Saving Seafood

Commercial Red Snapper Harvest Closes in South Atlantic Today

November 7, 2018 — The following bulletin was published by the Fishing Wire:

WHAT/WHEN:

  • The commercial harvest of red snapper in federal waters of the South Atlantic will close at 12:01 a.m., local time, on November 7, 2018, and unless specified otherwise, will open on July 8, 2019, for the 2019 commercial fishing season. During the commercial closure, all sale or purchase of red snapper is prohibited.
  • All harvest or possession of red snapper in or from federal waters is now prohibited, as the recreational fishing season is also closed for 2018.

WHY THIS CLOSURE IS HAPPENING:

  • The 2018 commercial catch limit is 124,815 pounds whole weight. Commercial landings are projected to reach the commercial catch limit. According to the accountability measure, harvest should close to prevent the annual 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 red snapper does not apply to fish that were harvested, landed ashore, and sold prior to 12:01 a.m. on November 7, 2018, and were held in cold storage by a dealer or processor.

 

NOAA Fisheries Announces Limited Opening of Recreational and Commercial Red Snapper Seasons in South Atlantic Federal Waters

July 24, 2018 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

KEY MESSAGE:

NOAA Fisheries announces a final rule for Amendment 43 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (Amendment 43). This rule specifies recreational and commercial annual catch limits for red snapper beginning in 2018.

  • Red snapper recreational and commercial seasons will open in South Atlantic federal waters for limited harvest beginning in 2018.
  • The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council approved Amendment 43 after recent scientific information indicated an increase in the red snapper population since 2010.
  • NOAA Fisheries determined limited harvest beginning in 2018 is neither expected to result in overfishing, nor prevent continued rebuilding of the population.

WHEN RULE WILL TAKE EFFECT:

  • The rule will take effect on July 26, 2018.
  • The recreational sector will open for harvest on weekends only (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) on the following days:
  • August 10, 11, and 12, 2018 – The recreational season opens at 12:01 a.m., local time, on August 10, 2018, and closes at 12:01 a.m., local time, on August 13, 2018.
  • August 17, 18, and 19, 2018 – The recreational season opens again at 12:01 a.m., local time, on August 17, 2018, and closes at 12:01 a.m., local time, on August 20, 2018.
  • The commercial sector will open for harvest upon publication of the final rule at 12:01 a.m., local time, on July 26, 2018, and will close at 11:59 p.m., local time, on December 31, 2018, unless the commercial annual catch limit is met or projected to be met before this date.
    • NOAA Fisheries will announce if the commercial sector needs to close before December 31, 2018.

WHAT THIS MEANS:

  • The total annual catch limit will be 42,510 fish.
  • The recreational annual catch limit will be 29,656 fish.
    • The recreational bag limit will be one red snapper per person per day. This applies to private and charterboat/headboat vessels (the captain and crew on for-hire vessels may retain the recreational bag limit).
  • The commercial annual catch limit will be 124,815 pounds whole weight (12,854 fish).
    • The commercial trip limit will be 75 pounds gutted weight.
  • There will be no minimum or maximum size limit for the recreational or commercial sectors.
  • NOAA Fisheries expects that beginning in 2019, commercial and recreational harvest will begin in July, as per Amendment 43 and the final rule.

Request for Comments: Proposed Charter Vessel Electronic Reporting Requirements and Modifications to Current Headboat Electronic Reporting

April 6, 2018 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

KEY MESSAGE:

NOAA Fisheries requests comments on a For-Hire Reporting Amendmentand proposed rule, which if implemented, would establish electronic reporting requirements for charter vessels with federal permits and would modify the reporting deadline for headboats. The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council approved the For-Hire Reporting Amendment in an effort to improve data collection and fisheries management.

