MFCN Winter 2007

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In this Issue...

Vol. 12, Issue 1

March 2007

Letter from the

Executive Director

Federal Government

Receives B+ on

Fisheries

New Developments

at the Network

New Network

Member

Pacific Update

Gulf of Mexico

Update

Mid-Atlantic

Update

South Atlantic

Update

Calendar

2

3

4-5

5

6

6

7

7

8

President Signs Magnuson-Stevens Act

N et w or k N ew sN et w or k N ew sN et w or k N ew sN et w or k N ew sN et w or k N ew s

~~~~~~

The Marine Fish

Conservation Network(Network) is a coalition of

more than 190 environmental

organizations, commercial

and recreational fishing

associations, and marine

science groups that advocates

national policies to achieve

healthy oceans and

productive fisheries. Please

visit:

www.conservefish.org

In early December 2006, the last hours of the 109th

Congress saw the passage of the Magnuson-

Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management

Reauthorization Act of 2006. The President

signed the bill into law on January 12 th, finalizing

reauthorization of the MSA, which increases

protections for fishermen, ocean wildlife, and

marine environments around the country.

The Network would like to thank Congress,particularly Senators Stevens and Inouye,

Representatives Rahall, Allen, and Farr, and their

staff for all of their hard work on the legislation.

The Network also thanks President Bush for his

strong stance against overfishing throughout the

process.

One of the most important improvements in the

law is the provision that requires an end to

overfishing on depleted fish populations within

two years. Another significant provision

requires Science and Statistical Committees to

provide regional fishery management councils

with scientific recommendations for setting

fishing levels and for the councils to follow the

recommendations. The law also established a

Fishery Management and Conservation Trust

Fund to provide financial assistance to fisherme

and improve fishery data.

While the reauthorization makes important

improvements to current fisheries law, it fallsshort of including some of the key

recommendations from the U.S. Commission on

Ocean Policy. For example, there are no specific

measures to broaden council representation to

include more members of the public.

The true test of the laws value lies with its

implementation. Congress has made important

strides toward responsible management on

paper; now, the National Marine Fisheries Servi

(NMFS) needs to take action to effectively

implement those improvements. NMFS should

(continued on page

White House photo by Paul Mo

President George W. Bush prepares to sign H.R. 5946, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Manageme

Reauthorization Act of 2006, Friday, Jan. 12, 2007 in the Oval Office at the White House. President Bush is joined

by, from left, Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska, Sen. Olympia Snow of Maine, Rep. Nick Rahall of West Virginia., Rep. Jim

Saxton of New Jersey, Rep. Frank Pallone of New Jersey, Rep. Don Young of Alaska, U.S. Commerce Secretary Car

Gutierrez, and Rep. Wayne Gilchrest of Maryland.

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A Letter from the Executive Director

2

MARINE FISH CONSERVATION NETWORK

MARINE FISH CON SERVATION N ETWORK

Yours for the fish and fishermen,

Lee R. Crockett

take this bill as a clear message from Congress and from President

Bush that our oceans and the people who depend on them require

better management of our ocean fisheries.

The Magnuson-Stevens Act can only be as strong as the support it

is given. One of the weakest links in that support is funding. The

Joint Ocean Commission Initiative (JOCI) issued a report card which

gave the federal government an F for new funding for ocean policy

and programs. The sobering report card explains how chronic

underinvestment has left much of our ocean-related infrastructure

in woefully poor condition, management programs struggling to

meet the information demands of decision makers, [and] ocean

scientists competing for a smaller percentage of the federal research

budget. (For more information on the JOCI report card, see article,

page 3).

In the waning hours of the 109th Congress, lawmakers passed the reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. This represented a lot of

hard work by Senators Stevens and Inouye, Representatives Rahall, Allen, and Farr, and their staffs. When the Network was asked our

opinion of the final bill prior to passage, we were torn. While the bill contained important new conservation requirements, it did little to

implement many of the fisheries management reforms that we had championed for so long. Many Network members wanted to continueworking for many of these reforms with a new Congress. After much discussion, we decided to not take a position for or against the bill.

As we have studied the legislation, we recognize there is plenty to like.

First and foremost, the final bill did not contain any of the provisions advocated by former Representative Richard Pombo to exempt

Magnuson-Stevens Act actions from coverage under NEPA or the rebuilding requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. Add to that

