Saving Seafood

Reminder: SAFMC March Meeting Begins Next Week

February 25, 2020 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Federal fishery managers will gather next week in Jekyll Island, GA to address a number of topics including proposed management measures for dolphin and wahoo, Spanish mackerel, shrimp, and species within the snapper grouper management complex. Members of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will also discuss regulatory actions proposed for the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, allocation issues, and receive reports from NOAA Fisheries on the status of the 2020 red snapper season as well as shark depredation.

The meeting will take place March 2-6, 2020 at the Westin Jekyll Island, 110 Ocean Way, Jekyll Island, GA, 31527. The meeting week begins Monday at 1:30 p.m. with a series of committee meetings and concludes with a meeting of the Full Council on Thursday afternoon and Friday. The meetings are open to the public. Briefing book materials for each committee meeting, as well as a meeting of the Full Council are now available.

A formal public comment session will be held on Wednesday, March 4th beginning at 4:00 PM. An online comment form for agenda items is also now available. The meeting is available via webinar as it occurs. Registration is required and can be completed in advance for each meeting day.

Webinar Registration Links:

Additional information for next week’s meeting, including briefing book materials with committee agendas and overviews, is available at: https://safmc.net/march-2020-council-meeting-details/.

Reminder! Seats Open on Federal Fishery Advisory Panels

October 31, 2019 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is currently seeking applicants for open seats on its advisory panels. Advisory panel members provide information and guidance in the development and implementation of federal fishery management plans. Members include recreational and commercial fishermen, seafood dealers and processors, industry representatives, scientists, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) such as environmental groups, fishing organizations, etc.

Advisory panel members are appointed by the Council and serve for a three-year period, based on the frequency of meetings. The advisory panels generally meet no more than once or twice each year and are compensated for travel and per diem expenses for all meetings.

Seats are currently open on the Dolphin Wahoo Advisory Panel, Habitat and Ecosystem-Based Management Advisory Panel, Information & EducationAdvisory Panel, and the Mackerel Cobia Advisory Panel. Details are available from the News Release.

Learn more about the advisory panels and access the online application from the Council’s website at: https://safmc.net/about-safmc/advisory-panels/. For questions, please contact Kim Iverson, Public Information Officer, at kim.iverson@safmc.net or at 843/302-8440.

SAFMC Seeks Applicants for Federal Fishery Advisory Panels

October 16, 2019 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is currently soliciting applicants for open advisory panel seats. Advisory panel members provide information and guidance in the development and implementation of federal fishery management plans. Members include recreational and commercial fishermen, seafood dealers and processors, scientists, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) such as environmental groups, fishing organizations, etc., and concerned citizens. Advisory panel members are appointed by the Council and serve for a three-year period, based on the frequency of meetings. The Council’s advisory panels generally meet no more than once or twice each year and are compensated for travel and per diem expenses for all meetings.

Applications are now being solicited for the following positions:
Dolphin Wahoo Advisory Panel
(1) Open Seat

Habitat and Ecosystem-Based Management Advisory Panel
(1) NC Seat; (1) SC Seat; and (1) FL Seat

Information and Education Advisory Panel
(1) Recreational Seat and (1) Commercial Seat

Mackerel Cobia Advisory Panel
(3) Open Seats

How to Apply

Additional information including application forms for individual advisory panels is available online from the Council’s website at: http://safmc.net/about-safmc/advisory-panels/. For questions about the advisory panel seats please contact Kim Iverson, Public Information Officer, at Kim.Iverson@safmc.net or call the Council office at 843/571-4366.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact area Council representatives to discuss their interest in serving. Contact information for all Council members is available at: https://safmc.net/council-members/.

Applications must be received by November 6, 2019 for consideration by the Council during its December 2-6, 2019 meeting in Wilmington, NC.