Comments are due by May 13, 2018 

SUMMARY OF PROPOSED CHANGES

  • Charter vessels with a federal charter vessel/headboat permit for Atlantic Coastal Migratory Pelagics, Atlantic dolphin and wahoo, or South Atlantic snapper-grouper species would be required to report weekly using electronic reporting.
  • Reports would be due by Tuesday following the end of each reporting week, which runs from Monday through Sunday, and would include information such as fishing dates, fishing location, depth fished, species kept and discarded, and charter fee.
  • Reporting would be through NOAA Fisheries-approved hardware and software, which would be specified at a later date.
  • Headboat vessels with a federal charter vessel/headboat permit for Atlantic Coastal Migratory Pelagics, Atlantic dolphin and wahoo, or South Atlantic snapper-grouper species would continue to submit reports to the Southeast Headboat Survey but would be required to submit electronic fishing reports by Tuesday following a reporting week, rather than by Sunday.

HOW TO COMMENT ON THE AMENDMENT AND PROPOSED RULE:

The comment period is open through May 03, 2018. You may submit comments by electronic submission or by postal mail. Comments sent by any other method (such as e-mail), to any other address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period, may not be considered by NOAA Fisheries.

FORMAL FEDERAL REGISTER NAME/NUMBER: 83 FR 11164, published March 14, 2018.

Electronic Submissions: Submit all electronic public comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal.

  1. Go to https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=NOAA-NMFS-2017-0152.
  2. Click the “Comment Now!” icon, complete the required fields.
  3. Enter or attach your comments.

Mail: Submit written comments to Karla Gore, Southeast Regional Office, NMFS, 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.

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

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)

What would the For-Hire Reporting Amendment and proposed rule do?

The For-Hire Reporting Amendment and proposed rule would require charter vessels with a federal charter vessel/headboat permit for Atlantic Coastal Migratory Pelagics, Atlantic dolphin and wahoo, or South Atlantic snapper-grouper speciesto submit electronic reports by Tuesday following the end of each reporting week, which runs from Monday through Sunday, using NOAA Fisheries approved hardware and software applications.

The For-Hire Reporting Amendment would also change the day that headboats are required to submit an electronic fishing record from Sunday to Tuesday following the end of a reporting week, reducing the time when reports are due from seven to two days.

Why are the proposed actions needed?

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (South Atlantic Council) is working to enhance data collection for better fisheries management. Accurate and reliable fisheries information about catch, effort, and discards is critical to population assessments and management evaluations. The South Atlantic Council believes that weekly electronic reporting for federally permitted charter vessels could provide more timely information than the current Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) survey, and more accurate and reliable information for many species with low catches, low annual catch limits, or for species that are only rarely encountered by fishery participants. This proposed action is intended to improve information collected from federally permitted for-hire vessels in the Atlantic. The proposed change to the reporting day for headboat vessels would make the reporting day for the headboat sector consistent with the proposed reporting day for charter vessels.

How would the electronic reporting for charter vessels work? Do I need to have a computer?

NOAA Fisheries is currently evaluating potential software applications for the electronic reporting program, and is considering the use of software applications that are already being used by partners in the region, including “e-trips online” and “e-trips mobile,” which are products of the Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program.

These programs would require the use of a computer or tablet with access to the internet. We are looking into the possibility of using smartphones for reporting in the future. If the rule is implemented, outreach sessions will be held to explain the reporting program software and requirements.

What type of information would be collected?

Charter vessels would be required to submit information such as: start and end dates, start and end time, start and end fishing location, vessel and captain identification, number of crew, method of fishing, hours fished, depth fished, species kept, species discarded, charter fee, fuel used, and fuel price per gallon. These core data elements may be modified through coordination with the South Atlantic Council. This information would be required to be reported regardless of where fishing occurs or what species are harvested. If no fishing occurs in a particular week, an electronic no-fishing report would be required.

Does this electronic reporting program replace MRIP?

Even if the new electronic reporting program is implemented, charter vessels with a federal permit would still need to report to MRIP. Currently, landings and discards from federally permitted charter vessels in Atlantic coastal migratory pelagics, Atlantic dolphin wahoo, and South Atlantic snapper-grouper fisheries are monitored through a MRIP survey of charter vessels. Fishing effort is calculated based on a monthly sample of federally permitted charter vessels through a phone survey, which is transitioning to a new mail survey. Catch rate observations and catch sampling are provided through dockside monitoring. If NOAA Fisheries implements the electronic reporting requirements described in the For-hire Reporting Amendment, the MRIP survey of charter vessels would continue until the proposed electronic reporting program described in the For-hire Reporting Amendment is certified by NOAA Fisheries, and then the electronic reporting program would replace the MRIP survey of charter vessels.

