April 6, 2018 — SEAFOOD NEWS — In response to a 2017 assessment showing red grouper stock was overfished, undergoing overfishing and not making rebuilding progress, NMFS is proposing a dramatic reduction in the 2018 and 2019 annual catch limits for the stock.
Under the proposed rule, the total ACL for 2017 was 780,000 pounds, with 343,200 pounds allotted to the commercial sector. This year, those figures would drop to 139,00 pounds for the total ACL and 61,160 pounds for the commercial sector. The ACL in 2019 would increase slightly, to 150,000 pounds, with a corresponding commercial sector quota of 66,000 pounds. The ACL and sector amounts for 2020 would also increase slightly.
This is a cut of 82% vs. 2017.
NMFS is currently seeking comments on the proposed rule for Abbreviated Framework Amendment 1 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region, which addresses red grouper in the South Atlantic. Comments are due by May 3.
The proposed rule is based on actions taken by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council in June, September and December 2017. The reductions are based on a low-recruitment scenario. The expedited framework of this rule will adjust the ACLs for the next few years while the Council and NMFS finish development of Amendment 42 to the fishery management plan that is designed for comprehensive rebuilding of the red grouper stock.
Red grouper is typically a secondary species caught in association with targeted species such as snowy grouper, black sea bass, greater amberjack, snapper species and others, depending on the location. At the same time, red grouper landings have been declining in recent years.
In 2016, the commercial ACL was 343,200 pounds but fishermen landed only 13 percent, or 44,995 pounds. Landings in 2015 of 66,610 pounds were only 19 percent of the commercial ACL.
“The reduced level of observed landings is supported by anecdotal information received from commercial and recreational stakeholder who often state that red grouper are not being seen in large quantities in the South Atlantic,” documents for the April 2018 SAFMC meeting say. “A productivity regime shift and certain environmental factors could be driving the low observed numbers of fish, and the recent (since 2005) poor recruitment may or may not continue into the future … .”
The reductions are not expected to cause significant issues for the commercial sector since landings already have been dropping.
“With a large reduction in the ACL, commercial harvest of red grouper is expected to become primarily bycatch while fishermen target other snapper grouper species,” the Socio-Economic Profile of the Snapper Grouper Fishery in the South Atlantic Region document said. ” … While unlikely, a reduction in the red grouper ACLs could increase occurrences of regulatory discards if fishermen continue to encounter the species if the ACL is reached and possession and retention is prohibited.”
The Council documents also indicate an early closure of red grouper in 2018 is unlikely.
This story originally appeared on Seafoodnews.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.