South Atlantic Fishery Management Council Seeks Applicants for Executive Director

May 20, 2019 — The following was published by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, headquartered in North Charleston, S.C., is responsible for the conservation and management of fish stocks within the federal 200-mile limit of the Atlantic off the coasts of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and east Florida to Key West. The Council is responsible for Coastal Migratory Pelagics from New York to Florida and for Dolphin/Wahoo from Maine to Florida.

The Executive Director serves as the chief executive offer of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council and is responsible for managing all administrative and technical aspects of Council operations.

For additional information including primary duties and responsibilities, knowledge, ability and skill requirements, and other details about the position, please visit the Council’s website at http://safmc.net/announcements/safmc-recruitment-announcement-executive-director/. Questions may be sent to Kelly Klasnick, Administrative Officer, at kelly.klasnick@safmc.net or by calling the Council office at 843/763-1050.

Council Receives Red Snapper Update; Will Consider Flexibility for Seasonal Dates Beginning in 2020

March 8, 2019 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

A presentation by NOAA Fisheries on the 2019 red snapper season evoked questions and much discussion from members of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council during their week-long meeting in Jekyll Island, Georgia. The meeting week began with a notification on Monday by NOAA Fisheries that there would be a 2019 season for red snapper. The Council received a presentation on how the 2019 red snapper season was determined and the rationale for the 5-day recreational season. NOAA Fisheries is responsible for determining if a red snapper season can be held each year and the number of days the season will last. The Council has the authority to determine when the season would occur, if harvest is allowed.

In 2013, the Council established protocol that, if a red snapper season were allowed, it would open during the same time period each year – the second weekend in July for the recreational sector (not to open for less than 3 days) and the second Monday in July for the commercial fishery. This year, the recreational red snapper season will open July 12-14, 2019, with an additional two days the following Friday and Saturday, July 19-20. The recreational bag limit is one per/person day with no minimum size limit. The commercial fishery will open Monday, July 8th and close once the commercial annual catch limit (ACL) is met or on January 1, 2020. The sector allocation for red snapper is 71.93% recreational and 28.07% commercial. Currently, the total ACL is 42,510 fish. A new stock assessment for red snapper will begin in 2020.

“We recognize that fishermen want a longer season for red snapper as the stock rebuilds, and we will continue to work toward that goal,” said Council Chair Jessica McCawley. “We appreciate NOAA Fisheries announcing this season early enough for fishermen to plan for the July opening and encourage anglers to exercise best fishing practices during the 2019 season – and throughout the year.”

The Council discussed the need for additional flexibility when determining what days (weekends/weekdays) and the time of the year the red snapper season would occur if an opening is allowed. “When these dates were originally established, I don’t think that fishermen believed this would be the new norm for red snapper fishing,” said Council member Spud Woodward. “Considering the input we received during recent recreational workshops, we need to reexamine when these limited number of red snapper fishing days should occur.” The Council will begin work on a framework amendment to allow modification of the seasonal dates and continue to address this at its June 2019 meeting. Public comments will be taken at the June meeting.

Best Practices

For red snapper, and many other species in the Snapper Grouper Management Complex, the use of best fishing practices can help fishermen avoid non-targeted species and increase the survivability of fish that are released. Fishermen can now take advantage of a new Best Fishing Practices online tutorial specifically designed for fishermen that bottom fish for snapper grouper species. Developed by the South Carolina Wildlife Federation with guidance from Council staff, the tutorial is easy to use and addresses issues of hook injury, handing, predation after release, and barotrauma. Fishermen completing the tutorial are eligible to receive a free SeaQualizer descending device. Learn more at: http://safmc.net/electronic-reporting-projects/myfishcount/.

Private recreational anglers are also encouraged to participate in MyFishCount, a voluntary reporting program that allows anglers to report their fishing activity, including fish landed and released, using a mobile application. Learn more at: http://safmc.net/electronic-reporting-projects/myfishcount/.

The Council is currently developing Regulatory Amendment 29 to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan to address best fishing practices for snapper grouper species, including requirements for the use of descending devices and/or venting devices, modifying current requirements for non-stainless-steel circle hooks, and adjusting the prohibition on the use of powerhead gear by divers. Public hearings on the amendment will be scheduled prior to the Council’s June 2019 meeting.

