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East End Eddie Doherty, originally of Attleboro, holds up a 30-pound striped bass caught at the Bourne Bridge. Doherty will be guest speaker at the Springfield Sportsmen’s Show in West Springfield on Sunday, Feb. 26, at 10:30 a.m.

East End Eddie Doherty, originally of Attleboro, holds up a 30-pound striped bass caught at the Bourne Bridge. Doherty will be guest speaker at the Springfield Sportsmen’s Show in West Springfield on Sunday, Feb. 26, at 10:30 a.m.

The Massachusetts Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission represents recreational and commercial fishing interests. Proposed regulatory changes affecting the management of marine fisheries are approved or disapproved by a majority vote of the MFAC, so it is important to weigh in on saltwater fishing issues early as they go before this commission.

The commission serves the recreational and commercial fishers across the Commonwealth by working with the Division of Marine Fisheries to ensure sustainable resources for all. The group’s nine members are qualified in the field of marine fisheries by training and experience. The governor appoints commissioners to terms of up to three years. The MFAC holds monthly meetings.

Upcoming MFAC meeting dates include Tuesday, March 21, at 8:30 a.m. via Zoom; Tuesday, April 11, at 9:30 a.m. at the DFW Field HQ in Westborough; and a Tuesday, May 16, meeting scheduled for 10 a.m. at the Emergency Services Building in Tisbury.

Subscribe to receive Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries advisories and updates at shorturl.at/elDS0. For more information on the Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission, contact Jared Silva at (617) 634-9573 or jared.silva@mass.gov.

Take the chill off of winter with fishing talk. East End Eddie Doherty, an Attleboro High School graduate and retired clerk-magistrate at Wrentham and Attleboro district courts, will be presenting a Cape Cod Canal fishing seminar featuring stunning color photography by world-renowned professional photographer and legendary surfcaster John Doble.

"Surfcasting the Cape Cod Canal for Striped Bass" will be presented at the Springfield Sportsmen’s Show in West Springfield on Sunday, Feb. 26, at 10 a.m.

Doherty is the author of "Seven Miles After Sundown,” which was announced on Amazon as the No. 1 new release in books on fishing, and was selected as an award-winning finalist for American Bookfest in the sports category at the 2019 International Book Awards in Los Angeles.

For more information, visit osegsportsmens.com.

Fishing Guide Sarah Milton will speak at the “Fish On” seminar series at the Memorial Hall Library, located at 2 North Main Street, Andover, on Tuesday from 7-to 8:30 p.m. Milton will speak about fishing in Cape Ann’s waters from an angler’s perspective.

Milton is the founder and head guide of Current Angler, offering fly-fishing and light tackle guided trips and lessons on Cape Ann. Exploring Cape Ann from the angler’s perspective includes spending time scoping out the water’s edge along beaches looking for potential holding spots for fish by reading currents, looking for structure, watching bait, and observing birds. Beaches, marshes, and brackish rivers are excellent areas to fish, and they are abundant with wildlife in and out of the water if you know where to go.

Fishing videos will be shown starting at 6 p.m. Join the discussion and participate in raffles with Sarah’s presentation starting at 7 p.m. The series is sponsored by the Friends of Memorial Hall Library.

NOAA Fisheries’ recreational data collection program, also known as the Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP), is the state-regional-federal partnership that develops, implements, and continually improves a national network of recreational fishing surveys to estimate total recreational catch. These estimates are used by fisheries scientists and managers to help inform sustainable fisheries management decisions and ultimately to help make fishing regulations.

NOAA Fisheries has published a report to Congress with their response to the National Academies’ of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s 2021 recommendations on recreational-fishing data collection, data use, and alternative management strategies. The intent of this report was to evaluate how NOAA Fisheries' recreational data-collection program is meeting the needs of in-season management of fisheries with annual catch limits.

Several recommendations in the academies’ report call for exploration and development of forecasting methods for in-season catch and management. The report also recommends conducting research and pilot studies on a number of statistical methods to improve catch and forecasting estimates, as well as recommendations to pursue alternative management approaches to better align management actions

Many of the report’s recommendations suggest continuing ongoing agency practices while also encouraging partners to take equivalent actions. NOAA Fisheries and their partners are also already taking action on a number of recommendations outlined in the study. NOAA Fisheries will explore recommended statistical methods where applicable and recommend their consideration by partners.

Further discussion, planning, and coordination are underway, with NOAA Fisheries, councils, commissions, and states to develop detailed plans to address some of the recommendations identified for further action. Efforts will be prioritized based on regional needs and availability of funding.

More to come on bolstering MRIP as NOAA addresses National Academies of Science recommendations. If you have a question about recreational fishing data collection or estimates, email Sarah Lazo at sarah.lazo@noaa.gov or visit countmyfish.noaa.gov.

Cod: Fishing south of Cape Cod is still open. Party boats fishing for cod this winter include the Frances Fleet at francesfleet.com and the Island Current at islandcurrent.com.

Freshwater fishing: The inland lakes and ponds are often a more angler-friendly alternative, as cold, high winds and seas often plague saltwater fishers this time of year. For licenses and trout/salmon waterway stocking information in Rhode Island, visit dem.ri.gov/fishing, and in Massachusetts, mass.gov/service-details/trout-stocking-report.

Dave Monti holds a captain’s master license and charter fishing license. He serves on a variety of boards and commissions and has a consulting business focusing on clean oceans, habitat preservation, conservation, renewable energy, and fisheries related issues and clients. Forward fishing news and photos to dmontifish@verison.net or visit www.noflukefishing.com.