new requirements to establish annual science-based catch limits that prevent overfishing and new requirements to end overfishing on

depleted fish populations within two years, and the bill solidly advances conservation. Finally, the bill contains a detailed set of standard

for limited access privilege programs (LAPPs) to help enhance conservation and protect fishermen and fishing communities. These

protections are necessary because poorly designed LAPPs, like the recently established Bering Sea and Aleutian Island crab fishery, can

devastate fishing communities. In that crab fishery more than 1000 people lost their jobs, and bycatch actually increased. Thanks to the

hard work of Representative Allen and Rahall, Congress created protections to help ensure that these problems are not replicated in other

fisheries.

But passing a law is only half the battle. NMFS must now implement it. Preliminary indications regarding the NEPA and catch limit

requirements are very encouraging. The news for LAPPs is not as good. Even though the bill contains 22 pages of language describing

how LAPPs should be established and conducted, amazingly NMFS has no plans to write regulations. Instead, NMFS plans to release a

report describing implementation options. Given the amount of effort that Congress put into the LAPP standards, its clear that Congress

intended for these standards to be put into practice. We will be working closely with Congress to encourage NMFS to develop LAPP

regulations.

So, while weve finished one chapter of the Magnuson book, another is just beginning. Lets hope that this chapter also has a happy

ending.

Magnuson-Stevens Reauthorized at Last

President Sign MSA (continued)

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced

on February 8 that the agency requested a total budget of $3.8

billion, which is an increase of 3.4 percent from the Administration

2007 request. Despite the additional funds, Admiral James D.Watkins, co-chair of the JOCI, stated that, I dont think anybody

should be misled that thats enough to solve our problem. Of

NOAAs total budget, $17.1 million is dedicated to implementation

of the revised Magnuson-Stevens Act.

A portion of this funding should be used for improving scientific

data used in fishery management decisions. Some fishermen

currently object to following scientific recommendations because

they believe these recommendations are based on old or less than

comprehensive data. Increased funding will give Science and

(continued on page

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Federal Government Earns B+ for Fisheries Management

3

The Joint Ocean Commission Initiative (JOCI) issued

its U.S. Ocean Policy Report Card in January of 2007,

giving the federal government a B+ for fisheries

management reform. This relatively high grade,

which is an improvement on last years C+, is largely

a result of the successful reauthorization of theMagnuson-Stevens Act. The report card cites some

of the successes manifest in the reauthorization,

including stronger roles for science in the

management process and more clarity and rigor in the

deadlines for ending overfishing. These

improvements, though refreshing and long awaited,

should not overshadow some of the gaps in the

Magnuson-Stevens Acts conservation provisions.

While the B+ is encouraging, the government should

strive for a higher mark by adopting more of the

recommendations of the JOCI.

Now that the Magnuson-Stevens Act has beenreauthorized, the Network is calling on the National

Marine Fisheries Service to effectively implement

robust regulations so that the laws intent will be

realized. The federal government must also produce

a healthy budget to implement these regulations.

The JOCI report card gave the government an F in

the area of new funding for ocean policy and

programs. This grade is indicative of the federal

governments abysmal record of financial support for

sea programs. The Network is encouraging

Congress to designate the necessary fiscal resources

for MSA implementation and enforcement. Without

wind in its sails, this ship cannot embark.

Statistical Committees updated data to make informed and

responsible decisions about the various ecosystems and fish

populations for which they are responsible.

The Network plans to take advantage of the various opportunities

in the NMFS implementation process to provide recommendations

about the new fishery regulations. Specifically, the Network will

work with NMFS as it develops regulations for National Standard 1

of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, which mandates against

overfishing, and for complying with the National Environmental

Policy Act. The Network will also be pushing for regulations for

limited access privilege programs (LAPPs). The failure to set strong

regulations for LAPPs would allow councils to implement programs

that could ultimately hurt fishermen and the fish populations on

which they rely.

We encourage NMFS to create regulations that clearly require

regional councils to follow the spirit of the law and maintain

sustainable fisheries. The Network plans to participate in listenin

sessions and public hearings, and we will also encourage Congreto hold oversight hearings if federal fishery managers do not fully

