SEDAR is a public process. All meetings are open to the public and there are numerous opportunities for comment during each assessment. Below are several ways the public can get involved.
Participate in an assessment project
Fisheries constituents and members of the public are appointed to take part in SEDAR panels and to observe SEDAR meetings. Participants are appointed by SEDAR Cooperators to the various workshop panels or groups required for the projects under their jurisdiction. To find out more about being appointed, please contact the Cooperator associated with the assessment you are interested in or responsible for the area in which you fish (see list below).
Attend a SEDAR meeting
All SEDAR workshops and activities are open to the public, and comment opportunities are provided. Visit the assessment’s home page by using the “Find a Project” tab above to find the detailed schedule that indicates when meetings are held. For more information on times and locations, contact the SEDAR coordinator listed for the project.
Submit a written comment to SEDAR
Written comments are taken through SEDAR during assessment projects and provided to the workshop panels. Visit the assessment’s home page by using the “Find a Project” tab above to find a public comment link.
Submit a comment to a Cooperator
Comments may also be submitted directly to Cooperators. See the Cooperator website listed below. If an assessment’s review workshop has been completed all comments must go directly to the cooperator.
SEDAR Cooperators and their areas of jurisdiction:
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
www.asmfc.org
703-842-0741
The ASMFC manages species in Atlantic waters 0 – 3 nautical miles off the coast of all states from Maine to the East coast of Florida.
Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission
www.gsmfc.org
228-875-5912
GSMFC manages species from 0-3 nautical miles off the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, and 0-9 nautical miles off Texas and the west coast of Florida.
Caribbean Fishery Management Council
www.caribbeanfmc.com
787-766-5926
THE CFMC manages waters in the US Caribbean Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) off PR and the USVI.
Gulf Fishery Management Council
www.gulfcouncil.org
888-833-1844
The GFMC manages waters from 3 to 200 nautical miles off the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, and nine to 200 miles off Texas and the west coast of Florida.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
www.myfwc.com
850-488-4676
The FWC manages species from 0 to 3 nautical miles off the Atlantic coast and 0 to 9 nautical miles off the Gulf coast of Florida.
South Atlantic Fishery Management Council
www.safmc.net
866-SAFMC-10
The SAFMC manages waters from 3 to 200 nautical miles off the coasts of NC, SC, GA and the East Coast of Florida. Outer boundaries of the EEZ off the southeastern coast vary according to areas where jurisdictional boundaries meet with Bermuda, the Bahamas and Cuba.
NOAA Fisheries Highly Migratory Species Division
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/topic/atlantic-highly-migratory-species
(727)-823-5399
NOAA Fisheries manages HMS fisheries—tunas, sharks, swordfish, and billfish—in U.S. Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean waters.