Other Business

The Council continued work on management options to include in the Dolphin Wahoo Amendment 10, narrowing down the number of options for the amendment. Options currently include: allowing bag limit sale of dolphin for dually-permitted for-hire and commercial federal permit holders, removal of the Operator Card requirement in the dolphin wahoo fishery, reducing the recreational vessel limit for dolphin, gear modifications and training requirements for the commercial longline fishery, allowing adaptive management of sector ACLs for dolphin, revising accountability measures for dolphin, allowing properly permitted vessels with gear onboard that are not authorized for use in the dolphin wahoo fishery to possess dolphin or wahoo, and modifications to biological parameters for dolphin. The Council will continue to develop the amendment at its June 2019 meeting.

The Council also received a report from the American Sportfishing Association (ASA), Coastal Conservation Association (CCA), and Yamaha Marine Group on Exploring Approaches for Innovated Management of the Private Recreational Sector of the South Atlantic Snapper Grouper Fishery. ASA, in conjunction with the CCA and Yamaha Marine Group recently launched a project to explore new ideas for management of the private recreational sector targeting snapper grouper species. A workshop with Council members was held in 2018, and subsequent regional meetings were held from November 2018 until January 2019 to get input from local representatives in the recreational community. The report includes input from the workshops on angler preferences, harvest rate management, harvest tags for certain species, use of a recreational stamp, electronic reporting, and reducing release mortality. The Council reviewed the report and will consider the recommendations in future management decisions.

Additional information for this week’s meeting, including an interactive Story Map and meeting report is available from the Council’s website at: http://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/council-meetings/.

The next meeting of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is scheduled for June 10-14, 2019 at the Hutchinson Island Marriott in Stuart, Florida. Additional information for the meeting will be posted at: http://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/council-meetings/.

Reminder: SAFMC Public Scoping Webinars Tonight at 6 PM and Tomorrow at 6 PM

January 23, 2019 — The following was published by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is seeking public scoping comment on two amendments affecting how federal fisheries are managed under its jurisdiction. Scoping is the first stage in the process to amend a fishery management plan (FMP) and offers the public an opportunity to comment on options being considered.

Scoping documents along with presentations (both PDF and video) are available from the Council’s website at: http://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/public-hearings-scoping-meetings/. Public comment forms are also available from the website. Written comments are due to the Council office by February 1, 2019.

SCOPING WEBINARS:
Two webinars will be held to provide an overview of the two amendments and answer any questions prior to taking formal public comment. Registration for the webinars is required.
* Wednesday, January 23 at 6:00 PM Webinar Registration
* Thursday, January 24 at 6:00 PM Webinar Registration

AMENDMENTS FOR SCOPING:
Modifications to Recreational Accountability Measures
(Regulatory Amendment 31 to the Snapper Grouper FMP and Regulatory Amendment 2 to the Dolphin Wahoo FMP)

Frustrated with recreational fishing seasons that begin and end at different times from one year to the next? Wish that you could plan your fishing trips well in advance and know if a season will be open or closed? Have ideas on how to improve fishing seasons while meeting the requirements not to exceed annual catch limits?

The Council is considering modifying in-season and post-season accountability measures (AMs) used to help ensure annual catch limits are not exceeded. These may include closing a fishery during the fishing year (in-season), reducing the length of a fishing season in a subsequent year if the catch limit is exceeded, or reducing bag limits (post-season). Currently, accountability measures for the recreational sector vary for species in the snapper grouper management complex and for dolphin and wahoo. The Council’s intent is to reduce complexity and make it easier for recreational fishermen to understand how the AMs would be applied.

The Amendment also includes options to institute a policy to announce when a recreational fishing season will begin and end prior to the fishing year, and revise the units used for tracking recreational annual catch limits.