What if I also have federal for-hire permits for fisheries in other regions such as the Gulf of Mexico or Mid-Atlantic? Do I have to submit multiple reports?

To reduce duplicative reporting by charter vessels, fishermen with federal charter vessel/headboat permits subject to electronic reporting requirements in other regions would not be required to report to multiple times. Instead, federal permit holders would be required to comply with the electronic reporting program that is more restrictive, regardless of where fishermen are fishing.

For example, the NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO) has implemented an electronic reporting requirement for owners and operators of a charter vessel or party boat (headboat) issued a federal for-hire permit for species managed by Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council to submit an electronic vessel trip report using NOAA Fisheries-approved software within 48 hours of completing a for-hire fishing trip (82 FR 42610, September 11, 2017). Because NOAA Fisheries GARFO requires more restrictive reporting than what is proposed in the For-hire Reporting Amendment, owners and operators of a vessel issued a federal for-hire permit for species in both the Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic would be required to report under the electronic reporting program managed by GARFO, regardless of where fishing occurs or what species are caught.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Gulf Council) has recommended for-hire electronic reporting for charter vessels that is more stringent than those reporting requirements contained in the South Atlantic For-hire Reporting Amendment. The proposed Gulf of Mexico for-hire electronic reporting program would require trip-level reporting, a pre-trip notification to NOAA Fisheries, and location information monitored by a vessel monitoring system, among other requirements. Therefore, an owner or operator of a charter vessel that has been issued federal charter vessel/headboat permits for applicable fisheries in both the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico would be required to comply with the Gulf Council’s more stringent for-hire electronic reporting program requirements, if the Gulf Council’s amendments to address for-hire electronic reporting are approved and implemented.

Does the For-Hire Reporting Amendment and proposed rule make any changes to the headboat sector?

Currently, headboats submit an electronic fishing report to NOAA Fisheries via the internet by the Sunday following the end of each reporting week, which runs from Monday through Sunday. The For-Hire Amendment and proposed rule would shorten the time to report and proposes that headboats submit electronic reports to NOAA Fisheries by the Tuesday following the end of a reporting week. This is a change in the grace period to prepare and submit reports from seven days to two days.

Does the For-Hire Reporting Amendment and proposed rule implement a video monitoring requirement for charter vessels?

No. In 2008, through Amendment 15B to the Fishery Management Plan for Snapper-Grouper of the South Atlantic Region, a provision was implemented that requires those with a charter vessel/headboat permit for South Atlantic snapper-grouper to use video monitoring technology if landing snapper-grouper species and selected by the Science Research Director. Since then, no vessels have been selected to use video monitoring and the Southeast Fisheries Science Center is not actively pursuing a video monitoring program. The For-Hire Reporting Amendment does not change the requirement specified through Amendment 15B.

Where can I find more information on the environmental assessment and proposed rule?

  • Contact NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Regional Office

By Mail: Karla Gore

NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Regional Office

Sustainable Fisheries Division

263 13th Avenue South

St. Petersburg, Florida 33701-5505

By Phone: (727) 824-5305

By FAX: (727) 824-5308

The For-Hire Reporting Amendment and proposed rule may be found online at the NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office Web site at: http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/sustainable_fisheries/gulf_sa/generic/2017/for_hire_reporting/index.html.

SAFMC: Upcoming Meetings Will Address Federal Fisheries Management Issues

Advisory panels provide grassroots input; Cobia Stock ID Workshop; Scientists convene in May

April 3, 2018 — NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. — 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, black sea bass, mackerel, cobia, rock shrimp, and golden crab as well as policies affecting essential fish habitat and ecosystem-based management. 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) in the coming weeks. A workshop to address stock boundaries for cobia is also scheduled as part of a benchmark stock assessment for cobia.

The Council’s advisory panel members, representing recreational fishermen, charter captains, commercial fishermen, seafood dealers and others knowledgeable about fisheries issues, provide grassroots input into the fishery management process. The Council’s SSC is 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 listed below, including meeting agendas, overviews, and briefing book materials will be available online (see details below). Members of the public are invited to attend all meetings. The advisory panel meetings and the SSC meeting 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.

