Southeast Archives - Saving Seafood

NOAA Requests Comments on a Proposed Rule to Revise the Gulf of Mexico Red Grouper Catch Limits and Catch Targets

January 19, 2022 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Key Messages:

•NOAA Fisheries is requesting public comments on a proposed rule for Amendment 53 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resources in the Gulf of Mexico (Amendment 53) to revise the Gulf of Mexico red grouper sector annual catch limits and sector annual catch targets.

•Amendment 53 would also:

◦ Modify the allocation of Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) red grouper catch between the commercial and recreational sectors,

◦ Specify a new overfishing limit and acceptable biological catch.

•NOAA Fisheries requests your comments regarding the changes the proposed rule would make to Gulf red grouper management in federal waters. Comments are due by February 18, 2022.

•NOAA Fisheries also published a notice of availability for Amendment 53 and is requesting comments on the amendment.

•Comments on both the proposed rule and amendment will be considered in the final rule.

•Although the most recent red grouper population assessment did not show red grouper was undergoing overfishing (too many fish being caught) or being overfished (the populations is too low), the assessment did find the population was below a level that could support the optimal harvest.

•Additionally, there is evidence the red grouper population was hurt by recent red tide events along the west Florida shelf.

Summary of Proposed Changes in Proposed Rule and Amendment 53:

•Revise the Gulf red grouper allocation from 76% commercial and 24% recreational, to 59.3% commercial and 40.7% recreational.

•Revise the recreational annual catch target buffer from 8% to 9%.

•Revise the overfishing limit, acceptable biological catch, sector annual catch limits, and sector annual catch targets as indicated in Table 1 below.

Table 1. Current and proposed overfishing limit (OFL), acceptable biological catch (ABC), population annual catch limit (ACL), sector ACLs, and sector annual catch targets (ACT) in million pounds gutted weight. Note that current recreational ACLs and ACTs are in Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) Coastal Household Telephone Survey (CHTS) units and the proposed recreational ACLs and ACTs are in MRIP Fishing Effort Survey (MRIP-FES) units. The reduction shows the percent change in the proposed commercial and recreational ACLs and ACTs (recreational values are in MRIP-FES units).

OFL

ABC

Population ACL

Commercial ACL

Recreational ACL

Commercial ACT (quota)

Recreational ACT

Current

14.16

13.92

4.16

3.16

1.00

3.00

0.92

MRIP-FES equivalent

(5.26)

(2.10)

(1.93)

Proposed

4.66

4.26

4.26

2.53

1.73

2.40

1.57

Reduction

19%

20%

18%

20%

19%

How to Comment On the Proposed Rule:

The comment period for the proposed rule is open now through February 18, 2022. 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: 87 FR 2737, published January 19, 2022.

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

1.Go to: https://www.regulations.gov/document/NOAA-NMFS-2021-0098-0037

2.Click the “Comment Now!” icon, complete the required fields.

3.Enter or attach your comments.

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

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is NOAA Fisheries announcing today?

•NOAA Fisheries is announcing a public comment period for a proposed rule to revise the Gulf red grouper sector annual catch limits and annual catch targets.

•The comment period is open from January 19, 2021, through February 18, 2022.

•This action sets the red grouper sector specific annual catch limits and annual catch targets consistent with the Gulf Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee’s recommendations.

What are the proposed sector catch limits and catch targets and how were they determined?

•The sector annual catch limits were determined by applying the new allocation of 59.3% commercial and 40.7% recreational to the population annual catch limit.

•For the commercial sector, the annual catch target was maintained at 5% below the commercial annual catch limit to allow for red grouper and gag multi-use shares to be used in the individual fishing quota program.

•For the recreational sector, the buffer between the annual catch target and annual catch limit was determined by the Gulf Council’s annual catch limit and annual catch target control rule.

◦ The control rule uses a number of factors about recreational harvest to develop an appropriate buffer between the annual catch limit and annual catch target.

◦ The control rule recommended the buffer be changed from 8% to 9%.

Why does this action propose that the recreational sector should have a higher percentage of the annual catch limit?

•The Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR) population assessment for red grouper used updated recreational catch and effort data from the MRIP Access Point Angler Intercept Survey (APAIS) and FES, which collectively estimate larger than previously calculated catch and effort for the recreational sector.

•Because MRIP-FES was used in the red grouper SEDAR population assessment, estimates of historic recreational landings were greater than in previous assessments.

•Therefore, when comparing recreational and commercial landings, recreational landings were proportionately larger than past comparisons.

Why did the Gulf Council recommend changing the allocation between the commercial and recreational sectors?

•A Gulf red grouper population assessment was completed in late 2019 through the SEDAR process.

•The Gulf Council decided to use landings from1986 through 2005 to set the new sector allocations. These are the same years of landings used to set the current allocation of 76% commercial and 24% recreational and represent historic participation in the reef fish fishery.