implement the law in a timely manner.

The Presidents signing of this important law was an occasion for

celebration, but federal fishery managers have much work left to d

The Network looks forward to working with NMFS and the region

councils to successfully implement the revised Magnuson-Steven

Act in order to move our ocean fisheries toward a healthier and

more sustainable future.

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4

New Developments at the Network

The Board of DirectorsThe Board of Directors is directly responsible for hiring the Executive Director. It also manages the financial and operational dynamics of

the Marine Fish Conservation Network. We would like to celebrate the recent additions to our Board of Directors:

On the heels of the recent reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, we are proud to announce some exciting new developments at

the Marine Fish Conservation Network. The Network recently announced its new status as an independent non-profit, complete with a

newly elected Board of Directors, a new mission statement, and a new logo. We also introduced our new initiatives now that the

Magnuson-Stevens Act has been reauthorized, namely a dedicated campaign to ensure that the new law is fully implemented and a

collaboration with the National Coalition for Marine Conservation on its new Forage First! initiative to move fisheries management

toward an ecosystem-based approach. The Network is also proud to announce an important partnership with the conservation-mindedapparel retailer, Patagonia.

The New Logo and Mission StatementPatagonia designed our new Network logo. The Network had been

looking for a symbol that would better reflect our intent to protect

our oceans and to support the fishermen and other people who

depend upon them. We are thrilled to introduce our new logo, and

we thank Patagonia for its bold and creative design that better

reflects the Networks mission.

The Network is also unveiling its new mission statement:The Marine Fish Conservation Network

advocates national policies to achieve healthy oceans and productive fisheries.

Jay Nelson, Pew Charitable Trusts (President of the Network

Board of Directors) Jay Nelson is employed with the Pew

Charitable Trusts as director of the Ocean Legacy Project, an effortto protect large ocean ecosystems. He was previously Oceanas

Vice President for North American Oceans and prior to that was a

program officer with the Pew Charitable Trusts responsible for their

marine conservation portfolio. Jay was also working on contract to

the Regional Marine Conservation Project to achieve permanent

and full protection of the Northwest Hawaiian Islands, which were

recently designated as a national monument. This designation is a

historic conservation success and a point of pride for the Bush

Administration and the many, including Jay, who helped make it

possible.

Michelle Pilliod, Pilliod Meeting Planning Michelle has owned

and operated her full-service, strategic planning and incentives

company, Pilliod Meeting Planning, for the past fourteen years. She

provides custom, professional meeting designs for an impressively

diverse clientele. She was honored in 2000 as the Marriot

Corporations Meeting Planner of the Year and was the company

keynote speaker the annual Marriott TQM meeting in Cancun,

Mexico. She has published articles in meeting and planning trade

magazines, and she regularly coaches seminars at companies with

in-house conference planning departments on how to plan and

execute effective and budget-friendly meetings and incentive

programs.

Gerald Leape, National Environmental Trust (Co-Chair of the

Network) In addition to Co-Chairing the Network, Gerry serves a

Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Antarctic and SouthernOcean Coalition. He is vice president of the Marine Conservation

program at the National Environmental Trust (NET) and prior to

that, he was primary spokesperson for whale and fisheries issues

Greenpeace U.S.A. Gerry has been involved in politics, fundraisin

and advocacy for twenty-three years.

Peter Huhtala, Pacific Marine Conservation Council (Co-Chair o

the Network) A native of Astoria, Oregon, Peter Huhtala is Senio

Policy Director for Pacific Marine Conservation Council (PMCC), a

West Coast non-profit organization that advocates for sustainable

fisheries and a healthy marine environment. Peter coordinates

PMCCs directed work with state and federal managers, legislators

and allied groups. He is an active member of the board of advisors

for Columbia Riverkeeper, where he previously served as presiden

Peter has strong ties to the West Coast fishing community and is

well-known for his voracious advocacy on behalf of estuary and

marine environments. He somehow finds time to write songs,

perform, and record.

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5

A Partnership with PatagoniaAs a part of our commitment to ensuring a future for Americas fish and

fishermen, the Network has entered into a partnership with Patagonia, a

clothing retailer renowned for its dedication to conservation-oriented causes.

Patagonia periodically launches environmental campaigns to raise awareness