SEDAR Cobia Stock ID Workshop

April 10-12, 2018

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

The Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR) benchmark stock assessment for cobia is scheduled to start in 2018. It will be a multi-step process consisting of a series of workshops and webinars. Cobia stock identification will be resolved through a multi-step process prior to the Data Workshop scheduled as part of the SEDAR 58 stock assessment. The Cobia Stock ID Workshop is the first step in this process. Participants in the Stock ID Workshop include data collectors, database managers, stock assessment scientists, fishermen, environmentalists and non-government organizations, and staff from state and federal agencies.

Workshop participants will review all available, relevant information on cobia stock structure including genetic studies, growth patterns, movement and migration, existing stock definitions, and oceanographic and habitat characteristics and make recommendations on biological stock structure and the assessment unit stock or stocks to be addressed through the SEDAR 58 assessment. They will also document the rationale behind their recommendations. Additional information is available at: http://sedarweb.org/sedar-58.

Read the full list of meetings at the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council

Commercial Closure of the Golden Tilefish Hook-and-Line Component in South Atlantic Federal Waters on November 29, 2017

November 24, 2017 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

WHAT/WHEN:

The commercial hook-and-line component for golden tilefish in federal waters of the South Atlantic will close at 12:01 a.m., local time, on November 29, 2017. During the commercial closure, harvest or possession of golden tilefish in or from federal waters is limited to the recreational bag and possession limits when the recreational sector is open.

WHY THIS CLOSURE IS HAPPENING:

The 2017 commercial catch limit for the golden tilefish hook-and-line component is 135,324 pounds gutted weight. Commercial landings are projected to reach the commercial catch limit on November 29, 2017.  According to the accountability measure, harvest must close to prevent the catch limit from being exceeded.

DURING AND AFTER THE CLOSURE:

  • The commercial hook-and-line component closure applies in both state and federal waters for vessels that have a federal commercial South Atlantic Snapper-Grouper permit.
  • 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. on November 29, 2017, and were held in cold storage by a dealer or processor.
  • Harvest by the commercial hook-and-line component will reopen at 12:01 a.m. (local time) on January 1, 2018.

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.

Access this and other Fishery Bulletins from NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office by clicking here.

Trip Limit Decreased to 500 Pounds Gutted Weight per Trip for Commercial Harvest of Vermilion Snapper in Federal Waters of the South Atlantic Beginning October 2, 2017

September 27, 2017 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

WHAT/WHEN:

The daily trip limit for the commercial harvest of vermilion snapper in federal waters of the South Atlantic is reduced from 1,000 pounds gutted weight to 500 pounds gutted weight, effective 12:01 a.m. (local time) October 2, 2017.

WHY IS THIS TRIP LIMIT REDUCTION IS HAPPENING:

  • NOAA Fisheries has determined 75 percent of the July-December commercial quota has been landed.
  • The commercial vermilion snapper trip limit is reduced when 75 percent of the July-December quota is reached in federal waters of the South Atlantic.

DURING THE TRIP LIMIT REDUCTION:

  • The 500-pound gutted weight trip limit applies to vessels with a South Atlantic Unlimited Snapper-Grouper Permit fishing for vermilion snapper in or from federal waters in the South Atlantic region.
  • The 500-pound gutted weight trip limit will remain in effect until the end of the current July-December 2017 fishing season or until the quota is reached and vermilion snapper closes, whichever occurs first.

Access this and other Fishery Bulletins from NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office by clicking here.

South Atlantic Council Requests Allowing Harvest of Red Snapper in 2017 and 2018

September 26, 2017 — CHARLESTON, S.C. — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Members of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council voted today to approve a request to NOAA Fisheries that would allow fishermen access to red snapper in federal waters in the South Atlantic beginning in mid-to late October this year. If approved by NOAA Fisheries, it will be the first time since 2014 that the red snapper fishery has been open in federal waters off the coasts of the Carolinas, Georgia, and the east coast of Florida. The Council is requesting that NOAA Fisheries allow an interim annual catch limit (recreational and commercial) of 42,510 fish for 2017 via an emergency rule. The annual catch limit would allow for a recreational mini-season likely beginning the end of October, with approximately 6 to 12 days of fishing over a period of 3-day weekends. The recreational bag limit would be 1 fish per person/day with no minimum size limit. Commercial harvest would be allowed with a 75-pound trip limit. The recreational sector is allocated 71.93% of the total catch limit. If the Council’s request is approved, the number of days and specific dates of the recreational mini-season will be determined by NOAA Fisheries. A decision is expected in the coming weeks and will be announced by NOAA Fisheries.

