Summary of 4-7 October Council Meeting in Ronkonkoma, NY

October 20, 2004

The public The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council met in Ronkonkoma, NY from October 4 through October 7. During its meeting, it convened six of its committees, recommended dogfish management measures for the 2005/2006 fishing year, approved Amendment 2 of the Joint Monkfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for submission to the Secretary of Commerce, jointly convened a Research Set-Aside Workshop with the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission regarding the 2006 research program, elected officers for the 2004/2005 Council year, acted on United Boatmen’s and Recreational Fishing Alliance’s petition to allocate 50% of the total allowable landings of summer flounder to the recreational fishing sector, selected recipients for its Fishery Achievement Award, hosted a South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC) public hearing on Amendment 15 to its Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources FMP, and received other various industry reports.

The Council re-elected Ricks E Savage as its Chairman, and Ronal Smith as its Vice-Chairman. Following their elections, the Chairman and Vice-Chairman assigned committee officers and members. A new committee, the Magnuson-Stevens Act Reauthorization Committee was established, and the Fishery Information Focus Committee was discontinued.

The Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Board voted to initiate development of Amendment 14 to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass FMP to comprehensively address all aspects of the summer flounder fishery. Although the Council and Board will recommend to National Marine Fisheries Service that it will deny the United Boatmen’s and Recreational Fishing Alliance’s petition for a 50% share of the total allowable landings of summer flounder for the recreational sector, it is the expressed intent of both management authorities that this issue of allocation between the commercial and recreational sectors of the fishery be thoroughly addressed during the development of Amendment 14.

For the 2005/2006 dogfish fishing year, the Council approved an incidental take allowance of 4,000,000 pounds and a possession limit of 1,500 pounds of male-only dogfish, i.e., possession of female dogfish is prohibited. The 4,000,000 incidental take allowance is divided into two periods, May 1 through October 31 (2,316,000 pounds) and November 1 through April 30 (1,684,000 pounds).

Amendment 2 to the Joint Monkfish FMP passed unanimously. There are 17 actions contained in the motion, and they include such measures as closure of the Oceanographer and Lydonia Canyon areas to vessels using monkfish (or multi-species/monkfish or scallop/monkfish) days-at-sea. Roller gear on trawl vessels fishing on monkfish days-at-sea be restricted to a maximum diameter of 6-inches in the southern management area. For a complete list of actions incorporated in Amendment 2, contact the Council for additional details.

Sonja Fordham of the Ocean Conservancy, and the Virginia Marine Resources Commission were unanimously selected by the Council as recipients of its Fishery Achievement Award. The award recognizes individuals or organizations that the Council deems to have exhibited outstanding professionalism, diligence, and effort to protect the living marine resources and/or fisheries governed by the Council.

The Council also established Research Set-Aside priorities for the 2006 calendar year. A request for proposals will be submitted to National Marine Fisheries Service in November that reflects the actions taken by the Council.

Summary of 4-7 October Council Meeting in Ronkonkoma, NY

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Introducing the New NAVCEN Maritime Safety Information Application!

Dear Users of the Marine Transportation System,

We’re excited to announce the launch of the U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center’s new Maritime Safety Information (MSI) Application! This enhanced platform is designed to improve your access to critical navigation safety information, including Local Notices to Mariners (LNM) and Light Lists.

Key Features of the New MSI Application:
• Near-Real-Time Updates: Stay informed with the latest changes and updates.
• GIS Display: Visualize navigation information directly on an interactive map.
• Customizable Searches: Narrow your searches to focus on specific waterways or regions of interest.

The application is available now and ready to support safer, more efficient maritime operations.

Access the New MSI Application:
Click HERE to explore the platform and take advantage of its features.

We’re committed to ensuring mariners have the tools and information they need to navigate safely and effectively. If you have any questions or feedback, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

NAVCEN’s Upgraded LNM & Light List Application Launching the Week of December 2nd

During the week of December 2nd, the U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center (NAVCEN) will launch its updated Local Notice to Mariners (LNM) and Light List application. The application will feature GIS-based tools, customizable downloads, and GeoJSON integration for enhanced maritime safety information.

The U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center (NAVCEN) is excited to announce the launch of its updated Local Notice to Mariners (LNM) and Light List application during the week of December 2nd, reaffirming our commitment to enhancing access to critical maritime safety information.

