Saving Seafood

Fishermen Encouraged to Use Best Practices and Assist with Data Collection During Red Snapper Opening

July 2, 2019 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

As anglers get ready to head offshore with the upcoming opening of red snapper season, there are a few things that can make your trip a success not only for you, but for the fish you release, and for fishery biologists hard at work to gather information while the season is underway.

First, know the rules. The recreational red snapper fishery will open for harvest on July 12, 13, and 14 (Friday, Saturday, Sunday), and again on July 19 and 20, 2019 (Friday and Saturday). The bag limit is one fish per person/day with no minimum size limit. A reminder, dehookers are required when fishing for snapper grouper species, including red snapper. The use of non-stainless-steel circle hooks (offset or non-offset) is also required when using natural baits north of 28 degrees north latitude (just south of Melbourne, FL). Note that the number of fishing days is determined by NOAA Fisheries each year. For additional information, including a Q&A reference, visit: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/bulletin/noaa-fisheries-announces-limited-openings-recreational-and-commercial-red-snapper.

Plan ahead. Expect to release fish and know how to properly do so. Be prepared to help improve the chances that a fish captured in deeper water will survive by having a descending device rigged and ready and/or properly use a venting tool. Fish caught in deep water, typically 50 feet or greater, may experience barotrauma, an expansion of gas in the fish’s swim bladder due to pressure changes that causes damage to the swim bladder or other internal organs. When a fish suffering from barotrauma is released, it is often unable to swim back down to the depth it was captured, making it difficult to survive. No one wants to see a “floater”. If a fish needs to be released and shows signs of barotrauma, venting or the use of a descending device will go a long way in making sure the fish is available to catch another day. Learn more at: http://safmc.net/regulations/regulations-by-species/red-snapper/.

Do your part to help improve fisheries management by using MyFishCount, a recreational reporting app and web-portal that allows anglers to voluntarily report their catches through the MyFishCount website or free mobile application. Learn more and download the app by visiting: https://www.myfishcount.com. In addition, cooperate with the fishery biologists that you may encounter dockside when you’ve finished your fishing trip. The red snapper opening offers an opportunity for staff from state marine resource agencies to collect data and learn from your fishing trips. Your cooperation during these sampling efforts will go a long way in providing better data and ultimately lead to better management.

Finally – be safe, be courteous, and enjoy your fishing trip!

SAFMC Launches its First Citizen Science Pilot Project

June 20, 2019 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Estimating the number of fish harvested by offshore fishermen has consistently been a challenge for federal fishery managers. Gathering information about what fishermen release during a fishing trip is even more so. To help fill these data gaps, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council has initiated its first Citizen Science pilot project, SAFMC Scamp Release. The project allows fishermen to use the mobile app, SAFMC Release, to provide information on released scamp grouper. The mobile app was developed by Harbor Light Software with the support of The Pew Charitable Trusts and Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program with the Citizen Science Association serving as a fiscal sponsor.

“Fishermen have consistently offered to help collect data, many offering their boats to act as research platforms for sampling and observations,” explained Council Chair Jessica McCawley. “The Council’s Citizen Science Program, developed over the last three years with the guidance of a wide array of stakeholders and partners, now allows for that information to be collected. We are very proud of this new program and hopeful that data collected in this first pilot project can be used in an upcoming stock assessment for scamp.” A stock assessment for scamp grouper is scheduled to begin later this year and completed in 2021.

The SAFMC Release app provides an easy-to-use platform for fishermen to collect data on scamp that are released, including information on length, depth, and location of released scamp, as well as release treatment and the condition of the fish when released. Information on released fish is a research priority identified by the Council and an important data component for stock assessments. Data collected by individual fishermen through the pilot project will be confidential. ­­­­

“We are now recruiting offshore fishermen that target snapper grouper species to participate in this initial pilot project,” said Julia Byrd, the Council’s Citizen Science Program Coordinator. “Timing is key – and we need fishermen to begin collecting data now,” said Byrd. “The ability to collect this data through the SAFMC Releaseapp offers a unique opportunity and we’re excited about the prospect to supplement data that will be used in future management of scamp.”

The aim of the Council’s Citizen Science Program is to engage fishermen, scientists and managers in co-creating projects that align with the Council’s research needs.This pilot project is designed to show that citizen science is a cost-effective way to supplement existing data collection efforts. Additional information about the SAFMC Scamp Release pilot project is available from the Council’s website at: http://safmc.net/cit-sci/scamp-release/.