In addition to the emergency rule request to allow an opening this year, the Council also approved measures in Amendment 43 to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan with the intent to have a red snapper season in 2018. The amendment would revise the process to calculate the annual catch limit for red snapper, allowing mini-seasons for red snapper beginning in July. If allowed, the recreational fishery would open the second Friday in July (July 13, 2018) and the commercial fishery the second Monday in July (July 9, 2018). The annual opening dates for the fishery were established through an earlier amendment.

Under the Council’s approved preferred alternative, the 2018 annual catch limit would also be 42,510 fish. Because fishing pressure would be greater during the summer months in most areas, it is estimated that the recreational mini-season would last between 4 to 7 weekend days with a 1 fish per person/day bag limit and no minimum size limit. The commercial trip limit would remain at 75 pounds. The number of recreational fishing days would be determined by NOAA Fisheries and announced prior to the July opening. The Secretary of Commerce must approve Amendment 43 before it is implemented.

There was much discussion on various management alternatives as Council members reviewed public input. Public hearings on Amendment 43 were held in August and over 230 written public comments were recently received on both the emergency rule request and Amendment 43. Public comment was also taken during today’s meeting. “We’ve consistently heard from our constituents about the increasing number of red snapper encountered and concerns that harvest has been prohibited for the past four years,” said Council Chair, Dr. Michelle Duval. “The majority of comments support allowing a limited harvest of red snapper.”

The Council’s decision to move forward with options to establish an interim annual catch limit and allow limited harvest of red snapper was based in part on the public testimony and support. The Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee had recommended acceptable biological catch levels for red snapper following a 2017 stock assessment using both landings and estimated discards. Annual catch limits are based on those recommended catch levels. However, NOAA Fisheries later stated that using recreational discard estimates is likely ineffective for monitoring red snapper removals due to uncertainty in the estimates of discards. This inhibits the ability to set an acceptable biological catch that can be effectively monitored. In addition, the Council considered increases in the numbers of red snapper observed through a long-term scientific survey using fish traps.

Council members also noted the positive social and economic benefits of allowing mini-seasons beginning this year, especially on the heels of recent damage to fishing communities by Hurricane Irma.

State agency personnel will work diligently to collect information from fishermen if harvest is allowed. Personnel will be stationed at boat ramps, marinas, and other locations to gather data, similar to data collected during the 2012-2014 mini-seasons. “The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute will be conducting surveys of private recreational anglers and charter-for-hire crew,” explained Jessica McCawley, Council representative for FWC. “Additionally, biologists will be collecting tissue samples (ear bones and gonad samples) to evaluate the sizes, ages, and reproductive condition of the fish being harvested.” Council members noted that additional data collected during the mini-seasons would be useful in future management decisions.

Private recreational fishermen will also have an opportunity to report their catch information as part of a voluntary pilot project using the mobile iAngler tournament app. The free mobile app will allow fishermen to report their landings of red snapper, the number of fish released, depths fished, and other valuable information. Additional details will be publicized from the Council office as they become available.

“It is important for fishermen to remember that this is their red snapper resource,” explained Dr. Duval. “It is imperative that fishermen do everything possible to minimize the number of red snapper released during the season openings and use best fishing practices to improve the survival of released fish. Anglers are encouraged to move away from area populations after catching their bag limit and to use descending devices to reduce the impacts of barotrauma, especially when fishing in depths over 100 feet.” Dr. Duval also noted the rate of harvest in 2017 will determine the length of the 2018 red snapper season. “We must be cautionary in balancing access to the fishery without negatively impacting the sacrifices made thus far as this important stock continues to rebuild.”

The Council will continue its meeting this week through Friday. Additional meeting information is available at: http://safmc.net/2017-september-council-meeting/.

