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Candidates sought for MD Fisheries Commissions
Due to term expirations, there will be several vacancies on Maryland Department of Natural Resources' Sport Fisheries Advisory Commission (SFAC) and Tidal Fisheries Advisory Commission (TFAC) beginning June 30, 2013. The SFAC advises the Department on recreational fishing issues and the TFAC advises the Department on commercial fishing issues. SFAC Commissioners serve 4 year terms and are required to attend 4 quarterly meetings annually. TFAC Commissioners serve 2 year terms and are required to attend 4 quarterly meetings annually. Meetings are held from 2:00 - 5:00 p.m. at the Tawes State Office Building in Annapolis, Maryland. Commissioners are reimbursed for travel (mileage) and meal expenses.
For more information, including meeting agendas, summaries, and Sport and Tidal Fisheries Commission operating guidelines, visit the Management Committees at www.dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/fmp/.
If you are interested in applying to serve on either the SFAC or TFAC, please contact Martin Gary at (410) 260-8289 or [email protected]. The application deadline is 5:00 pm Friday, May 24. The Department will review and make recommendations to the Governor's Appointments Office for consideration. Selection of new Commissioners will be completed by June 30.
NMFS Will Host a Public Conference Call to Discuss Updating the Atlantic HMS Recreational Fishing Action Agenda
A conference call regarding the Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Recreational Fishing Action Agenda will be held from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m on Wednesday, May 15, 2013. To participate in the call, dial (800) 857-5085 and enter the passcode 1116226. We will also provide a brief presentation via webinar. To participate in the webinar, RSVP at https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/253309785. A confirmation email with webinar log-in information will be sent after RSVP is registered. Comments and discussion will be accepted only through the conference call, not the webinar.
In December 2011, we released an Atlantic HMS Recreational Fishing Action Agenda intended to serve as a publicly available roadmap detailing priorities and objectives for addressing recreational fishing issues pertaining to Atlantic tunas, sharks, swordfish, and billfish. During the conference call, we will report on our progress towards meeting the goals and objectives laid out in the 2011 Atlantic HMS Recreational Fishing Action Agenda and discuss potential updates to the Agenda. Additionally, we will discuss efforts to improve HMS recreational fishing opportunities, recreational catch and effort data, social and economic data on recreational fisheries, and communication with recreational constituents. Any updates to the HMS Recreational Fishing Action Agenda could result in changes to the recreational management priorities for HMS fisheries.
The call will start with a presentation, which participants can follow via webinar. The presentation will be followed by a discussion among members of the HMS Advisory Panel, the Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee (MAFAC) Recreational Fisheries Working Group, academics researching HMS
fisheries, non-governmental organizations interested in HMS recreational fishing issues, and members of the public.
This notice is a courtesy to HMS constituents to keep you informed about your fishery. Questions may be directed to Clifford Hutt at (301) 427-8503; Brad McHale at (978) 281-9139; or Randy Blankenship at (727) 824-5313.
