Sending comments? Written comments must be received at the NEFMC office no later than 8 a.m., Thursday, September 20, 2018 to be considered at this meeting. Please address comments to Council Chairman Dr. John Quinn or Executive Director Tom Nies at: NEFMC, 50 Water St., Mill 2, Newburyport, MA 01950. Email submissions should be sent to comments@nefmc.org.

Monday, September 24, 2018

2:00 p.m. Introductions and Announcements (Chairman Dr. John Quinn)

2:05 Swearing-In of Reappointed Council Members (Regional Administrator Mike Pentony)

2:15 Election of 2018-2019 Officers

2:35 Reports on Recent Activities Council Chairman, Council Executive Director, Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO) Regional Administrator, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) General Counsel, Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC), Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), U.S. Coast Guard, NOAA Enforcement

4:05 Small-Mesh Multispecies (Whiting) Committee Report (Vincent Balzano)

Tuesday, September 25, 2018

8:30 a.m.Research Set-Aside Program (RSA) Review (Dr. Mike Sissenwine)

9:00 Atlantic Herring and Atlantic Sea Scallop Benchmark Stock Assessments (Dr. Jim Weinberg, NEFSC)

10:15 Scallop Committee Report (Vincent Balzano)

12:30 p.m.Lunch Break

1:45 Atlantic Herring Committee Report (Peter Kendall)

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

8:30 a.m.Revised Stock Assessment Process (Deputy Director Chris Kellogg)

9:15 Northeast Trawl Advisory Panel (Terry Stockwell)

9:30 Transboundary Resources Assessment Committee (TRAC) Report (Kathy Sosebee, NEFSC)

10:15 Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) Report Part 1 (SSC Chair Jason McNamee)

10:35 Transboundary Management Guidance Committee (TMGC) Report (Terry Stockwell)

11:05 Scientific and Statistical Committee Report Part 2 (SSC Chair Jason McNamee)

11:45 Groundfish Committee Report (Terry Stockwell)

12:25 p.m.Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) (Brian Hooker)

12:30 Lunch Break

1:45 Groundfish Committee Report Continued

2:45 Open Period for Public Comment Opportunity for the public to provide brief comments on issues relevant to Council business but not listed on this agenda (please limit remarks to 3-5 minutes)

3:00 Council Program Review (Executive Director Tom Nies)

3:30 Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Advisory Panel (AP) (Rick Bellavance)

3:45 North Atlantic Shortfin Mako Sharks (NMFS/NOAA Fisheries HMS Staff)

4:15 Marine Recreational Information Program (Richard Cody, NOAA Fisheries)

Thursday, September 27, 2018

8:30 a.m.2019 Council Priorities – Initial Discussion (Executive Director Tom Nies)

9:30 Habitat Committee Report (Doug Grout)

11:30 Research Steering Committee Report (Dr. Matt McKenzie)

12:30 p.m.Lunch Break

1:30 Legislative Update (David Whaley)

1:45 Ecosystem-Based Fishery Management (EBFM) (Dr. Lisa Kerr; John Pappalardo)

3:45 Skate Report (Dr. Matt McKenzie)

4:05 Fisheries Allocation Policy Directive (Executive Director Tom Nies)

4:35 Other Business

This meeting will be recorded. Consistent with 16 USC 1852, a copy of the recording is available upon request.

We welcome all members of Maine’s vibrant seafood industry to join us for the 2018 Seafood Industry Gubernatorial Forum. Hosted in Rockland, we have invited candidates for Governor: Alan Caron, Janet Mills, Shawn Moody, and Terry Hayes for Governor. This is your opportunity to hear their stances on industry issues and the future they see for those work on and around the Gulf of Maine.

Host Committee Organizations: Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association, Maine Lobstermen’s Association, IAMAW Maine Lobstering Union – Local 207, Alewife Harvesters of Maine, Maine Lobster Dealers’ Association, and the Maine Aquaculture Association.

Tickets are FREE, but we do ask that you RSVP to the event.

You can RSVP on Facebook or Eventbrite, see links below.

https://www.facebook.com/events/246959472609785/

https://maineseafoodgubernatorialforum.eventbrite.com