Saving Seafood

Council Actions

ASMFC Approves Addenda XXXI and XXXII to the Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan

December 14, 2018 — ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board (Board), at its joint meeting with the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council), approved Addenda XXXI and XXXII to the Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan (FMP).

Addendum XXXI

Addendum XXXI, coupled with the Council’s complementary Framework Document, adds to the suite of tools available for managing summer flounder, scup and black sea bass, with particular focus on enhancing the compatibility of state and federal regulations.

First, the joint action modifies the Council and Commission FMPs to allow the use of conservation equivalency for black sea bass recreational management, beginning in 2020. Conservation equivalency allows recreational management measures in federal waters measures to be waived, and instead requires recreational anglers to abide by the measures of the state in which they land their catch. As is done in summer flounder recreational management, the Board and Council will annually decide whether to enact conservation equivalency.

Second, the Commission recommended NOAA Fisheries implement transit provisions in Block Island Sound, allowing non-federally permitted recreational and commercial vessels to transit federal waters while in possession of summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass legally harvested from state waters.

Lastly, the Council’s Framework allows for the use of maximum sizes in addition to minimum sizes, commonly referred to as slot limits, to control catch in the summer flounder and black sea bass recreational fisheries. The Commission’s FMP already allows for use of this approach, thereby allowing both management bodies to use this measure in the future.

Addendum XXXII

Addendum XXXII establishes a new process for developing recreational management measures for summer flounder and black sea bass. These measures will be set on an annual basis through a specifications process, rather than addenda. The Board will approve measures in early spring each year, based on technical committee analysis of stock status, resource availability, and harvest estimates. Public input on specifications will be gathered by states through their individual public comment processes.

By removing the need to develop annual addenda to implement recreational measures, the specifications process will provide the Board more flexibility in adjusting measures, if necessary, to constrain harvest to the annual coastwide recreational harvest limit (RHL). Further, the process will enable the Board to consider a host of factors, including: regional equity; regulatory stability; species abundance and distribution; and late-breaking recreational harvest estimates. To further aid in setting specifications, the Addendum establishes standards and guiding principles intended to structure the development of recreational measures on a regional basis.

Addenda XXXI and XXXII will be available on the Commission website, www.asmfc.org, on each species webpage by the end of December. For more information on summer flounder and scup, please contact Kirby Rootes-Murdy, Senior Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at krootes-murdy@asmfc.org, and for information on black sea bass, contact Caitlin Starks, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at cstarks@asmfc.org, or 703.842.0740.

Read the release here

 

New England Council Discusses Whiting, Enforcement, Dogfish, Herring, Ecosystem Management, and More at December Meeting

December 14, 2018 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council covered numerous issues during its December 4-6 meeting in Newport, RI. In addition to taking final action on Scallop Framework 30, Groundfish Framework 58, and the Clam Dredge Framework, the Council discussed a slate of other topics. Here are a few highlights.

WHITING: The Council took final action on Whiting Amendment 22, which was developed to consider limited access options for the small-mesh multispecies fishery. After reviewing all public comment and available analyses and considering a recommendation from its Whiting Committee, the Council selected the alternative called “status quo/no action.” As such, the whiting/small-mesh multispecies fishery will remain an open access fishery and no changes will be made to existing regulatory measures. More information, including summaries of public hearing comments, is available at December 3 Committee Meeting and December 4, 2018 Council Meeting Materials.

ENFORCEMENT: The Council adopted several consensus statements drafted by its Enforcement Committee. One of these pertained to use of the OMEGA Mesh Gauge® to measure fishing nets. The Coast Guard extensively tested the OMEGA gauge and concluded that it has notable benefits over the weight-and-spade tools currently being used to measure webbing. Coast Guard representatives provided a demonstration for Council members comparing the OMEGA gauge versus the weight-and-spade. The Council recommended that NOAA, under existing authority, adopt the OMEGA gauge to measure mesh size once the Enforcement Section of NOAA General Counsel determines that all legal requirements have been met.

Read the full release at the New England Fishery Management Council

 

Recreational Closure for Red Grouper in South Atlantic Federal Waters on December 12, 2018

December 10, 2018 —The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council

Recreational Closure for Red Grouper in South Atlantic Federal Waters on December 12, 2018

WHAT/WHEN:

The recreational harvest of red grouper in South Atlantic federal waters will close at 12:01 a.m., local time, December 12, 2018.
Recreational harvest will open at 12:01 a.m. (local time) on May 1, 2019.

