The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council has convened for a weeklong session in Kitty Hawk, where members are expected to take action on a series of major fishery proposals, including shrimp fishery access rules, black sea bass management, and catch levels for several deepwater species.
The meeting, scheduled for Dec. 8–12 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Kitty Hawk, will feature multiple committee sessions, public hearings, scientific briefings, and final votes on amendments affecting commercial and recreational fisheries along the Southeast coast.
A hybrid public comment session is set for 4 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 10, allowing both in-person and remote participation.
Written comments will be accepted through Dec. 12 via the council’s online portal.
Shrimp access area amendment up for final approval
One of the first major decisions will come Monday afternoon, when the Joint Habitat & Ecosystem and Shrimp Committees review the draft Shrimp Fishery Access Area proposal — a combined Coral Amendment 11/Shrimp Amendment 12 — and consider it for final approval.
The measure deals with long-debated access and habitat protections in federal waters and could shape how shrimp trawlers operate in areas designated for coral conservation.
Red snapper among top priorities
Red snapper will dominate much of Wednesday’s agenda.
The Snapper Grouper Committee is expected to review commercial permitting and trip-efficiency measures under Amendment 60, hear updates on the South Atlantic Red Snapper Research Program, and receive state presentations on exempted fishing permit (EFP) requests that could alter management of the stock.
On Friday, the council will revisit state management discussions and consider recommendations for future catch-setting and assessment processes.
Votes expected on black sea bass, blueline tilefish
Two regulatory measures are slated for potential final approval following Wednesday’s public comment period:
- Black Sea Bass Management Measures (Regulatory Amendment 37)
- Blueline Tilefish Catch Levels (Abbreviated Framework 5)
Both could adjust harvest limits or season structures beginning in 2026, depending on the preferred alternatives selected by the council.
Citizen science, permitting, and ecosystem issues also on deck
Tuesday’s session will focus on the council’s Citizen Science Program, including recommendations to update research priorities, revise program indicators, and potentially remove the still-unformed Citizen Science Program Advisory Panel from the program’s standard operating procedures.
The council will also hear presentations on federal permitting systems, recreational data revisions under MRIP-FES, and electronic reporting tools.
Later in the week, committees will take up:
- Possible revisions to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Unit (Amendment 61)
- Yellowtail and mutton snapper allocations (Amendment 44)
- Ongoing management strategy evaluations for the snapper-grouper complex and wreckfish
- A revised stock assessment for golden tilefish, which will guide decisions on whether to resume work on adjusting catch levels through Abbreviated Framework 4.
Work plan, enforcement topics to close out meeting
The council will conclude Friday with final committee reports, updates to its 2026 work plan, and approval of topics for the January meeting of the Law Enforcement Advisory Panel.
All sessions — except closed portions of Council Session I on Monday — are open to the public and will be livestreamed at https://safmc.net/events/december-2025-council-meeting/
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