of threats to our wild landscapes; the companys 2006-7 Oceans as Wilderness campaign focuses on the plight of the oceans. Patagonhas also pledged its support for the Networks grassroots fundraising efforts by contributing a generous grant. In January 2007, Patagon

unveiled its Oceans as Wilderness II T-shirt in its catalogues and on its Web site that features an ocean-themed design. Five dollars

from the sale of each T-shirt will be donated to the Network. The Patagonia Oceans as Wilderness Web page can be found at http://

www.patagonia.com/oceans.

New InitiativesMSA Implementation

After the passage of the 1996 Sustainable Fisheries Act, the Network disbanded, believing its work was done. Less than two years later,

the Network was re-established when its founders realized that effective implementation of the law was a conspicuous problem and

challenge. We have learned our lesson, and with this years reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, we will continue to work with

federal fishery managers to ensure that they properly and rigorously implement the law. We call on the National Marine Fisheries Service

to enact strong regulations to protect our fish stocks. We are also calling on the Congress to dedicate more funding to our oceans so thathe financial resources are in place to make certain that the spirit of the Magnuson-Stevens Act is realized.

Forage Fish Initiative

The Network is joining with the National Coalition for Marine Conservation in a national campaign to protect the ocean forage base, as pa

of the push for an ecosystem-based approach to managing the nations fisheries. Recent reports released by the Pew Oceans Commissio

and the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy have indicated that exclusive, individual species-oriented approaches to fisheries management

and stock rebuilding efforts are not effective for protecting our oceans in the long-term. Instead, fisheries managers must account for the

entire ecosystem in their management decisions. Forage, or prey, species in our oceans, such as krill, sardines, and menhaden, are the ma

food sources for the fish we find on our dinner tables. In other words, they are the nuts and bolts of marine ecosystems, and it is

imperative to preserve their abundant levels. Protecting the ocean forage base is a first step toward this ecosystem-based approach

because it calls for managing forage fish for the benefit of the entire ecosystem as well as the needs of human consumption.

Oregon Ocean

5151 NW Cornell Road

Portland, OR 97210

[email protected]

Oregon Ocean is a statewide alliance promoting the protection

and restoration of marine life and habitat for a healthy ocean,

thriving communities, and our childrens future.

Welcome New Network Member

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6

Pacific Update

Gulf of Mexico Update

Overfishing on yellowfin tuna

The Pacific Council manages five

tuna species. Only one, north Pacific

albacore, has significant (greater

than 10 percent of Pacific-wide total)

catches in the councils jurisdiction.

In December 2004, NMFS notified

the council that bigeye tuna wasexperiencing overfishing, triggering a

one-year timeframe for the council to

end overfishing on the stock.

Nevertheless, the council took two

years to take action to end

overfishing. Unfortunately, the council has another opportunity to

meet the one-year requirement to end overfishing on a tuna

species; NMFS notified the council in October 2006 that yellowfin

tuna is experiencing overfishing. Previously, the council and NMFS

claimed that they did not know whether yellowfin tuna was

experiencing overfishing because they did not have reference

points to make such a determination.

Council pushes forward on plans for increasing fishing on

populations experiencing overfishing

In November 2006, the council voted to proceed with required

analyses necessary to allow a new pelagic longline fishery for

swordfish, bigeye tuna, bluefin tuna, and albacore tuna despite the

likelihood of catching endangered sea turtles and despite evidence

showing that bigeye and albacore tuna are experiencing

overfishing.

Council moves toward ecosystem-based management?

The council directed its habitat committee and a sub-committee of

its scientific and statistical committee to undertake a literature

review of ecosystem-based fishery management efforts. The

committees completed the task and requested permission from the

council to meet again to make recommendations to the council onthe utility of pursuing an umbrella fishery ecosystem plan that

would support existing fishery management plans. The council

approved the request. In its final newsletter of 2006, the council

declared its intention to develop a fishery ecosystem plan that

would not change any of the single species fishery management

plans in place, but act as an umbrella to inform those single-specie

plans.

Council rejects proposals to reduce bycatch in groundfish fisher

The council rejected a proposal to allow groundfish trawl permit

holders to switch from high-bycatch trawl gear to low-bycatch fixe

gear (hook and line gear). The decision amplifies the councils

earlier decision to approve a bycatch reduction plan that doesnothing to reduce bycatch immediately and presupposes success