•The Gulf Council used a new recreational survey to estimate 1986 through 2005 landings (see question above).

•This new survey was used in the population assessment and estimates higher recreational effort and landings than previous surveys.

•Using the new survey led to proportionally more red grouper being caught by the recreational sector.

•The resulting allocation is 59.3% commercial and 40.7% recreational.

What are the next steps?

•The public comment period for the proposed rule is open for 30 days, from January 19, 2022, through February 18, 2022.

◦ NOAA Fisheries is also soliciting public comment on Amendment 53 through a notice of availability. This comment period is open for 60 days, from December 9, 2021, through February 7, 2022.

•NOAA Fisheries will prepare the final rule and address comments received during the proposed rule and notice of availability comment periods.

•NOAA Fisheries will issue a fishery bulletin alerting constituents to any regulatory changes being implemented and advising of a 30-day cooling off period providing time to prepare for the new regulations.

What is the difference between the recreational surveys used to estimate recreational landings?

•NOAA Fisheries created Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistical Survey (MRFSS) in 1979 to estimate recreational landings and MRFSS collected recreational data on catch and effort, including red grouper, beginning in 1981.

•MRFSS included both telephone surveys and interviews at marinas and other points where recreational anglers fish.

•In 2008, MRIP replaced MRFSS to meet increasing demand for more precise, accurate, and timely recreational catch estimates. MRIP included telephone surveys of households and for-hire vessel operators that collected information about recreational fishing activity, and an angler intercept survey that collected information about the fish that were caught.

•In 2013, MRIP began using APAIS, which was designed to address concerns that trips recorded during a given time period are representative of trips for a full day.

•Beginning in 2015, MRIP-CHTS moved to a new mail survey, MRIP-FES, to overcome issues that arose from shifts in phone usage as cellular telephones became more popular.

•The mail-based FES uses angler license and registration information to identify and contact anglers

•Because FES and CHTS are so different, NOAA Fisheries conducted side-by-side testing of the two methods from 2015 to 2017 to develop a calibration model.

•In general, total recreational fishing effort estimates generated from FES are higher — and in some cases substantially higher — than CHTS estimates because FES is designed to more accurately measure fishing activity than CHTS, not because there was a sudden rise in fishing effort.

•NOAA Fisheries developed a calibration model to adjust historic effort estimates so that they can be accurately compared to new estimates from FES.

•More information on recreational survey methods can be found at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/topic/recreational-fishing-data.

Where can I find more information on Amendment 53?

•Contact NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Regional Office

By Mail: Peter Hood

NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Regional Office

Sustainable Fisheries Division

263 13th Avenue South

St. Petersburg, Florida 33701-5505

By FAX: (727) 824-5308

By Phone: (727) 824-5305

•Amendment 53 and the Notice of Availability may be found online at the NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office Web site at: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/amendment-53-red-grouper-allocations-and-catch-levels.

Sign Up For Text Message Alerts – Find Out About Immediate Openings and Closures

NOAA’s Text Message Alert Program allows you to receive important fishery related alerts via text message (SMS). Standard message & data rates may apply. You may opt-out at any time.

Text alerts you may receive include:

•Immediate fishery openings and closures

•Any significant changes to fishing regulations that happen quickly

•Gulf of Mexico Recreational Fisheries Related Alerts

◦ Text GULFRECFISH to 888777

•Gulf of Mexico Commercial Fisheries Related Alerts

◦ Text GULFCOMMFISH to 888777

•South Atlantic Recreational Fisheries Related Alerts

◦ Text SATLRECFISH to 888777

•South Atlantic Commercial Fisheries Related Alerts

◦ Text SATLCOMMFISH to 888777

•Caribbean Fisheries Related Alerts

◦ Text CARIBFISH to 888777

Other Contacts

Media: Kim Amendola (727) 551-5705, Allison Garrett (727) 551-5750

Two-weekend red snapper season opens Friday in South Carolina, Southeast

November 2, 2017 — After signs of recovery for the species, recreational offshore anglers will be able to catch tasty red snapper this weekend and next.

The South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council approved “an interim annual catch limit” running Friday through Sunday, and again Nov. 10-12. The U.S. Secretary of Commerce signed off on the mini seasons this week.

Boats will be able to keep one fish per person per day with no minimum size limit throughout the Southeast coastal states.

Snapper is one of the most sought-after catches by seafood customers and anglers, but the catch has been shut down since 2014 as the council worked to rebuild stock. Research data from commercial anglers suggests the species has turned the corner to recovery.