Fishermen interested in providing data through the SAFMC Scamp Release pilot project should contact Julia Byrd at julia.byrd@safmc.net or by calling 843/571-4366.

Council Requests Emergency Action for Commercial Mackerel Fishery

June 17, 2019 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Nearly 40 fishermen and others interested in federal fishery management issues spoke during a public hearing held this week as part of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s week-long meeting in Stuart, Florida. The majority of comments focused on the need for an increase in the commercial king mackerel fishery off the southeastern coast of Florida during the second season that extends into the winter months (October 1st through the end of February). Since the 2015-16 season, the commercial fishery in the Southern Zone (Flagler/Volusia county line south) has harvested under 60% of their annual catch limit. The value of the unharvested quota is estimated $3,885,647 per season over the past four fishing seasons.

Fishermen explained that the current limit of 50 fish per trip often marginalizes profit and keeps fishermen from carrying crew, preventing a new generation of fishermen from getting involved in the fishery and presenting safety at sea issues. Fishermen also spoke about the recent negative economic impacts of severe weather and environmental factors such as poor water quality.

After considering public comment and recommendations from its Mackerel Cobia Advisory Panel, the Council approved a motion to request NOAA Fisheries use emergency action to increase the second season commercial king mackerel trip limit from 50 fish to 75 fish in the Southern Zone. The Council made the request with the intention of having the increase in place by the beginning of the October 1, 2019 opening. The Atlantic king mackerel stock is not overfished or undergoing overfishing, and it is not anticipated that the commercial quota will be exceeded with the increased trip limit.

“We sincerely appreciate the Council’s support in recognizing the importance of increasing the commercial king mackerel trip limit here in South Florida,” said Ira Laks, Chairman of the Council’s Mackerel Cobia Advisory Panel and a dual-permitted commercial/charter captain from Jupiter, Florida. “The Council considered input from its advisory panel as well as a number of mackerel fishermen who attended Wednesday night’s public hearing,” explained Laks. “I want to also thank all of the fishermen who took the time and effort to attend the hearing. It made a difference.”

Other Items
Red Grouper
A 2017 stock assessment for red grouper indicates the stock is overfished and undergoing overfishing. As a result, the Council reduced the annual catch limit for red grouper in 2018, but further measures are needed. The Council approved Snapper Grouper Regulatory Amendment 30 during its meeting this week. If approved by the Secretary of Commerce, the amendment will revise the rebuilding schedule for the red grouper stock and modify the spawning season prohibition off the coasts of North Carolina and South Carolina, adding the month of May to the current January through April closure. The amendment would also establish a commercial trip limit of 200 pounds gutted weight for red grouper in federal waters.

Red Snapper
The Council also discussed options for the red snapper fishery. The number of recreational fishing days for red snapper in federal waters in the South Atlantic is determined by NOAA Fisheries each year, based on the estimated harvest from the previous year. If fishing is allowed, the opening dates of both the recreational fishery and commercial fishery currently begin in July. The Council is considering options for modifying the current parameters in place, including the season start dates as well as days of the week when red snapper harvest is allowed to allow more flexibility for the season and reduce the number of fish that must be released.

Regulatory Amendment 33 to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan would address these modifications and includes action to remove the minimum number of days for allowing a red snapper season (currently 3 days or more), modify the start date of the recreational red snapper season, revise the days of the week harvest would be allowed, and modify the start date of the red snapper commercial fishery. Public hearings via webinar and listening stations will be scheduled for August and the Council will review public comments during its September 16-20, 2019 meeting in Charleston, SC. The public hearing schedule will be publicized as soon as it becomes available.

Dolphin Wahoo
The Council also continued to work on management measures for dolphin fish and wahoo through Amendment 10 to the Dolphin Wahoo Fishery Management Plan. The amendment currently includes actions to revise annual catch limits, sector allocations, and accountability measures and options to reduce the vessel limit for dolphin. The amendment would also remove operator card requirements, addresses retention and gear training requirements for commercial vessels and options for allowing for-hire vessels north of the North Carolina/Virginia border to fillet dolphin with skin intact under the condition that two fillets equal one fish. Dolphin and wahoo are managed in federal waters along the Atlantic coast by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council in cooperation with the Mid-Atlantic and New England Fishery Management Councils. There is no minimum size limit for dolphin in federal waters off of North Carolina northward. The Council’s Dolphin Wahoo Advisory Panel had requested the Council considers allowing the sale of bag limit dolphin by dual-federally permitted (charter and commercial) vessels. After considering public comment and input received during this week’s public hearing, and much discussion, the Council decided to remove the action as part of Amendment 10. The Council will continue to discuss the amendment in September.