WHY THIS CLOSURE IS HAPPENING:

The 2018 recreational catch limit is 77,840 pounds whole weight.
Recreational landings have exceeded the recreational catch limit; therefore, recreational harvest must close.

DURING THE CLOSURE:

During the recreational closure, the bag and possession limits of red grouper in or from federal waters are zero.

The prohibition on harvest or possession of red grouper applies in both state and federal waters for vessels that have a federal charter vessel/headboat permit for South Atlantic snapper-grouper.

This bulletin provides only a summary of the existing regulations.  Full regulations can be found in the Federal Register or the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations.

December South Atlantic Council Meeting Summary

December 10, 2018 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council held their December meeting in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Below are highlights from the Council’s week-long meeting. Additional information from the meeting is available from the Council’s website at: http://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/council-meetings/ including a Meeting Report, Story Map, final committee reports, public comments, and briefing book materials.

Approved for Secretarial Review

Vision Blueprint Regulatory Amendment 26

After considering public comment and much discussion, the Council approved Regulatory Amendment 26 for review by the Secretary of Commerce. However, the Council chose not to take action on measures within the amendment that would have established a deepwater species aggregate (snowy grouper, misty grouper, yellowedge grouper, blueline tilefish, golden tilefish, and wreckfish) and specified seasons and bag limits for the species within the aggregate. Council members noted that establishing two seasons, one proposed for January and February and the other May through August and modifying bag limits could unfairly impact fishermen in the region. The Council discussed seasonal differences in the fishery for deepwater species in Florida and North Carolina, especially for recreational fishermen targeting blueline tilefish and golden tilefish, and chose not to take action. As a result of the discussion, the Council decided to explore options for allocations of the species in the proposed deepwater species aggregate during its June 2019 meeting.

The following actions were approved as part of Regulatory Amendment 26:

  • Change the recreational minimum size limit of gray triggerfish from 14 inches to 12 inches (fork length) in federal waters off the east coast of Florida to maintain consistency with state regulations currently in place;
    Modify the current 20-fish aggregate bag limit in place (for species without individual bag limits) to specify that no more than 10 fish can be of any one species within the 20-fish aggregate; and
  • Remove recreational minimum size limits for queen snapper, silk snapper, and blackfin snapper, currently set at 12 inches total length.
  • The regulatory amendment was developed as part of the Council’s 2017-2020 Vision Blueprint for the Snapper Grouper Fishery. NOAA Fisheries will solicit additional public input on the amendment during the Secretarial review process. Regulatory actions in the amendment will be implemented following the review process in 2019, if approved by the Secretary of Commerce.

Other Items:

Yellowtail Snapper – Regulatory Amendment 32

Council members voted to postpone consideration of Regulatory Amendment 32 that would revise accountability measures for yellowtail snapper with the intent to alleviate socio-economic impacts of in-season closures in the fishery. After considering recommendations from the Snapper Grouper Advisory Panel and public comment, the Council will delay further development of measures until a benchmark stock assessment for yellowtail snapper is completed in 2020.

Red Grouper – Regulatory Amendment 30
The Council delayed final action on Regulatory Amendment 30 addressing red grouper stock rebuilding, modifications to spawning season closures off the Carolinas, and establishment of a commercial trip limit for red grouper. Council members cited concerns about the need to consider new recreational fishing effort estimates from the Marine Recreational Information Program and the need to have input from its Scientific and Statistical Committee. The amendment will be considered again during the Council’s March 2019 meeting.

Citizen Science Program
The Council reviewed and adopted the Program’s Standard Operating Policies and Procedures that will guide the operation of the Program moving forward. The Program has two citizen science projects in development that fishermen will be able to get involved with in 2019. The first project will focus on collecting data on the lengths of scamp discards using a mobile application called, Release. The app will be available on both Android and iOs platforms and will be available in the Google Play Store and App Store in January 2019. The second project called FISHstory will use crowdsourcing to analyze historic photos from a Florida headboat fleet in the 1940s-70s to document species and length composition. For more information on the projects and getting involved, contact Program Manager Amber Von Harten.