Read the full story at the Post and Courier

Recreational Harvest of Golden Tilefish in Federal Waters of the South Atlantic Will Close on August 27, 2016

August 23, 2016 — The following was released by NOAA:

Recreational harvest of golden tilefish in South Atlantic federal waters will close, at 12:01 a.m. (local time) on August 27, 2016. Recreational harvest in federal waters will reopen at 12:01 a.m. (local time) on January 1, 2017. The recreational annual catch limit for golden tilefish is 3,019 fish. Reports indicate that recreational landings have exceeded the 2016 annual catch limit for the recreational sector.

During the closure:

Recreational harvest or possession of golden tilefish in or from the federal waters of the South Atlantic is prohibited.
The closure applies in both state and federal waters for vessels which have a valid charter/headboat permit for South Atlantic Snapper-Grouper.
This closure is necessary to protect the golden tilefish fishery by limiting the amount that landings exceed the recreational annual catch limit.

Puzzling out the red drum: Fish population surveys contradict each other

May 16, 2016 — The sought-after red drum might be severely overfished since 2010 in the Southeast but not the mid-Atlantic, according to the latest survey. Or the reverse might be true.

The problem is in the metrics: Just how do you count all the fish in the sea? That’s what a federal commission in charge of regulating the catch told its staff recently while not approving — yet — an assessment that would suggest the Southeast stock is in trouble again. Improve the metrics.

At stake is whether or how to tighten management, and potentially catch restrictions, on one of the most popular game fish in the Lowcountry.

The bottom line is that some sort of tighter management is expected to be mandated of that stock, said Robert Boyles, S.C. Department of Natural Resources deputy marine resources director and a member of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, the federal group in charge of maintaining the fishery.

“The results basically suggest there are reasons to be concerned. The questions are how concerned should we be and what do we do about it,” he said.

Read the full story at The Post and Courier

FLORIDA: TDC adopts message to counter possible scallop season suspension

May 12, 2016 — The Gulf County Tourist Development Council Advisory Committee adopted a rapid response plan during its regular meeting last week to address the possibility the 2016 scallop season will be cancelled by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

A final decision on the season will be made by the FWC, which intends to hold local public workshops this month and next, in June.

The Board of County Commissioners last week passed a resolution sent to the FWC suggesting alternatives to cancellation, such as size limits, smaller bag counts or a shorter season.

Jennifer Jenkins, TDC executive director, confirmed that FWC officials would conduct their regular scallop surveys of the bay in June and present those findings at an FWC meeting June 22-23, after which a decision would be made.

Currently, scallop season is set to open Saturday, June 25.

Read the full story at The Star

North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update: April 18, 2016

April 19, 2016 — The following was released by the North Carolina Fisheries Association:

HOUSE COMMITTEE TO DISCUSS FISHERIES REFORM ACT:

The House Select Committee on Wildlife Resources, chaired by Rep. John Bell, has scheduled their next meeting on Wednesday, April 20th, in Raleigh. The meeting will be in Room 544 of the Legislative Office Building and the agenda will include a Fisheries Reform Act and marine fisheries overview. Jerry & David will be there and encourage others to attend.

ADDITION TO THE HALF PERCENT PROGRAM:

Quality Seafood Company of Elizabeth City and their fishermen will be a welcome addition to our “Half Percent” program! The company has been a longtime supporter of NCFA but recently decided to increase their support through the program that deducts one half of one percent of the boat’s net when they pack out. Quality will then match that and forward to NCFA. Each fisherman is a member by participating.

The program was the idea of the late William Ellis Smith of Luther Smith & Son in Atlantic, NC. It was his vision and advocacy of the program that has been the reason for our organization to expand beyond a one person office. William Ellis was killed in an accident in Wanchese in 1991 and is sorely missed, but remembered for his love for commercial fishing in general and NCFA in particular.

Many thanks to Billy & Russell Barclift, Quality Seafood Company and the fishermen who pack with them for participating in the half percent program!

We encourage others to do likewise, so if you would like more information about it, call us. If you would like details on how easy it is to set it up, give Aundrea O’Neal of Beaufort Inlet Seafood a call and she’ll fill you in. Her number is: (252) 503-8302.

ATLANTIC STRIPED BASS ADVISORY PANEL CONFERENCE CALL:

The Atlantic Striped Bass Advisory Panel will be meeting via conference call Thursday, April

21, at 10:00 am to review current status of H.R.3070 regarding the opening of the Block Island

Transit Zone to recreational striped bass fishing, to discuss the Atlantic squid resource as it

relates to striped bass management, to elect an Advisory Panel Chairman and Vice Chairman

and to discuss any other pertinent current events.

For questions, please contact Max Appelman, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at mappelman@asmfc.org or 1-703-842-0740.

Dial 1-888-394-8197 and enter Passcode: 815277 to join conference call.

Note from NCFA: Although the primary item of this is recreational striped bass fishing, it should be of interest to listen to the discussion about “the Atlantic squid resource as it relates to striped bass management…”.

COBIA MEETING:

The South Atlantic & Mid Atlantic Councils will hold a meeting to discuss cobia on Monday, May 9th, from 6:00 – 8:00pm at the Hilton in Kill Devil Hills. To participate in the webinar, register here:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2733536913517393923

ON THE ROAD:

Jerry & David attended several meetings last week, and will provide a synopsis via a special update later this week. David attended the weeklong Mid Atlantic Fishery Management Council in Montauk, NY. Jerry attended several meetings in Morehead City and Washington: Oyster Advisory Committee, NMFS Skimmer Trawl meeting, Finfish Committee (cobia), and the Shellfish/Crustacean Committee. He also participated in a conference call concerning the H2B labor issues for the crab processors.

SOUTHERN FLOUNDER:

Thanks to those of you who have contributed to our Southern Flounder Fund. Those funds will be used exclusively for issues related to southern flounder, either legally or other avenues to address the situation.

If you have not yet contributed, please do so ASAP!

Send your donations to:

NCFA

2807 Neuse Blvd; Suite 11

New Bern, NC 28562

Please make your check out to NCFA/Southern Flounder Fund or to the NC Fisheries Association and be sure to put Southern Flounder Fund in the memo.

CALENDAR

Apr. 20; 2:00pm: House Select Cmte on Wildlife Resources; 544 LOB; Raleigh

Apr 25; North Carolina General Assembly convenes for the Short Session

May 2; Noon; NCFA Board meeting; Civic Center, Washington NC

May 2-5; ASMFC Spring Meeting; Westin; Alexandria, VA

May 10; 5:30 – 7:30pm; Legislative Reception; Raleigh NC

May 18-20; MFC meeting; Civic Center; Morehead City

June 13-17; SAFMC meeting; Cocoa Beach, FL

June 14-16; MAFMC meeting; Newark, DE

Striped bass regulations vary across North Carolina

April 14, 2016 — Striped bass regulations vary according to the body of water across North Carolina, including five distinct areas along the coast.

Stripers moving up the Roanoke River to spawn must come in from the Atlantic Ocean Management Area and pass through the Albemarle Sound Management Area before reaching the Roanoke River Management Area. These fish are subject to different regulations as they journey from the ocean to the spawning grounds near Weldon.

The Albemarle Sound Management Area begins at Oregon Inlet and extends inland to the mouths of the Roanoke, Cashie, Middle and Eastmost Rivers near Plymouth. This includes the northern end of the Pamlico Sound, Roanoke Sound, Croatan Sound, Currituck Sound and Albemarle Sound. It also includes all rivers and creeks feeding into these sounds inland to Edenton. Effective Jan. 1, striper season in the ASMA is open all year unless the annual quota of 68,750 pounds is caught. Eighteen inches is the minimum size, and fishermen may keep two per day.

See the full story at the North Carolina Sportsman

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Approves Lionfish Removal Efforts

April 14, 2016 — At its April 13 meeting in Jupiter, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approved a two-part lionfish plan to further encourage removals of the invasive species in 2016.

Lionfish have a potential negative impact on native wildlife and habitat and the FWC encourages divers and anglers to remove them from Florida waters whenever they can.

The two-part initiative will include a statewide reward program that will expand upon 2015 efforts and a Panhandle Pilot Program.

“Innovative programs like these are a great way to generate public involvement and interest in controlling the lionfish population,” said FWC Chairman Brian Yablonski. “Those that remove lionfish not only get rewarded for their efforts, but they also get the experience of helping manage Florida’s fisheries. In addition, involving Florida’s residents and visitors helps us gather better data to continuously evaluate and improve our approach to invasive species control.”

See the full story at The Fishing Wire

Projections for red snapper season are in

April 14, 2016 — DESTIN, Fla. — Although the end date is still uncertain, the start of red snapper season is June 1.

“But good news is on the way,” said Capt. Gary Jarvis of the Back Down2 and president of the Destin Charter Boat Association.

Jarvis is anticipating a 50 day season for the charter for-hire boats in federal waters.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council met last week in Texas to discuss catch limits, requirements and allocations of various fisheries – among them red snapper.

In recent years the red snapper fishery, which was deemed overfished by regulators, has started to rebound and this year anglers may get a few more days.

See the full story at Northwest Florida Daily News

Florida Gulf Red Snapper Season Set

April 14, 2016 — At its April 13 meeting in Jupiter, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) set the 2016 recreational red snapper season in Gulf of Mexico state waters.

The 2016 season will open Saturdays and Sundays in May starting May 7. On May 28, the season will open continuously through July 10. Finally, the season will reopen for Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in September and October, and on Labor Day. This would provide for a 78-day season in Gulf state waters.

This season will help maintain fishing opportunities for recreational anglers in state waters and provide additional May and fall weekend fishing days.

See the full story at The Fishing Wire