January 16, 2018 — SEAFOOD NEWS — In an effort to “allow for more equitable distribution of harvest and facilitate better coordination between state and federal management of Atlantic cobia” without reducing protection of the stock, members of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council are soliciting public input on proposed Amendment 31.
The Amendment is the result of year-to-year overages in recreational harvests and a currently overly complex management system among state and federal management of the sleek cobia, also known as black kingfish.
In 2015 an overage of recreational landings resulted in a shortened 2016 recreational season for Atlantic cobia, and triggered an amendment to help reduce the likelihood of exceeding ACLs again. The South Atlantic Council also asked the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) to consider complementary management for cobia. The Commission’s interstate management plan is expected to be implemented this April.
Recreational landings far outweigh commercial along the Eastern seaboard. Landings in North Carolina and the Mid- Atlantic states have driven the increase.
Recreational landings went from 498,000 lbs in 2012 to 1.34 million lbs. in 2016. For commercial landings, the increase was from 42,000 lbs. in 2012 to 88,000 lbs. in 2016.
Amendment 31 offers four alternatives. According to the analysis done by the South Atlantic Council, Alternative 1 or status quo would likely result in the annual catch limits being exceeded, with negative impacts to the stock.
Alternative 2 would remove Atlantic cobia from the FMP, which means no further federal management for the stock. However, federal regulations for annual catch limits and other management measures would continue. Alternative 2 would likely result in the ASFMC extending their jurisdiction into federal waters and managing cobia under the Interstate FMP which has more restrictive measures. “The biological and ecological benefits to the stock are expected to be beneficial,” reads the analysis.Alternative 3 would outline
Alternative 3 would outline complimentary management of Atlantic cobia with the ASFMC. This gives the South Atlantic Council the flexibility to continue to manage Atlantic group cobia but the majority of the management responsibility would be by the states through the ASFMC Interstate FMP. Alternative 3 would have positive biological impacts to the species.
Alternative 4 would establish a framework procedure in the CMP FMP for an enhanced cooperative management system with the ASMFC that allows changes to Atlantic cobia management through NMFS rulemaking. This alternative sets up a procedure in which ASMFC can propose new regulations directly to NMFS, without formal action from the Council. Rules would still need to meet Magnuson-Stevens Act standards and FMP objectives, thereby having a positive biological impacts to the stock.
Public hearings will be conducted via webinar with listening stations as noted below.
January 22, 2018 Webinar – begins at 6:00 PM
Listening Stations:
1 Port Royal Sound Maritime Center: 310 Okatie Hwy, Okatie, SC 29909
2 North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries’ Central District Office: 5285 Highway
70 West, Morehead City, NC 28557
3 Georgia Department of Natural Resources Coastal Division: One Conservation
Way, Brunswick, GA 31523
January 23, 2018 Webinar – begins at 6:00 PM
Listening Station:
Hatteras Community Center; 57689 NC Highway12, Hatteras, NC 27943
January 24, 2018 Webinar – begins at 6:00 PM
Listening Stations:
1 Haddrell’s Point Tackle: 885 Ben Sawyer Blvd, Mt Pleasant, SC 29464
2 Virginia Marine Resources Commission (The Maritime Building); 2600 Washington Ave., 4th Floor, Newport News, VA 23607 *Note: The VA location is a state-organized listening station and was arranged to provide the public in Virginia the opportunity to attend and provide comments in-person.
Registration for each webinar is required. Registration information, along with public hearing documents, video presentations, and other materials is now available from the Council’s website at: http://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/public-hearings-scoping-meetings/. An online public comment form for written comments is also available. Comments must be received by 5 p.m. February 9, 2018 to be included in the briefing book materials for the Council’s March 5-9, 2018 meeting in Jekyll Island, GA.
This story originally appeared on Seafoodnews.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.