Dolphin Wahoo
The Dolphin Wahoo Committee discussed a request from the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council to consider managing frigate mackerel and bullet mackerel as ecosystem components in the Dolphin Wahoo Fishery Management Plan (FMP), acknowledging their role as prey species for both dolphin and wahoo. Discussions will continue during the March 2019 meeting. The Committee also identified potential additional items to include in Amendment 10 to the Dolphin Wahoo FMP, including: allowing bag-limit sales of dolphin by dually permitted for-hire and commercial permit holders; revising annual catch limits and sector allocations for dolphin and wahoo to accommodate new MRIP data; consider modifying recreational vessel limits for dolphin; and modifying gear, bait, and training requirements in the commercial longline fishery to align with HMS requirements. Development of the amendment will continue throughout 2019 with opportunities for public comment.

Habitat and Ecosystem-Based Management
The Committee received an update on collaborative efforts with the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and New England Fishery Management Council to address the movement of species northward with changing oceanographic and environmental conditions. The Committee will continue to review landings data and discuss priorities and timing for addressing species movements at its March 2019 meeting with representatives of the Mid-Atlantic and New England Councils. The Committee also received presentations on renewable energy activities including the proposed Kitty Hawk Wind Development Project, a system of offshore wind generators proposed approximately 27 miles off the coast of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Presentations are available as part of the briefing book materials at: http://safmc.net/briefing-books/briefing-book-2018-december-council-meeting/.

The next Council meeting is scheduled for March 4-8, 2019 in Jekyll Island, Georgia. Briefing book materials will be available from the Council’s website two weeks prior to the meeting at: http://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/council-meetings/.

NEFMC Approves Groundfish Framework 58

December 7, 2018 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council has approved Framework Adjustment 58 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The framework will be submitted to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS, NOAA Fisheries) for review and implementation. The target implementation date is May 1, which is the start of the 2019 groundfish fishing year. In short, the framework includes the following components:

  • Revised and/or new rebuilding programs for several groundfish stocks, including: (a) Georges Bank winter flounder; (b) Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic yellowtail flounder; (c) witch flounder; (d) Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank Northern windowpane flounder; and (e) ocean pout;
  • Revised annual catch limit specifications (see tables at right and next page);
  • 2019 U.S./Canada total allowable catches (TACs) for three shared groundfish stocks on Georges Bank;
  • An exemption for vessels fishing in Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) waters from U.S. commercial minimum sizes in the Council’s Northeast Multispecies FMP; and
  • An extension of the temporary change that’s currently in place for the scallop fishery’s trigger for Georges Bank yellowtail flounder accountability measures (AMs). Under this extension, the scallop fishery’s AM would be triggered only if scallopers exceed both their own sub-ACL for yellowtail flounder and if the total ACL for this stock is exceeded.

Read the full release here

NEFMC recommendation could pave way for another big scallop year; 60m lbs projected

December 6, 2018 — New England scallop landings in 2019 could reach as much as 60 million pounds (27,215 metric tons), a similar result to 2018, the New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) projects.

The new season will begin on April 1.

At its meeting held today, Dec. 5, the NEFMC voted unanimously to approve a set of rules known as “Framework 30”, which, if the projection by the council’s plan team holds true, could lead to the 60m lbs harvest.

The framework will allow vessels with “full-time limited access” scallop permits to fish during 24 open-area days-at-sea and seven 18,000-pound access area trips.

That includes three trips to a zone called “Nantucket Lightship-West”, three to the “Mid-Atlantic Access Area”, and an additional “flex” trip that can be used in either of those areas or a more northerly zone, “Closed Area I”.

For the “part-time limited access fleet” in 2019, vessels will be allocated 9.6 open-area days-at-sea and three 17,000-pound trips. One trip will be used in Nantucket Lightship-West, another in the Mid-Atlantic Access Area and the third in either of those areas or in Closed Area I.

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

Scallops 2: NEFMC Takes Final Action on Framework 30

December 6, 2018 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

During its December 4-6 meeting in Newport, RI, the New England Fishery Management Council approved Framework Adjustment 30 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan. The framework contains: (1) specifications for the 2019 scallop fishing year, which will begin on April 1; (2) default specifications for 2020; and (3) two “standard default measures” that will carry on into future years.

The Council will submit the framework to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS, NOAA Fisheries) for review and implementation. The Scallop Plan Development Team projects that, under the provisions selected by the Council, the region’s scallop fleet should be able to land roughly 60 million pounds of scallop meats in the 2019 fishing year.

