Saving Seafood

December South Atlantic Council Meeting Summary

December 10, 2018 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council held their December meeting in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Below are highlights from the Council’s week-long meeting. Additional information from the meeting is available from the Council’s website at: http://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/council-meetings/ including a Meeting Report, Story Map, final committee reports, public comments, and briefing book materials.

Approved for Secretarial Review

Vision Blueprint Regulatory Amendment 26

After considering public comment and much discussion, the Council approved Regulatory Amendment 26 for review by the Secretary of Commerce. However, the Council chose not to take action on measures within the amendment that would have established a deepwater species aggregate (snowy grouper, misty grouper, yellowedge grouper, blueline tilefish, golden tilefish, and wreckfish) and specified seasons and bag limits for the species within the aggregate. Council members noted that establishing two seasons, one proposed for January and February and the other May through August and modifying bag limits could unfairly impact fishermen in the region. The Council discussed seasonal differences in the fishery for deepwater species in Florida and North Carolina, especially for recreational fishermen targeting blueline tilefish and golden tilefish, and chose not to take action. As a result of the discussion, the Council decided to explore options for allocations of the species in the proposed deepwater species aggregate during its June 2019 meeting.

The following actions were approved as part of Regulatory Amendment 26:

  • Change the recreational minimum size limit of gray triggerfish from 14 inches to 12 inches (fork length) in federal waters off the east coast of Florida to maintain consistency with state regulations currently in place;
    Modify the current 20-fish aggregate bag limit in place (for species without individual bag limits) to specify that no more than 10 fish can be of any one species within the 20-fish aggregate; and
  • Remove recreational minimum size limits for queen snapper, silk snapper, and blackfin snapper, currently set at 12 inches total length.
  • The regulatory amendment was developed as part of the Council’s 2017-2020 Vision Blueprint for the Snapper Grouper Fishery. NOAA Fisheries will solicit additional public input on the amendment during the Secretarial review process. Regulatory actions in the amendment will be implemented following the review process in 2019, if approved by the Secretary of Commerce.

Other Items:

Yellowtail Snapper – Regulatory Amendment 32

Council members voted to postpone consideration of Regulatory Amendment 32 that would revise accountability measures for yellowtail snapper with the intent to alleviate socio-economic impacts of in-season closures in the fishery. After considering recommendations from the Snapper Grouper Advisory Panel and public comment, the Council will delay further development of measures until a benchmark stock assessment for yellowtail snapper is completed in 2020.

Red Grouper – Regulatory Amendment 30
The Council delayed final action on Regulatory Amendment 30 addressing red grouper stock rebuilding, modifications to spawning season closures off the Carolinas, and establishment of a commercial trip limit for red grouper. Council members cited concerns about the need to consider new recreational fishing effort estimates from the Marine Recreational Information Program and the need to have input from its Scientific and Statistical Committee. The amendment will be considered again during the Council’s March 2019 meeting.

Citizen Science Program
The Council reviewed and adopted the Program’s Standard Operating Policies and Procedures that will guide the operation of the Program moving forward. The Program has two citizen science projects in development that fishermen will be able to get involved with in 2019. The first project will focus on collecting data on the lengths of scamp discards using a mobile application called, Release. The app will be available on both Android and iOs platforms and will be available in the Google Play Store and App Store in January 2019. The second project called FISHstory will use crowdsourcing to analyze historic photos from a Florida headboat fleet in the 1940s-70s to document species and length composition. For more information on the projects and getting involved, contact Program Manager Amber Von Harten.

Dolphin Wahoo
The Dolphin Wahoo Committee discussed a request from the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council to consider managing frigate mackerel and bullet mackerel as ecosystem components in the Dolphin Wahoo Fishery Management Plan (FMP), acknowledging their role as prey species for both dolphin and wahoo. Discussions will continue during the March 2019 meeting. The Committee also identified potential additional items to include in Amendment 10 to the Dolphin Wahoo FMP, including: allowing bag-limit sales of dolphin by dually permitted for-hire and commercial permit holders; revising annual catch limits and sector allocations for dolphin and wahoo to accommodate new MRIP data; consider modifying recreational vessel limits for dolphin; and modifying gear, bait, and training requirements in the commercial longline fishery to align with HMS requirements. Development of the amendment will continue throughout 2019 with opportunities for public comment.

Habitat and Ecosystem-Based Management
The Committee received an update on collaborative efforts with the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and New England Fishery Management Council to address the movement of species northward with changing oceanographic and environmental conditions. The Committee will continue to review landings data and discuss priorities and timing for addressing species movements at its March 2019 meeting with representatives of the Mid-Atlantic and New England Councils. The Committee also received presentations on renewable energy activities including the proposed Kitty Hawk Wind Development Project, a system of offshore wind generators proposed approximately 27 miles off the coast of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Presentations are available as part of the briefing book materials at: http://safmc.net/briefing-books/briefing-book-2018-december-council-meeting/.