At the request of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and after considering public scoping comments, the South Atlantic Council will move forward to develop an amendment to designate bullet and frigate mackerel as ecosystem component species within the Dolphin Wahoo Fishery Management Plan and evaluate appropriate regulatory actions. The designation, widely supported during the scoping process, would acknowledge the important role the two species play as forage fish for dolphin and wahoo.

The next meeting of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is scheduled for September 16-20, 2019 at the Town and Country Inn in Charleston, SC. Additional information for this week’s meeting, including final committee reports, an interactive story map, and meeting report is available from the Council’s website at: http://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/council-meetings/.

NOAA Fisheries – FB19-032: Recreational Harvest of Golden Tilefish Will Close in Federal Waters of South Atlantic on June 17, 2019

June 12, 2019 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

WHAT/WHEN:

The 2019 recreational fishing season for golden tilefish in South Atlantic federal waters will close at 12:01 a.m. (local time) on June 17, 2019. Recreational harvest for the 2020 fishing year in South Atlantic federal waters will open at 12:01 a.m. (local time) on January 1, 2020.

WHY THIS CLOSURE IS HAPPENING:

The 2019 golden tilefish recreational catch limit is 2,316 fish. Reports indicate that recreational landings have reached the 2019 recreational catch limit.

According to the regulations, NOAA Fisheries must close the recreational sector when the recreational catch limit has been reached. This closure is necessary to protect the golden tilefish population.

DURING THE CLOSURE:

Recreational harvest or possession of golden tilefish in or from federal waters of the South Atlantic is prohibited.

This bulletin provides only a summary of the existing regulations. Full regulations can be found in the Federal Register or at https://www.ecfr.gov.

Early South Atlantic Snapper Closure Draws Ire

June 10, 2019 — SEAFOOD NEWS — Another early mandated closure of yellowtail snapper commercial fishery has local commercial fishermen again calling for a reallocation of that species because the recreational fishing side has not been meeting its annual allocation every year.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will close the fishery Friday, June 7, and will reopen it Aug. 1, which is the start of a new fishing year for yellowtail snapper. The fishing year for yellowtail runs from Aug. 1 to July 31.

The August 2018 through July 2019 commercial catch limit is 1,596,510 pounds whole weight. Commercial landings are projected to reach the commercial catch limit and harvest should close to prevent the catch limit from being exceeded, according to the South Atlantic Fishery Management.

During the commercial closure, all sale or purchase of yellowtail snapper is prohibited, and harvest or possession of yellowtail snapper in or from federal waters is limited to the recreational bag and possession limits while the recreational sector is open, according to council.

This is the second straight year the council closed the commercial yellowtail fishery roughly two months early.

Yellowtail snapper is one of the most profitable commercial fin fisheries in the Keys. The Keys account for 90 percent of the yellowtail landings in the United States.

The top five communities with the highest levels of commercial landings of yellowtail snapper include the Florida communities of Key West, Miami, Marathon, Fort Lauderdale and Key Largo, according to the South Atlantic Council. The top Florida communities for recreational fishing also include communities in South Florida and the Florida Keys.

For the past several years, Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen’s Association Executive Director Bill Kelly has lobbied state and federal fishery managers to reallocate some of the unused yellowtail annual catch allocation from the recreational sector to the commercial sector.

The annual catch limit for commercially harvested yellowtail is about 1.6 million pounds and the recreational annual catch limit is roughly 1.4 million pounds.

The recreational side has not harvested 500,000 to 700,000 pounds of yellowtail in South Atlantic waters for the past six of seven years and 500,000 pounds in Gulf waters, according to Kelly.

“The recreational sector has not harvested more than 50 percent in the past 10 years, but still we have early closures,” Kelly said.

Reallocation is a hugely controversial issue when it comes to all fisheries. The federal General Accounting Office is currently taking input on fishery reallocation and is interviewing fishermen this week at the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council this week at Gulf Council’s meeting in Florida.

The General Accounting Office will be at the South Atlantic’s meeting next week in Stuart, Florida to take input.

This story was originally published on SeafoodNews.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.

