Saving Seafood

SAFMC: Actions to Implement Spawning Special Management Zones in Federal Waters of the South Atlantic Region

July 6, 2017 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

NOAA Fisheries announces a final rule for Amendment 36 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (Amendment 36). The actions in Amendment 36 and the final rule will implement spawning special management zones (SMZ) to protect spawning, or reproducing, fish and their habitat.

WHEN RULE WILL TAKE EFFECT:

  • Regulations will be effective July 31, 2017

WHAT THIS MEANS:

The final rule for Amendment 36 will implement the following management measures:

  • Implement five spawning SMZs in federal waters of the South Atlantic region off North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida (see map and coordinates below).
  • Inside of the spawning SMZs, fishing for, retention, and possession of fish species in the snapper-grouper complex will be prohibited year-round by all fishers.
  • Anchoring inside all the spawning SMZs, except Area 51 and Area 53 off South Carolina, will be prohibited.
  • Transit through the spawning SMZs with snapper-grouper species onboard will be allowed if gear is properly stowed.
  • Most spawning SMZs would automatically go away in 10 years unless they are reauthorized.
  • Modify the SMZ procedure in the fishery management plan to allow for the designation of spawning SMZs. In addition, modify the framework procedure to allow spawning SMZs to be established or modified through the framework process, rather than through plan amendments.
  • Move the existing Charleston Deep Artificial Reef Marine Protected Area to match the boundaries of the permitted site.

NOTE: For a list of coordinates for each Spawning SMZ and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), please see the complete Fishery Bulletin from NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office by clicking here.

View this and other Fishery Bulletins from NOAA Fisheries by visiting the website at: http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/fishery_bulletins/index.html.   

Commercial Closure for Snowy Grouper in South Atlantic Federal Waters on June 22, 2017

June 16, 2017 — The following was released by NOAA:

WHAT/WHEN:The commercial harvest of snowy grouper in federal waters of the South Atlantic will close at 12:01 a.m. on June 22, 2017. During the commercial closure, all sale or purchase of snowy grouper is prohibited, and harvest or possession of snowy grouper in or from federal waters is limited to the recreational bag and possession limits while the recreational fishery is open.

 WHY IS THIS CLOSURE HAPPENING:

  • The 2017 commercial catch limit is 135,380 pounds gutted weight, or 159,749 pounds whole weight. Commercial landings are projected to reach the commercial catch limit. According to the accountability measure, 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 prohibition on sale or purchase during a closure for snowy grouper does not apply to fish that were harvested, landed ashore, and sold prior to 12:01 a.m. on June 22, 2017,and were held in cold storage by a dealer or processor.
  • The 2018 commercial fishing season for snowy grouper in the South Atlantic will open on January 1, 2018, with a catch limit of 144,315 pounds gutted weight, or 170,291 pounds whole weight.
  • This bulletin provides only a summary of the existing regulations. Full regulations can be found in the Federal Register or by clicking here.

Federal Managers Continue to Address Red Snapper and Cobia Management

June 16, 2017 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Members of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council gathered in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida this week, where red snapper and cobia fisheries continued to dominate discussions. The harvest of red snapper is currently prohibited in federal waters ranging from three to 200 miles off the South Atlantic coast as the stock continues to rebuild. The recreational fishery for Atlantic cobia (Georgia to New York) closed in federal waters earlier this year as a result of harvest estimates from NOAA Fisheries showing the annual catch limit was exceeded in 2016.     

The Council received a presentation by NOAA Fisheries during this week’s meeting showing that the estimated number of red snapper removed (landings plus dead discards) exceeded the acceptable biological catch in 2016, a situation that has kept the fishery closed for the past two years under the current management plan. The removals are primarily associated with the recreational fishery where red snapper are captured and released while fishermen target other co-occurring species. Approximately 28% of the fish released by recreational anglers are estimated to die primarily due to barotrauma, the physical damage to body tissues caused by differences in pressure as the fish is being retrieved.     

Meanwhile, Council members, with representatives from both commercial and recreational fisheries, focused on how to allow limited harvest of red snapper beginning in 2018. “Council members and members of the public have repeatedly expressed their frustration at the increasing numbers of red snapper that are being released as this stock recovers,” said Council Chair Dr. Michelle Duval. “While we explore measures to allow limited harvest we must also be cautionary in our approach to not allow overfishing to occur should the fishery reopen next year.”     

After lengthy discussion, the Council approved modifying draft Amendment 43 to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan to include a single action to revise annual catch limits for red snapper. The draft amendment would remove the current process and equation used to specify the annual catch limit and includes alternatives for establishing an annual catch limit for 2018 ranging from approximately 23,600 to 76,000 fish. The intent is to expedite the amendment by holding public hearings via webinar in August, in-person hearings at the Council’s September meeting, and approving the amendment for Secretarial review at that time. The new measures could be in place in time to allow limited harvest beginning in July of 2018.     

Earlier in the week, the Council hosted a workshop on “Improving the Survival of Released Fish”. Eight speakers presented on best practices for reducing discard mortality, including the use of various descending devices, minimizing handling, and other practices. “These best fishing practices show the cumulative positive affects recreational anglers can have in reducing mortality of fish that are released,” stated Council member Chester Brewer, a recreational representative from West Palm Beach, Florida. “It is imperative that anglers learn about these tools and put them to good use.” Workshop information and the presentations are available from the Council’s website at: http://safmc.net/briefing-books/2017-june-council-meeting-briefing-book/.  

Cobia      

Council members continued to address management of Atlantic cobia including a request from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission that the Council consider transferring management authority to the Commission. The move would allow additional flexibility between the states for management of the fishery, which primarily occurs in state waters off the northeastern coast of North Carolina and Virginia. The Council decided to move forward to develop an amendment with options for transferring management authority as well as complementary management with the ASMFC.

The Council decided not to pursue taking emergency action to change the management boundary and annual catch limits for Atlantic cobia but did request that NOAA Fisheries recalculate the recreational harvest estimates for 2015 and 2016 as reported through the Marine Recreational Information Program. Fishermen and others have expressed considerable doubt in the estimates, especially for landings off the coasts of North Carolina and Virginia. The Council plans to hold a workshop in collaboration with the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council in November of this year to address recreational data collection and estimates. A stock assessment for cobia is scheduled to begin in 2018.

Other Business     

The Council approved measures that will allow increases in the harvest of spiny lobster in both the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico following a recent stock assessment. Spiny Lobster Regulatory Amendment 4 would increase the acceptable biological catch from 7.32 million pounds to 9.6 million pounds. The amendment would also prohibit the use of traps for recreational harvest of spiny lobster.  The amendment will be submitted to the Secretary of Commerce for formal review and approval.        

After reviewing a white paper, recommendations from its advisory panel, and public comment, the Council voted to move forward with development of an amendment to consider a moratorium on the issuance of federal for-hire snapper grouper permits, using the established control date of June 15, 2016.     

The next meeting of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will be held September 11-15, 2017 in Charleston, SC. Additional information about this week’s meeting, including an interactive story map, meeting report and summary reports from each committee are available from the Council’s website at: http://safmc.net/2017-june-council-meeting/. 

Reminder! SAFMC Meeting Starts Next Week in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL

June 5, 2017 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Workshop:

Improving Survival of Released Fish

Monday, June 12th from 3:30 – 5:30 PM

  • Join members as they receive presentations on best fishing practices being used to reduce discard mortality.
  • Presenters:

    • Dr. Chuck Adams and Dr. Kai Lorenzen – Florida Sea Grant/University of Florida
    • Brian Husky – KeepEmWet Fishing
    • Andy Loftus – Fish Smart/ASA
    • Cameron Rhodes – SAFMC Outreach Staff
    • Stephen Theberge, Jr. – Rising Leaders Academy
    • Tom Twyford – West Palm Beach Fishing Club

Snapper Grouper Committee

Work continues on development of adaptive management measures for the red snapper fishery (Amendment 43). The committee will also review measures proposed for both recreational (Regulatory Amendment 26) and commercial (Regulatory Amendment 27) sectors as identified through the Council’s 2016-2020 Vision Blueprint. Measures include reducing the recreational size limit for black sea bass, commercial split seasons and more. In addition, the Committee will continue to review a white paper outlining approaches for developing a limited entry program for federal for-hire (charter) permits in the snapper grouper fishery.

Read the full release here

Read the Latest South Atlantic Update Newsletter; June Council Meeting Reminder

June 1, 2017 —  The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The fishermen and other experienced members of the Council’s 11 advisory panels have historically provided grass root recommendations for management measures considered by the Council. Advisory panel members can now also share their experience and observations to complement scientific and landings data through new Fishery Performance Reports.

The species-specific reports, modeled after those used by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, are designed to provide an annual description of factors that influence fishing effort and catch, market trends, environmental changes, and other factors that may not be fully accounted for in the stock assessment process. According to the Mid-Atlantic Council, the information provided in the reports can become particularly important during the process of setting quotas for data-poor stocks.

Advisory panel members represent a diversity of fishing interests, knowledge and regional experience – recreational, commercial and for-hire/charter captains, seafood dealers, bait & tackle manufacturers, chefs, and others provide input about fisheries in their area. The diversity of the advisory panels provides a unique opportunity to gather information from across the region.

During a series of advisory panel meetings held in April, members were asked to provide answers to specific questions about a fishery in their area. Questions included: “How would you rate the quality of the fishery? What factors have influenced recent landings (market or otherwise)? Are there recent changes you have observed in the fishery? Are current regulations appropriate? If not, how can they be improved?” Background information on the fishery is included in the initial report for discussion purposes.

Read the full newsletter here

Spiny Lobster Public Hearing Scheduled via Webinar – May 9, 2017

April 28, 2017 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council: 

The spiny lobster fishery managed in federal waters from North Carolina to Texas by both the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council and the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council.  The South Atlantic Council will hold a public hearing via webinar on management measures proposed in Regulatory Amendment 4 to the Spiny Lobster Fishery Management Plan. Proposed actions would:

  • Modify the Maximum Sustainable Yield, Acceptable Biological Catch, Annual Catch Limit and other parameters for spiny lobster.
  • Extend the prohibition on use of recreational spiny lobster traps in federal waters off the coasts of Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina (they are currently prohibited in both state and federal waters off the coast of Florida).

Council staff will provide an overveiw of the regulatory amendment beginning at 6:00 PM, answer questions, and then take formal public comment. Written comments are also being solicited and must be received by May 19, 2017.   

Presentations, public hearing documents, and information on how to register for the webinar and submit public comments are now available from the Council’s website. 

Read more here

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.

Calling Fishery Scientists! The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council Seeks Scientific Advisors

April 4, 2017 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is soliciting scientists interested in serving on its Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC). Membership is open to any qualified scientist, regardless of affiliation or geographic location. The Council will review applications during its June 12- 16, 2017 meeting in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. 

Applications received by April 26, 2017 will be submitted to the Council for consideration.

Read more here

SAFMC News Release: Federal Fishery Managers Continue to Explore Options for Red Snapper

March 13, 2017 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Members of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council addressed a number of issues affecting offshore fisheries during their meeting this week in Jekyll Island, Georgia including the continued closure of the red snapper fishery in federal waters off the South Atlantic coast and the prohibition of recreational harvest of Atlantic cobia in federal waters from Georgia to New York. Red snapper were initially closed to harvest in the South Atlantic in 2010 in order to rebuild the stock and end overfishing. Limited harvest was allowed in 2012, 2013 and 2014 through weekend openings. Recreational fishing for Atlantic cobia closed early in 2016 after it was estimated that anglers had exceeded the total annual catch limit for the year. NOAA Fisheries announced on January 24, 2017 that the Atlantic cobia recreational fishery would be closed for the remainder of the year in federal waters after exceeding the annual catch limit in 2016 and in anticipation of harvest being allowed by some states that will likely result in the catch limit being exceeded again in 2017.

The Council, whose members include representatives from state marine resources agencies, federal agencies, and recreational, charter and commercial fishermen, discussed options to reduce discards, improve the survival rate of fish that are released, and perhaps allow limited harvest of red snapper in the future as the stock continues to rebuild. The latest stock assessment update for red snapper was completed in 2016 using data collected through 2014. The Council recently received notification from NOAA Fisheries, the agency responsible for collecting fisheries data, that due to several factors, including uncertainty in the stock assessment and in estimates of fishing mortality, along with anticipated changes to the current methods used for recreational data collection, that an Acceptable Biological Catch for red snapper cannot be determined at this time. Without this number, the Council is unable to set other parameters for red snapper, including Annual Catch Limits. During its meeting the Council requested a joint meeting of the Scientific and Statistical Committees from both the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, along with scientists from NOAA Fisheries Southeast Fisheries Science Center and the Marine Recreational Information Program to address the issue as it applies to red snapper and other species.

