The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) is holding its 2026 Summer Meeting from August 4-6 at the Westin Crystal City, 1800 Richmond Highway in Arlington, VA. For those interested, this week’s meeting will be streamed online.
For over 80 years, the Commission has served as a deliberative body of the Atlantic coastal states, coordinating the conservation and management of 27 nearshore fish species. Each state is represented on the ASMFC by three Commissioners: the director of the state’s marine fisheries management agency, a state legislator, and an individual appointed by the state’s governor to represent stakeholder interests.
This week in Arlington the ASMFC and its commissioners will be tackling a number of issues, but notably for Northeast anglers are pending discussions on the ASMFC agenda pertaining to winter flounder, blackfish and menhaden.
On Tuesday, August 4, the ASMFC’s Winter Flounder Management Board will meet from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. to consider a Technical Committee report on potential impacts of increasing the bag limit in Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic regional flounder. Then from 2:45 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. on Tuesday the ASMFC’s Tautog Management Board will consider approval of Draft Addendum I for public comment, Measures to Address Changes in Stock Status for New Jersey-New York Bight and Delaware-Maryland-Virginia Stock Units. It’s expected that this discussion will ultimately lead to cutbacks in the tautog harvest heading into the 2027 season.
On Wednesday, August 5, the ASMFC’s Atlantic Menhaden Management Board will meet from 2 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. to consider approval of Draft Addendum II for public comment, Modifying the Chesapeake Bay Reduction Fishery Cap. Ultimately, this particular board will be deliberating impacts to the ocean bait fishery that stem from changes in Chesapeake Bay Reduction Fishery Cap, while also considering 2027-2029 specifications for Atlantic menhaden.
For details and webinar link go to ASMFC.org.