based on development of an IFQ program. The Magnuson-Steve

Act requires councils to minimize bycatch to the extent practicable

Despite multiple past and present practical proposals to minimize

bycatch, the council insists on forcing fishermen to continue to u

this highest-bycatch gear on its most valuable fishery.

Red snapper

The existing rebuilding plan for red

snapper calls for ending overfishing

between 2009 and 2010. In order to

meet this goal, NMFS is projecting

much lower annual quotas for red

snapper for the next three years in

order to meet the Gulf Councils

rebuilding goal of 2032.

NMFS proposed two scenarios.

One scenario reduces the amount of

red snapper killed in shrimp trawls

by 50 percent compared to the amount killed between 2001 and

2003. Under this scenario, the annual quota between 2008 and 2010

should be set no higher than 2.8 to 3.3 million pounds. Forcomparison, in 2006 the annual quota for recreational and

commercial fishermen was 9.12 million pounds. In 2032, when the

stock is rebuilt, fishermen will be able to catch 10.2 million pounds

annually.

The second scenario is tougher on shrimpers and realizes higher

catches for recreational and commercial fishermen in the short-term

and the long-term. By reducing the amount of red snapper killed in

shrimp trawls by 74 percent, the annual quota for red snapper

fishermen can be set no higher than 4.5 to 5.3 million pounds for

2008 through 2010. In the long-term, annual catches improve in this

scenario from 10.2 million pounds to 17.2 million pounds when the

red snapper population is fully rebuilt in 2032.

Neither of these scenarios is promising in the short-term for

fishermen, but short-term thinking is exactly what put the GulfCouncil in the current situation. Remember, when the Gulf Counci

developed the existing rebuilding plan for red snapper, it did not s

the annual quota in line with scientific recommendations. Instead

the Gulf Council set the annual quota 50 percent higher than

recommended in the hopes that shrimp trawl bycatch would go

down due to the economic hardships on that fishery. As one Gulf

Council member said during the January meeting, you pay now o

you pay later. This is clearly the case.

Limited access privilege programs

On January 1, 2007, commercial fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico go

their first taste of a new management scheme known as a limitedaccess privilege program (LAPP), or specifically, an individual

fishing quota (IFQ) program, which is the most common type of

LAPP. LAPPs allocate a set percentage of the total annual quota

for a population of fish exclusively to individuals or businesses as

quota shares. The LAPP designed by the Gulf Council and

approved by NMFS will give fishermen exclusive privileges to cat

and sell a percentage of the red snapper total allowable catch.

In addition, the Gulf Council has asked the commercial grouper fle

to come up with recommendations for creating a grouper LAPP by

the March council meeting.

Photo: NOAA

Photo: NOAA

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7


Mid-Atlantic Update

South Atlantic Update

Summer flounder

recreational measures set

for 2007

At the December Mid-

Atlantic Fishery

Management Council

meeting, the council voted

to support the MonitoringCommittees

recommendation to manage

summer flounder using

conservation equivalency. Conservation equivalency is a state

regime that allows states to determine bag limits, minimum size, and

seasons. The measures will be based on a 17.1 million pound

landing level between the recreational and commercial sectors.

Following the recent reauthorization of the MSA, which extends the

summer flounder rebuilding deadline by three years to 2013, NMFS

issued an emergency rule to increase the landings to 17.1 million

pounds. Under the new rule, recreational anglers can now land up

to 6.8 million pounds.

Rebuilding butterfish

In 2005, NMFS designated butterfish as overfished. This distinction

is mainly due to bycatch in the Loligo squid fishery. Over the past

twenty years, butterfish discards averaged between 17.6 million

pounds to 22 million pounds annually. In an effort to restore the

population to full health, the council is developing alternative

measures to rebuild butterfish. One of the most effective

recommendations, however, is being ignored. Increasing the mesh

size in the Loligo fishery would allow more butterfish to escape, b

it would lower the amount of Loligo caught.

Instead, the council is leaning toward a rebuilding plan that will ca

landings at current levels with no directed butterfish fishery in

years one through three. The council will consider other measure

in the remaining years, including but not limited to: 1) butterfishbycatch cap by trimester which will close the Loligo fishery when

the cap is exceeded; 2) no discard rules in high discard areas (to

discourage fishing in those areas); 3) tradable bycatch quota; 4)

variable trip limits based on minimum cod end mesh size; and 5)

designation of clean fishing windows where minimal butterfish

bycatch can be demonstrated. Given current trends, there is a

distinct possibility that butterfish recruitment will continue to lag