Here’s what’s in the framework.

Full-Time Limited Access Fleet

In 2019, vessels with full time limited access scallop permits will be allocated 24 open-area days-at-sea and seven 18,000-pound access area trips:

  • Three trips into Nantucket Lightship West;
  • Three trips into the Mid-Atlantic Access Area; and
  • One “flex” trip that can be fished either in Closed Area I, Nantucket Lightship-West, or the Mid-Atlantic Access Area.

Read the full release here

New England Council Supports Surfclam, Mussel Fishery Access to Certain Areas Within Great South Channel HMA Plus Further Research

December 5, 2018 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council has signed off on new measures that will allow surfclam fishermen to continue fishing within strictly defined boundaries inside the Great South Channel Habitat Management Area (HMA). Increased monitoring provisions will apply. Mussel fishermen also will be able to fish in the new areas. The measures are included in the Council’s Clam Dredge Framework, which is a trailing action to Omnibus Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) Amendment 2, often referred to as OHA2.

The amendment was implemented April 9, 2018 and prohibited the use of mobile bottom-tending gear within the HMA. However, the surfclam fishery was granted a one-year exemption to continue operating in all but the northeast corner of the area. This exemption expires April 9, 2019. If the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS, NOAA Fisheries) approves and implements the Clam Dredge Framework, surfclam and mussel fishermen will be granted long-term exemptions under certain restrictions for the following subareas:

  • McBlair – Year round;
  • Zone AB – Year round; and
  • East Door/OldSouth – seasonally from May 1 through October 31.

In addition, the Habitat Plan Development Team (PDT) will work with industry to prioritize research needs for two other sub-areas:

  • Rose and Crown; and
  • Zone D.

Once prioritized research needs are identified for Rose and Crown and Zone D, the Council’s intent is that fishermen and researchers will work collaboratively toward obtaining exempted fishing permits for these sub-areas to better define where concentrations of surfclams can be harvested without disturbing sensitive habitat. The Council said this research potentially could lead to the development of additional exemptions in the future.

Read the full release at the New England Fishery Management Council

 

New Federal Regulations for Golden Tilefish in the South Atlantic Region

December 5, 2018 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

KEY MESSAGE:

NOAA Fisheries has published a final rule which revises the catch limits for golden tilefish. The final rule reduces golden tilefish catch limits based on the most recent population assessment. The purpose of the final rule is to end overfishing (rate of removal is too high) of golden tilefish in the South Atlantic.

WHEN RULE WILL TAKE EFFECT:

  • The final rule is effective on January 4, 2019.

WHAT THIS MEANS:

  • The final rule establishes a total catch limit at 342,000 pounds gutted weight (lbs gw).
  • This final rule specifies the commercial and recreational catch limits and component commercial quotas using the existing allocations.

FORMAL FEDERAL REGISTER NAME/NUMBER:
83 FR 62508, published December 4, 2018.

This bulletin serves as a Small Entity Compliance Guide, complying with section 212 of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996.

(NOTE: See the complete Fishery Bulletin from NOAA Fisheries for a list of Frequently Asked Questions and additional information.)

NEFMC votes against limiting access to whiting fishery

December 5, 2018 — New England Fishery Management Council members have shown little collective enthusiasm for limiting access to the Northeast small-mesh whiting fishery and the great majority followed through on that sentiment Tuesday.

Convening in Newport, Rhode Island, in the first of its three days of meetings, the council took final action on the measure known as Amendment 22 by voting 13-1 with one abstention to sustain the small-mesh fishery’s status quo as an open fishery.

The vote defeated a proposal to establish requirements for limiting the access to the small-mesh multispecies fishery that has grown in popularity among local groundfishermen as other stocks have become less abundant or been subject to stricter management policies.

The proposal targeted three stocks collectively considered whiting — northern silver hake, southern silver hake and offshore hake — as well as norther red hake and southern red hake.

The proponents of the measure to limit access cited the need for the measure to help combat bycatch issues, saying that limiting access to the fishery is necessary to “freeze the footprint of the fishery” until the council can get a firmer handle on the true scope of the bycatch problem.

“If you freeze the footprint of this fishery, you place these fishermen in blocks of ice,” said David Pierce, executive director of the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, in explaining his vote against limiting access to the fishery.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times