This upgraded application allows users to download and print LNMs for entire Coast Guard Districts or define their own area of interest using the GIS tools to zoom in and access localized data. The form section enables users to organize and sort LNMs by waterway or category. For programmatic integration, GeoJSON files will be available to download for data ingestion into other applications.

We sincerely appreciate your patience and are confident this enhanced version will better serve the diverse needs of the maritime community.

Notice: Changes to the USCG Local Notice to Mariners (LNM) and Light Lists

Notice: Changes to the USCG Local Notice to Mariners (LNM) and Light Lists
The U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center announces upcoming changes to the Local Notice
to Mariners (LNM) and the Light List, as part of our efforts to modernize and improve the
accessibility, accuracy, and overall user experience for mariners and other stakeholders.

What Is Changing?

1. Transition From Paper Charts: In January 2025, NOAA will discontinue the production
of all paper charts. In alignment with this change, the Coast Guard will transition from
using NOAA Paper Chart Numbers and Editions/Dates for disseminating Marine Safety
Information (MSI) to using Official Waterway Names.

2. How You Will Access LNMs and Light Lists: The LNM and Light List data will now be
available in a geospatial format, which will allow you to visualize information interactively
on a map/chart. You can use your mouse wheel or the +/- buttons in the upper left portion
of the screen to zoom in or out and navigate to your desired area on the map/chart. Once
the area is displayed, you can generate a PDF of the LNM or Light List for that specific area,
which you can then save and/or print. Alternatively, you can use a fillable form on our
website to select your waterway by name from the Light List and generate the LNM or Light
List.

3. LNM and Light List Data Refresh Rate: LNM data will be refreshed every fifteen
minutes. Light List data will be refreshed every 24 hours. This will give you a much more up-to-
date operating picture, designed to enhance your efficiency and improve safety in your
area of transit or planned routes.

4. Elimination of Weekly Files: Weekly LNMs, Weekly Light List Correction Files, Daily
Discrepancy Files, and the Summary of Light List Changes will no longer be published to
focus on providing the most up-to-date and accessible format. In the near future, we will
also publish an Application Programming Interface (API) for interested parties to access the
data externally.

Why Are These Changes Being Made?
The modernization of MSI delivery is designed to improve the U.S. Coast Guard’s aid-to-navigation
data management and dissemination capabilities. By providing frequent
updates, geospatial visualization, and digital access, we hope to achieve our goals of:
• Enhancing Maritime Safety: By delivering the most current and precise information,
mariners can make better-informed decisions, reducing the risk of accidents and ensuring
safer navigation.
• Improving Accessibility: The shift to geospatial visualization makes it easier for all users,
from commercial mariners to recreational boaters, to stay informed.
• Increasing Efficiency: The integration of LNM and Light List data into a geospatial format
to simplify the gathering of safety information and facilitate easy route planning.
When Will These Changes Take Effect?
The transition to the modernized LNM and Light List platform (the Navigation Center
website) will be completed by Monday, October 21st.
How to Access the New Features?
Starting October 21st, 2024, you will be able to access the updated Local Notice to
Mariners (LNM) and Light List through the NAVCEN website, with a User Guide available to
assist you. While legacy versions of these products will no longer be produced or posted
after October 31st, previously available versions will remain accessible for download
indefinitely. Additionally, users can now generate updated LNMs in real time, with data
refreshed every 15 minutes.

For any questions or assistance, please visit our Contact Us page, select ‘LNMs or Light
Lists’ from the Subject dropdown, and submit your inquiry.

Thank you for your continued support as we work to enhance the safety and efficiency of
maritime navigation.

U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center (www.navcen.uscg.gov)

LNM/Light List Application Delay

Good Day,

Availability of the modernized Local Notices to Mariners (LNMs) and Light List (LL) application will be delayed beyond the scheduled 30 September 2024 launch date as a result of Hurricane Helene.

The following legacy products will remain available on the NAVCEN website until 31 October to ensure customers maintain uninterrupted access to MSI products during the transition:

Weekly Local Notices to Mariners (pdf)
Light Lists (pdf)
Daily LNM Discrepancies and Temporary Changes (XML)
Weekly Light List files (PDF, XML)

We are working diligently to reschedule the application’s launch and will provide an update with the new release date as soon as it becomes available.

For questions or comments, you may contact us via our contact us page (please select “LNMs or Light Lists” from the Subject pull-down menu).

