing public opportunities for boating access facilities and will also support the development, renovation or improvement of existing public boating access facilities.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) and its Strategic Planning Working Group, its Ecosystem and Ocean Planning Committee, and its Executive Committee
will hold public meetings.

The meetings will be held Monday, August 13, 2012 through Thursday, August 16, 2012. 

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announces final quota specifications for the 2012 bluefin tuna fisheries. NMFS is adjusting the ann!lal U.S. baseline bluefin tuna quota that was recommended for 2011 and for 2012 by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) to account for underharvest of the adjusted 2011 U.S. bluefin tuna quota, and is accounting for half of the estimated 2012 dead discards up front (i.e., at the beginning of the fishing year). As detailed below, the·final rufe: 

The Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) and the Bluefish, Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Monitoring Committees of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold meetings.

The SSC will meet Wednesday and Thursday, July 25-26, 2012 beginning at 10 a.m. on July 25 and conclude by 3 p.m. on July 26. In addition, a meeting of the Council Monitoring Committees for bluefish, summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass will also be held on Friday, July 27, 2012 beginning at 8:30 a.m. and conclude by 5 p.m.