The next Council meeting is scheduled for March 4-8, 2019 in Jekyll Island, Georgia. Briefing book materials will be available from the Council’s website two weeks prior to the meeting at: http://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/council-meetings/.

MAFMC to Host Workshop Addressing Law-Enforcement Issues in For-Hire Fisheries

October 11, 2018 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will host a workshop November 13-14 (Law Enforcement/ For-Hire Workshop) to identify issues related to law enforcement in for-hire fisheries and sale by recreational anglers of tilefish and tuna and to develop potential solutions. Specifically, the workshop will address:

  1. Operator versus angler (client) responsibility for fisheries violations that occur on for-hire vessels and law enforcement options for addressing these.
  2. Issues related to the sale of fish by private recreational anglers (particularly golden tilefish and tunas) focusing on the need for vessels selling fish to comply with U.S. Coast Guard requirements and/or Federal permits that allow for the sale of fish.

Recommendations coming from this workshop will be presented during the Council’s December meeting for formal discussion. Operators of for-hire vessels and private vessels fishing for tuna or tilefish along the Atlantic who may have encountered these issues may want to participate. State and federal fisheries law enforcement, as well as operators of for-hire vessels and private vessels fishing for tuna or tilefish along the Atlantic who may have encountered these issues, may want to participate.

The workshop is open to the public and free to attend but pre-registration is requested to ensure adequate meeting facilities. For more information and to register, visit http://www.mafmc.org/workshop/law-enforcement-for-hire-workshop.

Questions? Contact Andrew Loftus, (410) 295-5997, aloftus@andrewloftus.com.

SAFMC Scientific and Statistical Committee Meeting – October 15-17, 2018

October 4, 2018 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold a meeting of its Scientific and Statistical Committee October 15-17, 2018 in Charleston, SC. The SSC assists the Council in the development, collection, evaluation, and peer review of information relevant to fishery management plans and amendments. The meetings are open to the public and may also be access remotely via webinar.

Meeting Dates: October 15-17, 2018

Meeting Location:
Town & Country Inn, 2008 Savannah Highway, Charleston, SC 29401

Agenda Highlights

  • Review of changes to the Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) data
  • Review of stock assessment revisions using the newly calibrated MRIP numbers for Blueline Tilefish, Black Sea Bass, Red Grouper, and Vermilion Snapper
  • Review of the Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission’s Red Snapper Gear Selectivity Study

Additional Information:

Request for Comments: Proposed Changes to Golden Tilefish Regulations in Federal Waters of the South Atlantic Region

September 28, 2018 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

KEY MESSAGE:

NOAA Fisheries requests your comments on a proposed rule for golden tilefish. The proposed actions would reduce golden tilefish catch limits based on the most recent population assessment. The purpose of the action is to end overfishing (rate of removal is too high) of golden tilefish in the South Atlantic.

Comments are due by October 12, 2018

SUMMARY OF PROPOSED CHANGES:

  • The proposed rule would set the total catch limit at 342,000 pounds gutted weight (lbs gw).
  • This proposed rule would also specify the commercial and recreational sector catch limits and component commercial quotas using the existing sector allocations.
  • The commercial catch limit would be 331,740 lbs gw. The commercial quota for the hook-and-line component would be 82,935 lbs gw, and the commercial quota for the longline component would be 248,805 lbs gw. The recreational catch limit would be 2,316 fish.

HOW TO COMMENT ON THE PROPOSED RULE:

The 15 day comment period associated with this proposed rule will end on October 12, 2018. We will address all comments specifically directed to the proposed rule in the final rule. 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 48788, published September 27, 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-2018-0091.
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.

Recreational Harvest of Golden Tilefish Will Close in Federal Waters of the South Atlantic on August 28, 2018

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

WHAT/WHEN:

Recreational harvest of golden tilefish in South Atlantic federal waters will close at 12:01 a.m. (local time) on August 28, 2018.  Recreational harvest in federal waters will reopen at 12:01 a.m. (local time) on January 1, 2019.

WHY THIS CLOSURE IS HAPPENING:

  • The 2018 recreational annual catch limit is 2,187 fish. Reports indicate that recreational landings have reached the 2018 annual catch limit for the recreational sector.
  • According to the regulations, NOAA Fisheries must close the harvest when the annual catch limit has been reached. This closure is necessary to protect the golden tilefish population.

DURING THE CLOSURE:

  • Recreational harvest or possession of golden tilefish in or from 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.
  • