SAFMC Archives - Page 11 of 39

Federal Fishery Managers Address Broad Range of Issues During Meeting This Week

March 6, 2020 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

This week’s meeting of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council in Jekyll Island, Georgia reflected the diversity of issues involved in managing fisheries in federal waters in the Southeast. During the meeting the Council developed recommendations on measures proposed in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, approved an amendment to modify transit provisions for shrimp vessels during cold-weather closures, addressed designating Special Management Zone areas off the coasts of the Carolinas, and received updates on the 2020 red snapper season, shark depredation, and wind farms.

The Council received presentations from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) as well as the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary regarding proposed measures in the Sanctuary’s Restoration Blueprint affecting fishing within the South Atlantic Council’s portion of the Sanctuary. The proposed measures include expansion of the Sanctuary boundaries, modifying designated marine zones where fishing would be restricted or prohibited, eliminating baitfish permits, and prohibiting fish feeding activities. FWC held a series of stakeholder workshops in January 2020 and has developed recommendations based on input received at the workshops and other meetings. After reviewing the FWC recommendations, the Council discussed their role in the process and began drafting a letter to provide formal comments to the superintendent of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary by mid-March. A final copy of the letter will be posted on the Council’s website as part of the March 2020 meeting materials.

Council members voted to approve Amendment 11 to the Shrimp Fishery Management Plan that would modify current transit provisions for commercial shrimp vessels during cold-weather closures. The Council created the cold-weather closures and associated transit provisions to protect overwintering shrimp. During the most recent cold-weather closure for penaeid shrimp (brown, pink, and white shrimp) in 2018, shrimp fishermen indicated that gear stowage requirements were no longer feasible and asked that they be adjusted. Working together with members of the Council’s advisory panels to find a solution, the amendment would modify the gear stowage requirements within the transit provisions. The amendment must undergo Secretarial review before the measures may be implemented.

At the request of state marine resource agencies in North Carolina and South Carolina, the Council is considering designating a series of artificial reef sites within federal waters (3 miles or greater) offshore of each state as Special Management Zones. Amendment 34 to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan would designate 30 artificial reef sites off of North Carolina and four sites off of South Carolina, where gear restrictions would be put into place for fishermen targeting species in the snapper grouper management complex. The Council approved the amendment for public hearings to be held via webinar prior to the June Council meeting. The hearings will be publicized as details become available.

Other Items

The Council received an update from NOAA Fisheries regarding a possible recreational season for red snapper in the South Atlantic of three days beginning the second Friday in July. The number of fishing days is determined by NOAA Fisheries each year. The 2020 opening is contingent on changing current regulations restricting opening the season for three days or less. The Council approved Snapper Grouper Regulatory Amendment 33 in December 2019 requesting the minimum number of days requirement be eliminated. The amendment is currently under review by NOAA Fisheries. Read more.

The Council also received a presentation from NOAA Fisheries Highly Migratory Species Division addressing concerns about shark depredation. The presentation acknowledged growing concerns about the impacts of shark depredation on fishing activities and outlined the challenges in addressing the concerns, including data needed to quantify shark encounters by fishermen. Council members also received an update on the status of the Kitty Hawk Wind Farm project proposed off the east coast of North Carolina, took action to table proposed changes for commercial Spanish mackerel trip limits in the northern zone, moved forward with developing an amendment to designate bullet mackerel and frigate mackerel as Ecosystem Component Species and began preliminary discussions of allocations. For additional meeting details, view the interactive Story Map for the March Council meeting or visit the Council’s website at: https://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/council-meetings/ for committee reports and other meeting materials.

The next meeting of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is scheduled for June 8-12, 2020 in Key West, Florida.

Recreational red snapper season uncertain for 2020

March 5, 2020 — There won’t be a red snapper season for recreational fishers this year in federal waters off the Georgia coast unless an amendment under consideration moves with the necessary quickness.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, which manages fisheries in federal waters from North Carolina to the Florida Keys, is in its annual March meetings on Jekyll Island. The SAFMC committee on snapper and grouper aired a fair amount of vexation Wednesday as it came to red snapper and plans to speed up a planned stock assessment.

“There’s obviously a lot of sources of frustration about the situation we’ve got with red snapper,” said Spud Woodward, a fisheries biologist and former director of the state Department Natural Resources’ Coastal Resources Division. He said it can be hard to know where to focus efforts in this sort of situation.

One thing Woodward said concerns him is that discussions tend to come back around to the inadequacy of the data. He said they’ve got to work on the foundations of the ability to manage the fisheries. There was some talk among snapper/grouper committee members that there would always be a significant amount of problems with recreational reporting, because it’s would take too much money and too much effort to put into effect the sort of policies that would come close to guaranteeing reliable numbers.

Read the full story at The Brunswick News

NOAA Fisheries Informs Council of Possible Red Snapper Season in the South Atlantic Region for 2020

March 4, 2020 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

If a recreational season is allowed this year for red snapper, the season would last for three-days with a one fish per person daily bag limit. That was the word today from NOAA Fisheries, provided during a presentation to the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s Snapper Grouper Committee as part of the Council’s week-long meeting in Jekyll Island, Georgia. NOAA Fisheries is responsible for determining if a season can be allowed each year, based on the annual catch limits for red snapper. The recreational annual catch limit is currently set at 29,656 fish for the South Atlantic region, covering the Carolinas, Georgia and the east coast of Florida. The recreational sector receives 71.93% percent of the total annual catch limit.

The 2020 recreational opening is contingent on a change to current regulations that do not allow the recreational season to open if NOAA Fisheries determines the season to be three days or less. In December 2019, the Council approved an amendment to modify that restriction to allow for a shorter season. Regulatory Amendment 33 to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan has been submitted to NOAA Fisheries. NOAA Fisheries plans to issue a Proposed Rule for public comment. A Final Rule to implement Regulatory Amendment 33 would need to be issued before the recreational season is allowed. The Council’s intent is to have the amendment in place prior to the 2020 season.

The decision from NOAA Fisheries regarding the length of the recreational season is based on recreational landings data from 2019. The data are collected by individual state agencies, as well as NOAA Fisheries Marine Recreational Information Program and the Southeast Regional Headboat Survey. According to NOAA Fisheries, preliminary landings during the 5-day 2019 recreational season totaled an estimated 49,674 fish, exceeding the current recreational annual catch limit. As a result, the season would need to be reduced in 2020.

The red snapper commercial season will begin the second Monday in July as scheduled with a 75-pound trip limit. The season will continue until NOAA Fisheries determines that the commercial annual catch limit has been met.

The Council meeting will continue through Friday. The meeting is open to the public and available via webinar each day as it occurs. Additional information, including links for webinar registration, briefing book materials, and committee reports is available from the Council’s website at: https://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/council-meetings/.

A formatted version of this news release is available at: https://safmc.net/download/SAFMC_RedSnapperNR030420.pdf.

NOAA Fisheries Announces Changes to Recreational Regulations for Snapper-Grouper Species in Federal Waters of the South Atlantic Region

February 28, 2020 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

KEY MESSAGE

NOAA Fisheries announces the final rule for Vision Blueprint Recreational Regulatory Amendment 26 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (Regulatory Amendment 26). The final rule will:

Remove the recreational minimum size limits for queen snapper, silk snapper, and blackfin snapper in the South Atlantic region;
Reduce the recreational minimum size limit for gray triggerfish in federal waters off east Florida; and
Modify the 20-fish recreational aggregate bag limit in the South Atlantic region.

WHEN RULE WILL TAKE EFFECT:

The rule will be effective on March 30, 2020.

SUMMARY OF CHANGES FOR THE RECREATIONAL SECTOR:

Deep-water Species (queen snapper, silk snapper, and blackfin snapper)
The final rule removes the 12-inch total length minimum size limit for queen snapper, silk snapper, and blackfin snapper.
Gray Triggerfish
The final rule reduces the minimum size limit in federal waters off the east coast of Florida from 14 inches to 12 inches fork length; and
Retains the minimum size limit of 12 inches fork length in federal waters off North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.

20-Fish Aggregate Bag Limit

The aggregate bag limit applies to the following species: whitebone porgy, jolthead porgy, knobbed porgy, saucereye porgy, scup, gray triggerfish, bar jack, almaco jack, banded rudderfish, lesser amberjack, white grunt, margate, sailor’s choice, and Atlantic spadefish.
The final rule maintains the 20-fish per person per day aggregate bag limit for the recreational sector. However, the rule limits the harvest of any one species within the aggregate bag limit to 10 fish.

