Meetings

All regularly scheduled meetings of the Council are held on Tuesdays at 2:00pm at the office of the Division of Marine Resources, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, 123 Kings Park Blvd. Kings Park, NY 11754.  Any change in meeting dates, times or location will be posted on this Web Page. Those planning to attend a Council meeting are encouraged to check this Web Page beforehand for any such changes.

Below are the dates of the regularly-scheduled meetings of the Marine Resources Advisory Council in Calendar 2024:

  • Tuesday, January 9 – 2:00 p.m.
  • Tuesday, February 6 – 2:00 p.m.
  • April 9th – 2:00 p.m.
  • May 7th – 2:00 p.m.
  • July 9th – CANCELLED
  • September 24th – 2:00 p.m.
  • November 12th – 2:00 p.m.

All meetings will take place at the DEC Offices, 123 Kings Park Blvd. Kings Park, NY 11754 at 2:00 p.m. unless otherwise noted. It is best to check the MRAC web page prior to a meeting for any possible changes and the agenda.

January 24, 2023 MRAC Meeting Agenda

Jan 23, 2023

Marine Resources Advisory Council Agenda
January 24, 2023
6:00 p.m. DEC Offices – Kings Park

  • Approval of Minutes – November 15, 2022
  • Recreational Fisheries
    • Black Sea Bass and Scup update
    • Tautog season switch
  • Commercial Fisheries
    • Commercial quota distribution
    • Tautog tags – update
    • Striped bass full and part shares (tentative)
  • ASMFC Atlantic Striped Bass Addendum I – Voluntary transfer of commercial quota
  • Regulatory Update
    • Recreational cod follow up
    • Commercial Cobia
    • Recreational striped bass gaffing
    • Commercial striped bass tags
  • Sea Kelp Bill
  • Enforcement Issue
    • Out of State non-grandfathered fishing vessels in NYS waters (70′ Law)
  • Notices
    • ASMFC meeting (January 30 – February 2, Arlington, VA)
    • MAFMC meeting (February 7 – 9, 2023, Washington, D.C.)
    • Limited entry license random selection in February (February 15)
  • Calendar Year 2023 – meeting dates

MRAC Agenda 2023-01-24

November 15, 2022 MRAC Meeting Agenda

Nov 10, 2022

Marine Resources Advisory Council Agenda

November 15, 2022

Public Comment

  • Approval of May 17, 2022 & September 13, 2022 Minutes
  • Updates on ASMFC and MAFMC fall meetings (DEC)
  • Rulemaking update (DEC)
  • Northern Puffer management options (DEC)
  • 2023 License Renewals (DEC
  • Reporting Requirements for Fishermen and Dealers (DEC)
  • Random Selection (DEC)
  • Commercial Fisheries Updates (DEC)
  • Multi-State Harvest Program (DEC)
  • 2023 Quota Distribution Meeting (DEC)
  • MRAC Subcommittee Update (Frisk)
  • Meeting calendar for 2023

September 13, 2022 MRAC Meeting Agenda

Sep 12, 2022

Marine Resources Advisory Council Agenda

September 13, 2022

  • Northern Puffer management
  • 2022 Quota Management
  • Updates:
    • Jonah Crab statutory change
    • Harvest Control Rule (percentage change approach)
    • Hudson Canyon Sanctuary Designation
    • Mako Sharks
    • Summer Flounder
    • Scup
    • Black Sea Bass
    • 2023 Renewals
  • Announcements
    • Menhaden hearing
    • Mid-Atlantic Council meeting in Delaware
    • ASMFC annual meeting in New Jersey

May 17, 2022 MRAC Meeting Agenda

May 17, 2022

The agenda for the Marine Resources Advisory Council meeting on Tuesday May 17 is below.  The meeting will start at 2:00 p.m. at the DEC’s Office in King’s Park, and a WebEx link is available for those that are unable to attend in person: https://meetny.webex.com/meetny/onstage/g.php?MTID=e5b1e7adbc8de0aa7762dbc4899befe81