Comprehensive ABC Control Rule Amendment
(Modifications to the Allowable Biolgical Catch Control Rule)

This amendment may seem a bit complicated – and it is. But the concepts are important. The ABC Control Rule (a set of guidelines), determines how two key factors – scientific uncertainty and the risk of overfishing – are evaluated and applied to available fishery information and subsequently determine the Acceptable Biological Catch (or the amount of fish you get to keep). And that’s important to everyone.

Read More, Register for Webinars, and Submit Your Comments
Click Now
Council March Meeting Update
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council meeting scheduled for March 4-8, 2019 in Jekyll Island, Georgia will be held as scheduled despite the federal government shutdown at this time. Additional information about the meeting, including agendas and briefing book materials will be available February 14th from the Council’s website.

South Atlantic Fisheries Council meets this week in Kitty Hawk

December 3, 2018 — The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will be meeting at the Hilton Garden Inn in Kitty Hawk this Monday afternoon through Friday.

The council, headquartered in Charleston, S.C., is responsible for managing fish stocks within the federal 200-mile limit off the coasts of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and east Florida to Key West.

On Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m., a training session will be held for charter boat captains for a catch reporting system for the snapper, grouper, dolphin, wahoo and coastal migratory pelagic fisheries.

Participants will have the opportunity to learn more about upcoming electronic reporting requirements for federal permit holders and to practice using available electronic reporting tools.

Read the full story at The Outer Banks Voice

Reminder: South Atlantic Fishery Management Council Meeting December 3-7, 2018

November 30, 2018 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Members of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council head to the Outer Banks of North Carolina next week to address federal fishery management measures affecting offshore fisheries including snapper grouper, dolphin, wahoo, habitat protection and ecosystem-based management, and the Council’s Citizen Science Program. The Council will also host a For-Hire Electronic Reporting Training Sessions (see below for details). The meetings are open to the public unless otherwise specified, and public comment is now being accepted on agenda items.

Agendas, Overviews, and Briefing Materials:
The agenda for the week-long meeting, as well as individual committee agendas and helpful overviews, are available from the Council meeting website. Documents, summaries, presentations, and other briefing materials for the meeting are also available.

Attend the Meeting via Webinar:
The meeting may be accessed via webinar each day as it occurs. Registration for each day is required. Register now via the links below and receive email reminders for the upcoming sessions. (Note: The Council’s Personnel Committee is meeting in Closed Session on Monday and the meeting will not be available via webinar.)
– Tuesday, December 4 8:30 am – 5 pm
– Wednesday, December 5 8:30 am – 6 pm
– Thursday, December 6 8:30 am – 5 pm
– Friday, December 7 8:30 am – 12:00 pm

Public Comment:
Comments on agenda items may be submitted using the online comment form. The form allows Council members immediate access to all comments and gives others the opportunity to read comments as they are posted. The Council will also solicit in-person public comment during the meeting beginning at 4:00 PM on Wednesday, December 5, 2018.

Agenda Highlights:
Final Approval: The Council is scheduled to approve two amendments for review by the Secretary of Commerce during the meeting: Snapper Grouper Visioning Regulatory Amendment 26 (recreational measures as outlined in the Council’s Vision Blueprint for the Snapper Grouper Fishery); and Snapper Grouper Amendment 32 (Accountability Measures for Yellowtail Snapper).

Additional agenda highlights are available online. Access all of the meeting information, submit comments, and listen live as the meeting occurs.

Read more

SAFMC News Release: Upcoming Meetings Will Address Federal Fisheries Management Issues

April 7, 2017 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Fishermen and others interested in federal fishery management issues will want to mark their calendars for upcoming meetings that may affect fishing for snapper grouper, mackerel, cobia, dolphin and wahoo, as well as policies affecting essential fish habitat and ecosystem-based management and the harvest of spiny lobster. The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold several advisory panel meetings as well as a meeting of the Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) and the SSC Socio-Economic Panel in the coming weeks. A public hearing for issues affecting spiny lobster will be held via webinar in May.      