“We have to come to some resolution of what kind of management approach may be acceptable as we work towards getting an ABC for red snapper,” said Council Chair Dr. Michelle Duval. “We should stay focused on the goal of Amendment 43 to reduce discards and turn discards into landings. The unfortunate reality is that we simply aren’t going to have numbers for the next few months.” The Council is developing Snapper Grouper Amendment 43 with management options to reduce discards, improve discard mortality, and improve recreational data collection. Public scoping meetings were held in January and February of this year to get input from the public on how best to reduce discards/discard mortality and improve private recreational data. The Council removed an action that considered large area closures and agreed to continue to develop best fishing practices management measures during its June 2017 meeting.

Vision Blueprint 

Development of additional management measures continues as part of the Council’s 2016-2020 Vision Blueprint for the snapper grouper fishery. The Council reviewed public comment received as part of the public scoping held earlier this year and discussed options for the recreational fishery including restructuring aggregate bag limits, adjusting the current shallow-water grouper spawning season closure, and reducing the minimum size limit for black sea bass through Visioning Regulatory Amendment 26. Commercial measures are being addressed through Visioning Regulatory Amendment 27 and include options for split seasons, and modifications to trip limits and step-downs.

Yellowtail Snapper and Dolphin 

The Council decided to postpone further actions on two amendments to allow for further analyses that may be necessary following changes underway to NOAA Fisheries Marine Recreational Information Program. Management measures addressing allocations of yellowtail snapper through Snapper Grouper Amendment 44 and for dolphin (fish) through Dolphin Wahoo Amendment 10 will be delayed until the revised recreational catch data are available.

Atlantic Cobia 

The Council also received an update on management measures affecting Atlantic cobia, including a report from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission on its development of a complementary management plan that will allow additional flexibility for cobia management. In September 2016, the Council approved measures through Regulatory Amendment 4 to help reduce harvest of Atlantic cobia in federal waters that include increasing the minimum size limit, reducing the recreational bag limit, and establishing vessel limits. The regulations are currently being reviewed by NOAA Fisheries. The Council’s Mackerel Cobia Advisory Panel will meet April 19-20, 2017 to continue discussions and provide input.

Other Actions

The Council heard from more than 30 fishermen and other stakeholders during a public comment session held on Wednesday afternoon, with the majority of comments directed toward opposition to a proposed Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) that would have allowed for a voluntary pilot catch share program. The Council may provide recommendations for the permits with the final determination made by NOAA Fisheries. Dr. Roy Crabtree, Regional Administrator for NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office announced just prior to the public comment session that the EFP for the pilot project had been withdrawn by the applicants. Although many attending the public comment session expressed support for withdrawal of the pilot project, some had driven several hours to provide comment. The Council allowed attendees to voice their concerns and discussed ways to avoid the situation for reviewing EFPs in the future. Over 600 written comments were received online regarding the EFP for the pilot program and various other issues addressed by the Council this week.

The next Council meeting is scheduled for June 12-17, 2017 at the Sawgrass Marriott in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Final committee reports, public comments, and other materials from this week’s meeting are available from the Council’s website at http://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/council-meetings/. 

Read further details and see images and other related meeting links at the March 2017 Council Meeting Round-up Story Map 

The March 2017 Meeting Report is also available.

 

GEORGIA: Progress on red snapper, ‘catch share’ request withdrawn

March 9, 2017 — In Weird Al Yankovic’s cult ’80s film “UHF,” contestants play for their weight in fish on a game show called, “Wheel of Fish.” A woman, the returning champion, gets the first spin at the wheel that, yes, sports a number of fish tied to it at regular intervals. Then the wheel stops.

“Ah, a red snapper,” says the show’s host, a character played by Gedde Watanabe. “Mmm — very tasty.”

They are tasty, which created a problem the closed red snapper season off the Southeast United States was supposed to solve — rebuilding the fish’s population so as to allow both commercial and recreational fishing for red snapper once again.

At the Tuesday morning meeting of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s Snapper Grouper Committee meeting, there appeared to be some progress in moving toward reopening red snapper fishing in federal waters off Georgia, Florida and the Carolinas.

Zack Bowen, a charter fisherman from Savannah, pushed the need for movement, saying, “The recreational anglers are mad as hell,” charter operations are starving for business and there needed to be something done soon to address opening red snapper fishing.

Read the full story at The News