Thank you for your understanding and continued support.

Sincerely,
Navigation Center
U.S. Coast Guard
https://www.navcen.uscg.gov

Notice: Changes to the USCG Local Notice to Mariners (LNM) and Light Lists

Notice: Changes to the USCG Local Notice to Mariners (LNM) and Light Lists

The U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center announces upcoming changes to the Local Notice to Mariners (LNM) and the Light List, as part of our efforts to modernize and improve the accessibility, accuracy, and overall user experience for mariners and other stakeholders.

What Is Changing?

Transition From Paper Charts: In January 2025, NOAA will discontinue the production of all paper charts. In alignment with this change, the Coast Guard will transition from using NOAA Paper Chart Numbers and Editions/Dates for disseminating Marine Safety Information (MSI) to using Official Waterway Names.
How You Will Access LNMs and Light Lists: The LNM and Light List data will now be available in a geospatial format, which will allow you to visualize information interactively on a map/chart. You can use your mouse wheel or the +/- buttons in the upper left portion of the screen to zoom in or out and navigate to your desired area on the map/chart. Once the area is displayed, you can generate a PDF of the LNM or Light List for that specific area, which you can then save and/or print. Alternatively, you can use a fillable form on our website to select your waterway by name from the Light List and generate the LNM or Light List.
LNM and Light List Data Refresh Rate: LNM data will be refreshed every fifteen minutes. Light List data will be refreshed every 24 hours. This will give you a much more up-to-date operating picture, designed to enhance your efficiency and improve safety in your area of transit or planned routes.
Elimination of Weekly Files: Weekly LNMs, Weekly Light List Correction Files, Daily Discrepancy Files, and the Summary of Light List Changes will no longer be published to focus on providing the most up-to-date and accessible format. In the near future, we will also publish an Application Programming Interface (API) for interested parties to access the data externally.

Why Are These Changes Being Made?

The modernization of MSI delivery is designed to improve the U.S. Coast Guard’s aid-to-navigation data management and dissemination capabilities. By providing frequent updates, geospatial visualization, and digital access, we hope to achieve our goals of:

Enhancing Maritime Safety: By delivering the most current and precise information, mariners can make better-informed decisions, reducing the risk of accidents and ensuring safer navigation.
Improving Accessibility: The shift to geospatial visualization makes it easier for all users, from commercial mariners to recreational boaters, to stay informed.
Increasing Efficiency: The integration of LNM and Light List data into a geospatial format to simplify the gathering of safety information and facilitate easy route planning.

When Will These Changes Take Effect?

The transition to the modernized LNM and Light List platform (the Navigation Center website) will be completed by Monday, September 30^th.

How to Access the New Features?

Starting on September 30^th, 2024, you will be able to access the updated LNM and Light List through the NAVCEN website. A User Guide will be available on the NAVCEN website. Customers will still have the ability to download legacy versions of these products until October 21st.

For any questions or assistance, please visit our Contact Us Page, select ‘LNMs or Light Lists’ from the Subject dropdown, and submit your inquiry.

Thank you for your continued support as we work to improve the safety and efficiency of maritime navigation.

U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center (www.navcen.uscg.gov)

Navigation Center Website Survey Request

We are eager to understand the primary reason for your visit to the Navigation Center website and how you use it, whether for recreational boating, professional purposes, data requests, educational reasons, or otherwise. Your feedback on the website’s ease of use, ability to find information, and if it’s your primary source for navigation-related information is crucial. We are committed to improving your experience and welcome any suggestions to enhance the site’s usability, information accessibility, and overall efficiency. Your insights are invaluable in helping us better meet your navigation needs.

Survey: Navigation Center Website Feedback Survey (surveymonkey.com)

U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center Website Customer Feedback Survey Privacy Notice

Authority: 14 U.S.C. §504; 14 U.S.C §505; and Executive Order 12862.

Purpose: To collect data that will be used to analyze and determine the kind and quality of services customers want and expect, as well as their satisfaction with U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center services. To maintain confidentiality, respondents are advised not to include any personally identifiable information in their responses.

Routine Uses: This survey solicits information that the Coast Guard will use to gauge feedback and improve overall customer service. DHS/ALL/PIA-069 DHS Surveys, Interviews, and Focus Groups provides coverage for this collection.

Disclosure: Furnishing this information is strictly voluntary