The Council’s advisory panel members, representing recreational fishermen, charter captains, commercial fishermen, seafood dealers and others knowledgeable about fisheries issues, provide grassroot input into the fishery management process. The Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) and Socio-Economic Panel are responsible for reviewing the scientific basis of Council management plans and actions and developing fishing level recommendations in accordance with national fisheries guidelines. Members of the SSC include stock assessment scientists, economists, biologists, sociologists, and others knowledgeable about fisheries in the South Atlantic.      

Additional information about the meetings is listed below, including meeting agendas, overviews, and briefing book materials are posted on the Council’s website (see details below). Members of the public are invited to attend all meetings and encouraged to participate in the spiny lobster public hearing via webinar. The SSC and advisory panel meetings will also be accessible online via webinar as they occur. Webinar registration is required and details are posted on the meeting pages of the website.  

Advisory Panel Meeting Agenda Highlights

Meeting Materials: The AP meeting materials and webinar registration information is now available at: http://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/current-advisory-panel-meetings/.

Meeting Locations: With the exception of the Habitat Advisory Panel and Law Enforcement Advisory Panel, all of the following advisory panel meetings will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 4831 Tanger Outlet Blvd., North Charleston, SC 29418, phone: 843/744-4422.  

April 17-19, 2017 Snapper Grouper Advisory Panel Meeting 

  • Red snapper management options to reduce discards, improve the survival of released fish, and improve recreational reporting (Amendment 43)
  • Vision Blueprint Regulatory Amendment 26 (Recreational) – measures include modifications to aggregate bag limits, reducing minimum size limits for black sea bass and gray triggerfish, and changes to the current spawning season closure for shallow-water grouper 
  • Vision Blueprint Regulatory Amendment 27 (Commercial) – measures include options for split seasons, shallow-water grouper season closure, and trip limits for the Jacks complex
  • Limited-entry for the for-hire (charter) fishery  

April 19-20, 2017 – Mackerel Cobia and Cobia Sub-Panel Advisory Panel Meeting

  • Updates on Atlantic cobia recreational fishing season, upcoming stock assessment, and ongoing cobia research
  • Atlantic Spanish mackerel – possible limited entry for federal commercial permits, and gillnet endorsements
  • King mackerel – latent commercial permits, Atlantic king mackerel trip limits on Spanish mackerel gillnet trips

April 21, 2017 – Dolphin Wahoo Advisory Panel Meeting

  • Dolphinfish Research Program presentation
  • Update on South Atlantic Council actions including recent changes to commercial trip limits for dolphin and the status of electronic reporting requirements for charter vessels
  • AP input on management options including the definition of Optimum Yield for dolphin,management of annual catch limits, allowable gear in the commercial fishery for dolphin and wahoo, and operator card requirements.  

May 16-17, 2017 – Habitat Protection and Ecosystem-Based Management 

Advisory Panel Meeting

  Meeting Location: Town & Country Inn, 2008 Savannah Highway, Charleston, SC 29407

  • Continued development of the Council’s Fishery Ecosystem Plan II 
  • Draft Essential Fish Habitat Policy Statement for Artificial Reefs 
  • Presentation by the Sargasso Sea Commission

May 18-19, 2017 – Law Enforcement Advisory Panel Meeting 

  Meeting Location: Town & Country Inn, 2008 Savannah Highway, Charleston, SC 29407

  • Updates on recent Council actions and the electronic reporting pilot program for charter vessels 
  • Possible changes to Operator Permits to improve utility 
  • Enforcement of fishery closures 
  • Retention of recreational bag limits when citations are issued and other issues 

Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) and Social & Economic Sub-Panel Meeting – April 24 – April 27, 2017

