By November 4, please submit your comments on a scoping document and an intent to prepare a draft Amendment 12 to the 2006 Consolidated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan. The amendment will explore options related to the revised National Standards 1, 3, and 7 guidelines. A public scoping webinar/conference call will be held October 9.

NOAA Fisheries is hosting our third National Electronic Monitoring Workshop Series to engage new participants and foster collaboration across fisheries and stakeholder groups regarding the opportunities and challenges of electronic monitoring. Fishermen are invited to share their perspectives and discuss what is working and what needs improvement. Workshops will be held November 13–14 in New Hampshire and February 12–13 in Washington.

By October 29, please submit your comments on an application from state and tribal governments for authorization to lethally take California sea lions and Steller sea lions in the Columbia River and its tributaries. The authorization is intended to reduce sea lion predation on threatened and endangered salmon and steelhead.

Bottomfish stocks in three U.S. Pacific territories are not as healthy as previously thought, according to a new report from the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center. Scientists recently completed three new stock assessments for bottomfish species in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and America Samoa, finding mixed results.

Every year, NOAA’s Marine Turtle Biology and Assessment Program and the Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program deploy field camps throughout Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument to assess the populations of Hawaiian monk seal and green sea turtle. Follow along as the expedition heads out to recover the 2019 field camps.

The Alabama Trustee Implementation Group for the Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment released their third draft restoration plan, which focuses on addressing lost recreational use and injury to birds.  A public meeting to present the plan and collect comments will be held September 11; written comments are due October 3.

The Trustee Council for the Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment approved new monitoring guidance for restoration projects for oysters, submerged aquatic vegetation, and various habitat types. Monitoring data will be used to evaluate and adaptively manage the restoration program.

NOAA Fisheries established a voluntary vessel speed restriction zone southeast of Nantucket to protect a group of right whales sighted in the area on August 30. This zone is in effect through September 14.

Companies not currently providing at-sea monitoring services are invited to submit an application to provide these services for fishing year 2020 (May 1, 2020–April 30, 2021) by October 1. Companies already approved to provide at-sea monitoring services in 2019 and 2020 do not need to apply again.

The Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office is hosting three workshops to collect stakeholder input on developing potential short- and long-term management approaches for the recreational fishing community. Workshops are scheduled for October 19, 22, and 24. The workshops are free, but please register in advance.

Peer reviewers will be evaluating 14 Northeast groundfish stock assessments next week, September 9–13, at the Northeast Fisheries Science Center in Woods Hole. Here is a look ahead at what is under discussion during the upcoming peer review panel.