The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will hold a virtual meeting of its Outreach and Education Technical Committee on Thursday, October 15, 2020 from 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM, EDT. The Committee will begin with presentations and discussions on the Council’s Something’s Fishy Tool and outreach efforts for the Southeast For-Hire Electronic Reporting Program.

Next, the Committee will receive an update on the NRDA Fish Descending Project that aims to increase survival of released fish by communicating best fishing practices and distributing descending devices to anglers in the Gulf. The Committee will hear a summary of a similar effort that was completed in the South Atlantic Snapper/Grouper fishery. The Committee will discuss mechanisms for device distribution and suggest communication strategies to guide the project.

To conclude, the Committee will hear a presentation on Gulf Council communication analytics and hear a summary of stakeholder feedback on Outreach and Education Committee efforts. The Committee is expected to make recommendations for future communications projects and efforts.