even with the proposed management measures in place. The

councils unwillingness to restore the stock sooner may result in

more draconian reductions later, hurting fish and fishermen.

NMFS director bites at regional circle hook workshop

Director of NMFS, Dr. Bill Hogarth, has accepted the Mid-AtlanticCouncils offer to collaborate with NMFS on a workshop to

introduce a voluntary program encouraging a greater use of circle

hooks in the recreational fishery. Based on previous discussions,

the fisheries participating in the program may include: summer

flounder, scup, bluefish, and tilefish. The workshop will be held

some time in mid-2007, pending Congressional budget approval.

Photo: Carl Safina

Photo: NOAA

Limited access privilege programs

The South Atlantic Fishery

Management Council is considering

the development of a limited access

privilege program (LAPP) in the

commercial snapper grouper fishery

as a way to reduce capacity and

address chronic overfishing. In

January 2007, the Controlled Access

Committee met to discuss preliminary

steps, as well as potential goals,

challenges, and benefits of such a

program. The committee made

nominations for membership of a Controlled Access Steering

Committee, which under current design would be a workgroup

consisting of various and wide-ranging fishing interests from allfour states in the South Atlantic, as well as one environmental

representative, most likely from Environmental Defense. The

workgroup would also potentially include non-voting members, one

from the recreational fishing sector, and one to two from the NMFS

and from Sea Grant.

Rebuilding plans

The council took the advice of the Science and Statistical

Committee and added in estimates of bycatch mortality (the

incidental catching and killing of marine life while targeting other

species) to the calculations of fishing levels necessary for

rebuilding snowy grouper, black sea bass, and red porgy, all of

which are overfished. Adding bycatch mortality will allow more

accurate estimates of fishing mortality, which will increase the

probability of rebuilding. However, the council also approved a

provision that would allow for up to 20 percent of the allowed catcto be carried over into the next year if it is not caught in the first

year. Allowing these underages can damage already depleted

populations that need enough undisturbed individuals to

reproduce. An underage may also indicate that fish population is

more diminished than originally thought. The council is schedule

to approve the amendment containing these rebuilding plans at its

June 2007 meeting, followed by a suite of public hearings.

Mackerel

In a preventative step to protect king and Spanish mackerel from

overfishing, the council approved a new amendment to the Coasta

Migratory Pelagics Fishery Management Plan that reduces thequota or total allowable catch (TAC) for both species. This

amendment will go through public hearings in early 2007.

Gag grouper

The council determined that the recent SEDAR (Southeast Data,

Assessment, and Review) stock assessment, which found gag

grouper to be in critical danger of becoming overfished, has

significant errors and must be redone. The new assessment shou

be available in February, with review and possible action taken in

June of 2007.

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MarineFishConservationNetwork

00PennsylvaniaAvenue,SE,Suite210

Washington,DC20003

ww.conservefish.org

hone:202-543-5509

ax:202-543-5774

MARINE FISH CON SERVATION NETWORK

...To Achieve Healthy Oceans and Productive Fisheries.

Calendar of Events

FEBRUARY

February 20-22

Ad Hoc Groundfish Trawl

Individual Quota Committee

Meeting

Portland, Oregon

http://www.council.org/

MARCH

March 4-9

Pacific Fishery Management

Council Meeting

Sacramento, California

http://www.pcouncil.org/

March 5-9

South Atlantic Fishery Management

Council Meeting

Jekyll Island, Georgiahttp://www.safmc.net/

March 13-16

Western Pacific Fishery

Management Council Meeting

Honolulu, Hawaii

http://www. wpcouncil.org/

March 20-21

Caribbean Fishery Management

Council Meeting

Ponce, Puerto Rico

http://www.caribbeanfmc.com/

March 26-30

Gulf of Mexico Fishery


Destin, Florida

http://www.gulfcouncil.org/

March 26-30

North Pacific Fishery


Anchorage, Alaska

http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/

APRIL

April 1-6


Council Meeting

Seattle, Washington


April 10-12

New England Fishery Management

Council Meeting

Mystic, Connecticut

http://www.nefmc.org/

April 17-19

Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management

Council Meeting

Ocean City, Maryland

http://www.mafmc.org/

JUNE

June 2-9

National Fishing and Boating Week

June 4-8

Gulf of Mexico Fishery

Management Council MeetingNew Orleans, Louisiana

http://www.gulfcouncil.org/

June 4-12

North Pacific Fishery Manageme

Council Meeting

Sitka, Alaska

http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/

June 10-15


Council Meeting

Foster City, California


June 11-15

South Atlantic Fishery


Key West, Florida

http://safmc.net/

June 18-21

Western Pacific Fisheries


TBA

http://www.wpcouncil.org/

MFCN Winter 2007

Documents

Transcript of MFCN Winter 2007