REMINDER: SAFMC Meeting Starts Next Week in Stuart, FL

June 4, 2019 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Members of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will meet next week (June 10-14, 2019) in Stuart, Florida to discuss a number of federal fishery issues affecting offshore fisheries from NC to the Florida Keys. The meeting will be held at the Hutchinson Island Marriott, 555 NE Ocean Boulevard, Stuart, FL 34996. The meeting week begins with a series of committee meetings and concludes with a meeting of the Full Council.

There are several opportunities for public comment relative to the upcoming meeting. The briefing book materials, including agendas, overviews, and discussion documents, are available from the Council’s website. An online public comment form is now available from the meeting page, and in-person public comment will be taken at the meeting. You may also view public comments from the website.

Commercial Closure for Yellowtail Snapper in South Atlantic Federal Waters on June 7, 2019

June 3, 2019 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

WHAT/WHEN:

The commercial harvest of yellowtail snapper in federal waters of the South Atlantic will close at 12:01 a.m., local time, June 7, 2019. During the commercial closure, all sale or purchase of yellowtail snapper is prohibited, and harvest or possession of yellowtail snapper in or from federal waters is limited to the recreational bag and possession limits while the recreational sector is open.

WHY THIS CLOSURE IS HAPPENING:

The August 2018 through July 2019 commercial catch limit is 1,596,510 pounds whole weight. Commercial landings are projected to reach the commercial catch limit and harvest should close to prevent the catch limit from being exceeded.

AFTER THE CLOSURE:

The closure applies in both state and federal waters for vessels that have a federal commercial permit for South Atlantic Snapper-Grouper.

The August 2019 through July 2020 yellowtail snapper season in the South Atlantic will open on August 1, 2019, with a 1,596,510 pounds whole weight catch limit.

This bulletin provides only a summary of the existing regulations. Full regulations can be found in the Federal Register or at https://www.ecfr.gov.

SAFMC Seeks Applicants for Executive Director

May 31, 2019 — SEAFOOD NEWS — The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council has recently started recruitment for a new executive director.

The executive director serves as the chief executive officer of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council and is responsible for managing all administrative and technical aspects of Council operations. The SAFMC is based in North Charleston, SC, and covers the management of stocks along North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and east Florida to Key West. It’s also responsible for coastal migratory pelagics species from New York to Florida and for dolphin/wahoo from Maine to Florida.

The new director will replace current director Gregg Waugh. Waugh was the SAFMC deputy director until he succeeded then-executive director Robert Mahood in 2016.

According to the SAFMC, Waugh began working as a contractor for Council’s Spiny Lobster Fishery management Plan in 1980.

“I grew up on the water fishing and spearfishing as a kid and selling conch shells, dried starfish, and sea fans to tourists as a youngster, and later commercial spearfishing to make spending money,” Waugh said in a SAFMC press release in 2015. He went on to study marine science at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science and then to more work at the SAFMC. He became deputy director in 1990.

Some of the SAFMC executive director’s duties and responsibilities, according to the recruitment announcement, include:

  • planning, organizing and implementing fishery management activities in support of Council programs and policies;
  • interacting and coordinating with other Councils, state and federal agencies, NMFS, universities, and the public;
  • serving as spokesperson for the South Atlantic Council when participating in meetings and conferences;
  • providiung administrative and technical support for the Council through subordinate staff. Recruits, conducts interviews and hires staff on behalf of the Council;
  • the position requires sensitive and facilitative leadership skills as this position identifies critical and complex political, managerial and organizational challenges and recommends courses of action to solve such problems to the Council;
  • serving as the focal point for the Council’s efforts to work together toward a common purpose in marine fisheries conservation and management; and
  • responsibility for internal operations of the Council including the review of all administrative practices and also for the accounting and control of fiscal resources.

The starting salary range is $121,280 – $137,450, negotiable depending upon education and experience. It is a non-federal position with benefits. The closing date is June 21, 2019, and the full position announcement can be found at: http://safmc.net/announcements/safmc-recruitment-announcement-executive-director/ .

This story was originally published on SeafoodNews.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission. 

SAFMC Meeting June 10-14, 2019 in Stuart, FL

May 29, 2019 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Briefing book materials are now available for the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s June 10-14, 2019 meeting at the Hutchinson Island Marriott, 555 NE Ocean Boulevard, Stuart, FL 34996. The meeting week begins with a series of committee meetings and concludes with a meeting of the Full Council.

The briefing book materials, including agendas, overviews, and discussion documents, are now available from the Council’s website.

SAFMC Recruitment Announcement: Executive Director

May 28, 2019 — The following was released 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.