FORMAL FEDERAL REGISTER NAME/NUMBER: 85 FR 11307, February 27, 2020.

A complete version of this Fishery Bulletin is available from NOAA Fisheries and includes a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and additional information.

SAFMC Recruitment Announcement for Meeting Coordinator/Office Assistant

February 26, 2020 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, headquartered in North Charleston, South Carolina, is currently soliciting applicants for a Meeting Coordinator/Office Assistant. The person in the position will be responsible for all aspects of on-site support of various types of meetings, ranging from public hearings to Council meetings. Significant travel is required. Additional responsibilities include report submission, workflow tracking, and general office support.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council 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.

Additional information including a list of Primary Duties and Responsibilities, Knowledge, Skills and Qualifications required, and how to apply for the position is available from the Council’s website at: https://safmc.net/council-news/. Questions should be addressed to Kelly Klasnick, Administrative Officer, South Atlantic Fishery Management Council at kelly.klasnick@safmc.net or by calling the Council office at 843/571-4366.

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.

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/.

NOAA Fisheries Announces New For-Hire Electronic Reporting Requirements in the Atlantic

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

KEY MESSAGE

NOAA Fisheries is implementing the final rule for the South Atlantic For-Hire Reporting Amendment. The final rule establishes electronic reporting requirements for vessels with a federal charter/headboat permit for Atlantic coastal migratory pelagics, Atlantic dolphin and wahoo, or South Atlantic snapper-grouper and modifies the reporting deadline for headboats.

WHEN RULE WILL TAKE EFFECT:

The rule will be effective on September 1, 2020.

WHAT THIS MEANS:

The final rule requires weekly electronic reporting for charter fishermen and modifies the reporting deadline for headboats starting September 1, 2020.
The requirements for weekly electronic reporting apply to charter vessels with a federal charter vessel/headboat permit for Atlantic Coastal Migratory Pelagics, or Atlantic dolphin and wahoo, or South Atlantic snapper-grouper species.
Charter fishermen must report information such as trip start and end dates and times, species kept and discarded, fishing location, depth fished, hours fished, and charter fee.
Electronic reports from charter fishermen are due by Tuesday following the end of each reporting week, which runs from Monday through Sunday.
Charter fishermen can report using their computer, smartphone, and tablets with access to the internet. Reporting must be through software approved by NOAA Fisheries. NOAA Fisheries will send information on how to download the software in a future Fishery Bulletin.
No action is required by charter fishermen at this time. NOAA Fisheries will send more information in the spring/summer of 2020. If you have questions, please call 727-209-5950
Headboat vessels with a federal charter vessel/headboat permit for Atlantic Coastal Migratory Pelagics, or Atlantic dolphin and wahoo, or South Atlantic snapper-grouper species will continue to submit reports to the Southeast Headboat Survey but will be required to submit electronic fishing reports by Tuesday following a reporting week, rather than by Sunday.

FORMAL FEDERAL REGISTER NAME/NUMBER: 85 FR 10331, published February 24, 2020.

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

A complete version of this Fishery Bulletin is available from NOAA Fisheries and includes a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and additional information.

SAFMC Meeting March 2-6, 2020

February 18, 2020 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Briefing book materials are now available for the next meeting of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council scheduled for March 2-6, 2020 at the Westin Jekyll Island, 110 Ocean Way, Jekyll Island, GA, 31527. The meeting week begins on 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. 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. Meeting information, including briefing book materials with committee agendas and overviews, the online comment form, links to webinar registration, and more is available at: https://safmc.net/march-2020-council-meeting-details/.

Agenda Highlights:

FL Keys National Marine Sanctuary – The Council will receive updates from meetings held in Florida in early 2020 about proposed regulation changes in the Sanctuary. Based on those updates and subsequent discussions, the Council will provide recommendations to the Sanctuary.
Dolphin Wahoo – The Council is considering management options to add bullet and frigate mackerel to the Dolphin Wahoo Fishery Management Plan as Ecosystem Component Species. The Dolphin Wahoo Committee will continue discussions and provide recommendations.
Coastal Migratory Pelagics – The Mackerel Cobia Committee will continue to discuss CMP Framework Amendment 9 affecting the Spanish mackerel commercial trip limit in the Northern Zone, reviewing public hearing comments and providing recommendations to the Council. The Council will consider the amendment for approval for formal Secretarial Review.
Shrimp – The Shrimp Committee will review measures in Shrimp Amendment 11 addressing shrimp vessel transit provisions during cold-weather events, consider public hearing comments received in January of this year, and provide recommendations to the Council. The Council will consider the amendment for formal Secretarial review.
Allocations – The Council will discuss the history of sector allocations in the South Atlantic and will begin to consider steps for moving forward with these challenging decisions.