Reminder! South Atlantic Fishery Management Council Meeting September 25-29, 2017 in Charleston, SC

September 20, 2017 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Note: The Council meeting was rescheduled due to Hurricane Irma. Please check out the information below regarding next week’s meeting schedule and opportunities for public comment.  Unless otherwise indicated, members of the public are invited to attend all meetings.

Meeting materials, including agendas, overviews, presentations, and documents are available via the Council’s website at www.safmc.net.

Meeting Location:

Town and Country Inn

2008 Savannah Highway

Charleston, SC 29407      

Phone: Reservations: 843/571-1000

Agenda Highlights  

  • Full Council Session – Monday, September 25
    Harvest Options for Red Snapper 
    The Council will hold a special session from 9:00 AM until 5:00 PM on Monday of the meeting week to specifically address measures to allow harvest of red snapper. The Council will review alternatives in Snapper Grouper Amendment 43 to determine an annual catch limit for red snapper and allow a limited season in 2018. The Council will also consider options to request that NOAA Fisheries take emergency action for a red snapper mini-season in 2017.

    • Red Snapper Public Comment – Monday, September 25 
      10:15 AM
      Public comment will be solicited on measures proposed in Amendment 43 to allow for a limited harvest of red snapper in 2018 and options for requesting emergency action for harvest in 2017.  The Council is scheduled to take action during Monday’s Full Council Session. Provide your comments online now and register to attend the meeting via webinar as it occurs (see below).
  • Snapper Grouper Committee The committee will continue to 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.
  • Mackerel Cobia Committee The committee will receive an update on the development of an interstate fishery management plan for Atlantic cobia (Georgia through New York) by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. The committee will also review options to modify the current commercial trip limit for king mackerel during their meeting.
    • NOTE: The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission will hold a public hearing on measures proposed for Atlantic cobia on Tuesday, September 26th beginning at 7:00 PM in conjunction with the Council meeting.

Commercial Closure for the Golden Tilefish Longline Component in South Atlantic Federal Waters on May 9, 2017

May 4, 2017 — 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. on May 9, 2017. The closure applies to longline endorsement holders for golden tilefish.

WHY THIS CLOSURE IS HAPPENING:

  • The 2017 commercial catch limit for the golden tilefish longline component is 405,971 pounds gutted weight. Commercial landings information indicates that the commercial catch limit for the longline component has been met and harvest therefore should be closed.

DURING AND AFTER THE CLOSURE:

  • The commercial longline component closure applies in both state and federal waters for vessels that have longline endorsement for golden tilefish.
  • During the closure, vessels with a golden tilefish longline endorsement are not eligible to commercially harvest golden tilefish using hook-and line gear and are limited to the recreational bag and possession limits when the recreational sector is open.
  • Vessels that do not have longline endorsements, but have South Atlantic snapper-grouper unlimited permits, may harvest golden tilefish commercially until the hook-and-line quota is reached.
    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. on May 9, 2017, and were held in cold storage by a dealer or processor.
    Harvest by the commercial longline component will reopen at 12:01 a.m. (local time) on January 1, 2018.

    This bulletin provides only a summary of the existing regulations. Full regulations can be found in the Federal Register

SOUTH ATLANTIC FISHERY MANAGEMENT COUNCIL: Reminder – Public Hearing/Scoping Meetings Begin This Week in Florida

January 23, 2017 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Join local representatives from the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council and Council staff as public hearing and scoping meetings continue this week along Florida’s east coast.

The Council is holding a series of public hearing/scoping meetings to collect public input on proposed management measures for yellowtail snapper, red snapper options and the Vision Blueprint for the snapper grouper fishery.

Monday, January 23 

Lexington Hotel & Conference Center

1515 Prudential Drive

Jacksonville, FL

Tuesday, January 24

Hilton Cocoa Beach

1550 N. Atlantic Ave.

Cocoa Beach, FL

Wednesday, January 25

Flagler Place

201 S.W. Flagler Ave.

Stuart, FL

Thursday, January 26

Hilton Key Largo

97000 Overseas Hwy.

Key Largo, FL

Read the full release at the SAFMC