East Coast Climate Change and Fisheries Governance Workshop – Washington D.C. March 19-21, 2014
The purpose of this workshop was to convene managers and staff of the New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC), Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC), South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC), Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), and NOAA Fisheries (NMFS) to discuss the potential governance challenges arising from the impacts of climate change on East Coast marine fisheries.
Objectives
- Explore the existing and potential impacts of climate change on the management and governance of East Coast marine fisheries, with an emphasis on the policy implications of shifting fishery distributions and changing productivity;
- Evaluate processes for documenting and acknowledging climate-related changes and initiating a management response;
- Identify key management questions, concerns and information needs to guide future research and coordination between management bodies;
- Examine the flexibility of the existing management framework to accommodate climate-related governance challenges; and
- Discuss potential solutions and next steps for adapting and responding to climate change, and identify opportunities to maintain a dialogue between East Coast fishery management partners.
Collaborating Organizations
With support from the Fisheries Leadership & Sustainability Forum, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council is planning the workshop in conjunction with the New England and South Atlantic Fishery Management Councils, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, and NOAA Fisheries. Invited participants will include East Coast fishery managers, scientists, support staff and others from each management region and NOAA Fisheries.
Participants
Workshop participants will include East Coast fishery managers, scientists, support staff and others from each management region and NOAA Fisheries. The workshop is intended to support managers in identifying existing or potential climate-related effects on governance and evaluating potential solutions to such challenges.
For more information on this complex subject see this document.
As Dr. Mitchell Roffer was an invited participant he will be providing a summary on this workshop in the near future.
