Archives by Tag 'marine'

False Killer Whale Take Reduction Team Meets to Review Proposed Rule (July 2011)

In July 2011, CONCUR facilitated a meeting of the NMFS False Killer Whale Take Reduction Team (Team) to review a proposed rule intended to reduce false killer whale bycatch in the Hawaii-based longline fleet.
The three-day meeting, held in Honolulu, Hawaii, was focused primarily on briefing and seeking feedback from Team members on the proposed rule [...]

September 2011 Highly Migratory Species Advisory Panel Meeting

CONCUR Senior Associate Bennett Brooks facilitated the September 2011 meeting of the National Marine Fisheries Services’ Highly Migratory Species Advisory Panel, a 40-member panel that meets twice yearly in Silver Spring, Maryland, to advise the Agency on evolving fishing regulations. The Panel brings together representatives of commercial fishing, recreational fishing, conservation organizations, and scientific [...]

NMFS Draft Policy Guidance for Marine Mammal Conservation

Building on the outcomes of a 2007 national workshop facilitated by CONCUR, NMFS has prepared a draft national policy for distinguishing whether injuries to marine mammals incidental to commercial fishing (such as when an animal is hooked or entangled) should be considered serious or non-serious. The NMFS Draft National Policy for Distinguishing Serious From [...]

Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning Workshop in Hawaii (August 2011)

CONCUR conducted a one-day workshop in Honolulu, Hawaii, focused on effective community participation in Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning (CMSP) efforts. The August 2011 workshop was presented by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (WPRFMC), one of eight regional fishery management councils tasked with developing management plans to govern fishing activity in U.S. [...]

Customized Training for Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions (June 2011)

CONCUR Principal Scott McCreary and Senior Associate Bennett Brooks designed and led a training course in Mutual Gains Bargaining for the Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions, a 16-member consortium devoted to the dual goals of protecting ocean ecosystems and ensuring a long-term seafood supply.
The focus of the training was to impart and practice skills that [...]

NMFS Highly Migratory Species Advisory Panel Meeting (April 2011)

Building on past work, CONCUR has been chosen to facilitate a two-year-long series of four Advisory Panel (AP) meetings on Highly Migratory Species for the Sustainable Fisheries Division of NMFS.  The Advisory Panel consists of 40 representatives of commercial fishing, recreational fishing, conservation organizations, and scientific institutions convened to advise the agency on evolving regulations.
CONCUR [...]

NOAA Fisheries Recreational Data Timeliness Workshop (March 2011)

CONCUR facilitated a two-day meeting intended to generate concrete strategies for improving the timeliness of data used to manage recreational fisheries nationwide.
The meeting, referred to as the Recreational Data Timeliness Workshop and held March 15-16, 2011, in St. Petersburg, Florida, is compelling because fishery managers, recreational fishing interests and conservation interests all have a stake [...]

Two CONCUR Projects Move Toward Implementation: Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement and Southern California MPAs

We at CONCUR like to take on key roles in controversial large-scale, high stakes projects and programs, helping parties find a viable “solution space” and moving projects towards implementation. In December, two projects where we did just that hit major milestones. One involves what will be the largest deep bore tunnel in the [...]

Electronic Monitoring Committee Meeting of the National Observer Program (September 2010)

CONCUR facilitated the September 2010 annual meeting of the Electronic Monitoring Committee (EMC), a standing advisory committee of the National Observer Program convened by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA). The three-day meeting held in La Jolla, California brought together representatives from the National Marine Fisheries Service’s Headquarters office and from Science Centers [...]

Pelagic Longline Take Reduction Team Meeting (September 2010)

CONCUR Principal Scott McCreary and Senior Associate Bennett Brooks facilitated the September 2010 meeting of the Pelagic Longline Take Reduction Team, which CONCUR has been facilitating since 2005. The four-hour meeting, conducted via webinar and teleconference only, brought together Team members representing the fisheries, research institutions, regional fishery councils and conservation organizations, as well [...]