From February 1-4, 2021, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASFMC) will host their 2021 Winter Meeting (go to ASMFC.org for details).
ASMFC is a commission of U.S. states formed to coordinate and manage fishery resources along the Atlantic coastal waters of the United States inside of 3 miles. Formed by 15 Atlantic coast states in 1942 and chartered by Congress in 1950, ASMFC serves as a deliberative body to coordinate conservation and management of the states’ shared near-shore fishery resources from Maine to Florida.
At the ASMFC, each member state gets one vote and is represented by three Commissioners: the director for the state’s marine fisheries management agency, a member of the state legislature, and an individual appointed by the governor. Members of the state legislature, their proxy and those individuals appointed by the governor have expenses covered for their time spent on ASMFC meetings, but they are not paid.
On the other hand, appointed members of the Mid Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC) are paid (roughly $450) for their work. MAFMC members will meet virtually from Tuesday, February 9 through Thursday, February 11, 2021 (go to MAFMC.org for details).
MAFMC is one of eight regional fishery management councils created when Congress passed the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976, the federal law which manages our saltwater fisheries. MAFMC is ultimately responsible for the conservation and management of fishery resources within the federal 200-mile limit of the Atlantic off the coasts of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina.
The council is made up of 21 voting members and four non-voting members. Perspective council members are first nominated by the governor of the respective state and ultimately must get appointed to each three-year term by the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Whatever final decisions on fisheries like striped bass, tautog, black sea bass, porgies or summer flounder come out of those ASMFC and MAFMC meetings will be thoroughly discussed and reviewed on Thursday, March 4 when the New Jersey Marine Fisheries Council (NJMFC) convenes for their next virtual meeting (go to www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/mcnclmtg.htm).
NJMFC is one of several councils and committees involved in managing fish and wildlife resources in the state and is ultimately tasked with advising the Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) on various issues and management programs related to marine fishery resources. The Council has 11 members representing recreational and commercial fishermen, fish processors, the general public and the Atlantic Coast and Delaware Bay sections of the Shellfisheries Council.
For anglers who like to know how their “fish sausages” are ground up, these webinars from the ASMFC, MAFMC and NJMFC are a good starting point this winter!