Analysis of fishing behavior, a socio-economic analysis of the snapper grouper fishery, and economic and social indicators of stock abundance top the agenda for a meeting of the Social & Economic Sub-panel of the Council’s SSC beginning on April 24th. Members of the SSC will then convene for the next three days to discuss scientific issues affecting the upcoming stock assessment for vermilion snapper, golden tilefish projections, approaches for obtaining an acceptable biological catch for red snapper, black sea bass bag and size limit analysis, and uncertainty in the Marine Recreational Information Program estimates and discuss a possible joint meeting of the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council’s SSCs in the future to address these estimates. Public comment will be accepted during the SSC meeting and the meeting is available via webinar. Registration is required. Additional information will be posted at: http://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/scientific-and-statistical-committee-meetings/ as it becomes available. Meeting location: Town & Country Inn, 2008 Savannah Highway, Charleston, SC 29407

Spiny Lobster Regulatory Amendment 4 Public Hearing via Webinar

May 9, 2017 at 6:00 p.m.   

Spiny lobster in federal waters from North Carolina to Texas are managed jointly by the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic Fishery Management Councils. The South Atlantic Council will hold a public hearing via webinar to address management measures proposed in Regulatory Amendment 4 to the Spiny Lobster Fishery Management Plan. Actions in the amendment address biological parameters such as acceptable biological catch (ABC) for spiny lobster in both the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico following a recent stock assessment.  The amendment would also prevent the use of lobster traps for recreational harvest in federal waters in the South Atlantic. Additional information, including webinar registration and public hearing documents and presentations will be posted at: http://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/public-hearing-and-scoping-meeting-schedule/by April 25, 2017.   

A PDF copy of this news release is available from the Council’s website.

NOAA Fisheries – FB17-006: Delay in Implementation of a Final Rule for Black Sea Bass and for Dolphin in Federal Waters of the Atlantic

February 2, 2017 — The following was released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration:

Delay in Implementation of a Final Rule for Black Sea Bass and for Dolphin in Federal Waters of the Atlantic   

KEY MESSAGE: 

NOAA Fisheries has delayed the effectiveness of two final rules affecting fishermen in Atlantic waters: a requirement to mark buoy lines for black sea bass pots in the South Atlantic with purple marks, and a 4,000-pound whole weight trip limit for dolphin in the Atlantic after 75 percent of the commercial sector annual catch limit has been met or projected to be met. The delay is in accordance with a memorandum dated January 20, 2017, issued by the White House.     

HOW LONG WILL THE DELAY LAST: 

The delay in effectiveness began on January 20, 2017, and ends on March 21, 2017.

WHAT THIS MEANS:

Black Sea Bass: 

  • The requirement to mark buoy lines for black sea bass pots with purple marks is not effective now, but will be effective on March 21, 2017.
  • The final rule for Regulatory Amendment 16 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery published on December 29, 2016 (81 FR 95893).
  • The required additional buoy line markings for black sea bass pot gear (50 C.F.R. Part 622.189(g)) would have been effective on January 30, 2017.
  • This final rule also revised the seasonal prohibition on the use of black sea bass pot gear in the South Atlantic (effective December 29, 2016). The delay in effectiveness of the buoy line markings does not affect the modifications to the seasonal prohibition. Therefore, fishers can continue fishing with black sea bass pots as per the final rule for Regulatory Amendment 16.

Dolphin: 

  • The commercial trip limit for dolphin of 4,000 pounds whole weight after 75 percent of the commercial sector annual catch limit has been met or projected to be met is not effective now, but will be effective on March 21, 2017.
  • The final rule for Regulatory Amendment 1 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Dolphin and Wahoo Fishery of the Atlantic published on December 30, 2016 (81 FR 96388).
  • This commercial trip limit for dolphin (50 C.F.R. Part 622.278(a)(3)(i)) would have been effective January 30, 2017.

FORMAL FEDERAL REGISTER NAME/NUMBER: Memorandum announcing the delay in implementation of regulations (82 FR 8346, published January 24, 2017). Notice announcing the delay in implementations of final rules for black sea bass (Regulatory Amendment 16) and dolphin (Regulatory Amendment 1) (82 FR 8820, published January 31, 2017).