Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Amendment 15Scoping Meetings and Comments: April 1 to June 30, 2006 The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) proposes to develop Amendment 15 to its Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass in order to address a wide range of issues relating to the […]
Safety Recommendation M-06-5 through -9 The National Transportation Safety Board makes the following safety recommendations to the U.S. Coast Guard: Revise regulations to require that passenger capacity for domestic passenger vessels be calculated based on a statistically representative average passenger weight standard that is periodically updated. (M-06-5) Identify a method for determining the maximum safe […]
Notice of Integrated Registration Program NOAA Fisheries Service is increasing the number of fisheries for which the Marine Mammal Authorization Program (MMAP) registration is integrated with existing state and Federal fishery licensing and permitting programs. MMAP registration will be integrated for state fisheries permitted through the states of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, […]
NATIONAL ICE CENTER CONFIRMS NEW ANTARCTIC ICEBERG March 24, 2006  An iceberg about the size of Martha’s Vineyard broke off from the Fimbul Ice Shelf, a large glacial ice sheet, located along the northwestern section of Queen Maud Land, in the eastern Weddell Sea near Antarctica. The National Ice Center, using visible satellite imagery […]
More Ships to Leave Ghost Fleet Two more ships are leaving the James River, headed for disposal facilities in Virginia and Maryland, in what has become a regular occurrence since the Bush Administration took over management of the nation’s ship disposal program five years ago, the U.S. Maritime Administration announced. The Howard W. Gilmore is […]
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s 2006 Guy Bradley Award Special Agent Jack Baker, a criminal investigator with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement in Washington, North Carolina, and Maj. Bruce Buckson, who serves as the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) coordinator for manatee law enforcement, have received the National […]
American Scientific Societies weigh in on Endangered Species Debate This spring, it is anticipated that the U.S. Senate will consider changes to the Endangered Species Act (E.S.A.). Many of the proposed changes involve scientific issues and how science, research, and scientists advance the conservation of endangered plants and animals. Six scientific organizations developed and today […]
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DEDICATES NEW HURRICANE-RESISTANT WEATHER FORECAST OFFICE IN KEY WEST NOAA’s National Weather Service dedicated a new, hurricane-resistant weather forecast office in Key West, Fla., today. The new facility is designed to withstand wind speeds and storm surge levels associated with a catastrophic Category 5 hurricane. “Florida took a terrible beating from four […]
Squid, Mackerel, and Butterfish Committee The Squid, Mackerel, and Butterfish Committee reviewed the draft alternatives and FMP development schedule proposed by the Fishery Management Action Team (FMAT) for Amendment 10. Amendment 10 is being developed to address the need to develop a stock rebuilding plan for butterfish which was designated as overfished by NMFS in […]
Council Approves Framework 6 for Summer Flounder The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC) met in Cape May, NJ last week and approved Framework 6 for submission to the Secretary of Commerce. Framework 6 is designed to allow for the establishment of multistate regions under the conservation equivalency provision of the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black […]