NOAA Fisheries – FB20-008: Closure for the Commercial Golden Tilefish Longline Component in South Atlantic Federal Waters on February 18, 2020

February 14, 2020 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

WHAT/WHEN:

The commercial longline component for golden tilefish in federal waters of the South Atlantic will close at 12:01 a.m., local time, on February 18, 2020. The closure applies to all harvest or possession of golden tilefish with longline fishing gear.

WHY THIS CLOSURE IS HAPPENING:

Only golden tilefish longline endorsement holders are allowed to harvest golden tilefish with longline fishing gear.
The 2020 commercial catch limit for the golden tilefish longline component is 248,805 pounds gutted weight. NOAA Fisheries predicts this catch limit will be reached by February 18, 2020, and according to the accountability measure, harvest must close to prevent the catch limit from being exceeded.

DURING AND AFTER THE CLOSURE:

Golden tilefish harvested with longline fishing gear may not be sold or purchased after the closure. The prohibition on sale or purchase during the closure does not apply to fish that were harvested, landed ashore, and sold prior to 12:01 a.m., local time on February 18, 2020, and were held in cold storage by a dealer or processor.
During the longline closure, a vessel with a golden tilefish longline endorsement may not commercially harvest golden tilefish using hook-and-line fishing gear, and is limited to the golden tilefish recreational bag and possession limits when the recreational sector is open, without regard to where the golden tilefish was harvested (i.e. in state or federal waters).
A vessel that does not have a longline endorsement, but has a commercial South Atlantic snapper-grouper unlimited permit, may commercially harvest golden tilefish with hook-and-line fishing gear until the hook-and-line catch limit is reached.
The commercial longline component for golden tilefish in federal waters of the South Atlantic will open at 12:01 a.m., local time, on January 1, 2021.

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/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=383bc195ccbeab4fd6bec1c24905df34&node=sp50.12.622.i&rgn=div6

Mark Your Calendar – SAFMC Meeting March 2-6, 2020

February 7, 2020 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold its next meeting March 2-6, 2020 at the Westin Jekyll Island, 110 Ocean Way, Jekyll Island, GA, 31527. The meeting week begins on Monday at 1:30 p.m. with a series of committee meetings and concludes with a meeting of the Full Council Thursday afternoon and Friday.

A formal public comment session will be held on Wednesday, March 4th beginning at 4:00 PM. An online comment form will be available for written comments beginning February 14, 2020. The meeting will be available via webinar as it occurs. Registration is required and can be completed in advance for each meeting day.

Agenda Highlights:

FL Keys National Marine Sanctuary – The Council will receive updates from meetings held in Florida in early 2020 about proposed regulation changes in the Sanctuary. Based on those updates and subsequent discussions, the Council will provide recommendations to the Sanctuary.
Dolphin Wahoo – The Council is considering management options to add bullet and frigate mackerel to the Dolphin Wahoo Fishery Management Plan as Ecosystem Component Species. The Dolphin Wahoo Committee will continue discussions and provide recommendations.
Coastal Migratory Pelagics – The Mackerel Cobia Committee will continue to discuss CMP Framework Amendment 9 affecting the Spanish mackerel commercial trip limit in the Northern Zone, reviewing public hearing comments and providing recommendations to the Council. The Council will consider the amendment for approval for formal Secretarial Review.
Shrimp – The Shrimp Committee will review measures in Shrimp Amendment 11 addressing shrimp vessel transit provisions during cold-weather events, consider public hearing comments received in January of this year, and provide recommendations to the Council. The Council will consider the amendment for formal Secretarial review.
Allocations – The Council will discuss the history of sector allocations in the South Atlantic and will begin to consider steps for moving forward with these challenging decisions.

Additional Information:

Additional meeting information will be available from the Council’s website at: http://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/council-meetings/ as it becomes available. Briefing book materials, including the meeting agenda, committee agendas/overviews, and the public comment form will be available on February 14, 2020.