MAFAC Meeting April 2000

VMS WORKING GROUP REPORT

SUBMITED BY JACK DUNNIGAN
MAFAC MEETING - CHARLESTON, SC
APRIL 18, 2000

WHERE HAVE WE BEEN?

October 1999 MAFAC Meeting

Proposed Outreach Plan for NMFS: Issues Paper and Facilitated Stakeholder Outreach

MAFAC Suggestions

• Need Broader Representation
• Keep Issues Paper- MAFAC Committee to help edit paper
• Use Commissions and Councils Outreach Capabilities
• Conduct January workshop in Hawaii (NMFS)

RECENT PROGRESS

Issues Paper Distributed January 14, 2000

Little Review

Hawaii Workshop Cancelled -- WestPac Holds Workshop

Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Workshop April 5, 2000 - Based on Draft Issues Paper

VMS WORKING GROUP MEETING: APRIL 18, 2000

Significant rewrite is necessary

• Lack of clarity in questions
• Inaccuracies
• Incomplete description of problems

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

Recommendation: Maintain Working Group until next MAFAC Meeting

Rewrite of Paper by Committee; Coordinate with NMFS

MAFAC Review

MAFAC Co-Chair approval by June 1, 2000

Carry out Stakeholder Workshops

Summarize Results

Possibility: Outline or Draft a Policy Statement

Review/Recommendation at next MAFAC Meeting