Additional details for joining the meeting are on DEC’s website: https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/568.html

Public Comment

Approval – Minutes of March 8, 2022 meeting

Barotrauma venting demonstration

  • Carl Lobue and Brendan Runde (The Nature Conservancy)

Black Sea Bass and Scup management

  • Letter sent to Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo  (attached below)
  • Letter send to Assistant Administrator of NOAA Fisheries Janet Coit (attached below)

ASMFC/MAFMC proposed recreational Harvest Control Rules

  • Presentation by NYSDEC followed by MRAC discussion

Legislative concerns related to commercial fisheries

  • 2022 Jonah Crab management
  • George LaPointe Report

Also, because we did not have a Legislative review meeting, the DEC would like you to be aware they submitted a Departmental that included two GLP report recommendations.  Below are two bills that they would like you to be aware of:

  • The Senate has introduced our Departmental as written and it is currently in Committee (S9024). (attached below)
  • The Assembly took our Departmental, removed the GLP components, and that bill is also currently in Committee (A10193). (attached below)

SCUP 2022 Interstate MA-DE
BSB SCUP 2022 Interstate NH-VA

April 12, 2022 MRAC Meeting CANCELLED!

Apr 9, 2022

THE APRIL 12th MRAC MEETING HAS BEEN CANCELLED!

Please note that due to a lack of quorum, tomorrow’s Council meeting scheduled for 2:00 p.m. at the DEC Offices in King’s Park has been cancelled.

The next meeting of the Marine Resources Advisory Council will be on April 12, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. at the DEC Division of Marine Resources 123 Kings Park Blvd, Kings Park

A link to listen to the meeting is available on DEC’s website.

March 8, 2022 MRAC Meeting Agenda

Mar 7, 2022

The next meeting of the Marine Resources Advisory Council will be on March 8, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. at the DEC Division of Marine Resources 123 Kings Park Blvd, Kings Park

A link to listen to the meeting is available on DEC’s website.

  • Public Comments
  • Approval – Meeting Minutes January 18, 2022
  • Recreational management measures for 2022: Summer Flounder, Black Sea Bass and Scup
  • Update on Whelk management
  • Update on shark recreational fishing rules

*Due to the nature of the meeting’s agenda items, the DEC is expecting  large groups of interested parties.  While the new conference room is quite spacious, it may not be enough to handle the crowd expected.  We would encourage fishing clubs or fishing groups to send several  representatives to speak on their behalf.  This will ensure an orderly meeting where your opinions and voices can be heard.  Thank you.

November 16 MRAC Meeting CANCELLED

Nov 11, 2021

Since there aren’t any pressing agenda items,  November’s Marine Resources Advisory Council meeting has been cancelled.  However, the DEC is having an important meeting regarding artificial reefs on Tuesday, November 16th as well as Monday, November 22nd – you would be welcome to attend.  The particulars for DEC’s meetings are:

Artificial Reef Commercial Fishery Outreach Meetings

DEC has planned the expansions of seven existing artificial reefs and the creation of four new sites and is seeking feedback from commercial fishing interests to gain information that will help guide the future development of these sites and avoid conflicts with the commercial industry. All commercial fishing interests and stakeholders are invited to attend meetings on changes to artificial reefs in the Atlantic Ocean and Long Island Sound. Stakeholders can provide valuable information by identifying fishing locations on charts provided at the meetings or by providing GPS data collected while fishing.

The meetings will be held on:

  • Tuesday, November 16 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at DEC’s Division of Marine Resources Headquarters, 123 Kings Park Blvd., Kings Park, NY, 11754
  • Monday, November 22 from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Shinnecock Commercial Fishing Dock located at 333 Beach Rd, Hampton Bays, NY 11946

*Masks are required indoors regardless of vaccination status*

For more information:

Visit https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/7896.html or contact DEC’s Artificial Reef Program by calling 631-444-0438 or email artificialreefs@dec.ny.gov.

**Please note that I will be sending out January’s Council meeting date as soon as it is chosen.