The Community Advisory Board (CAB) met on April 21st and received briefings from Dr. Sandra Brooke (FSU) who gave an ABSI research and data collection update (see Science Update below) as well as an overview of estuarine metrics. Copies of the presentations can be found here.
The Strategies Worksheet, (renamed the Draft Plan Framework on the website), reviewed by the CAB, a primary focus for each meeting, is in its final stages. This worksheet lays out strategy recommendations across a suite of goals and objectives, including ecological and socio-economic. The public will be asked for feedback on these strategies that will be incorporated where appropriate before the CAB finalizes its recommendations.
CAB members spent a large portion of the meeting discussing the pros and cons of specific management alternatives. These alternatives include managing oyster reef harvest with specific metrics, implementing annual fisheries dependent and independent stock assessments, reducing bag limits, bag tags, and five day work weeks. Increasing a stronger FWC law enforcement presence was also discussed and at the June 16th CAB meeting, FWC's Capt. Charlie Wood will be in attendance to further discuss current and proposed enforcement strategies.
The ABSI also hosted the second Oystermen's Workshop on Thursday, April 15th at the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve. A full summary report of the Workshop is available on the website here, as well as a video recording of the meeting.
To ensure complete transparency, ABSI presents on the Community Advisory Board's website the entire history of the deliberations following from each meeting, copies of all presentations, and a recording of each meeting since March 2020.
Note: Due to COVID-19, meetings of the CAB have taken place virtually using ZOOM since the May 2020 meeting and will continue to be virtual until further notice. Members of the public are welcome to call in during meetings. Directions for doing so are on the website.
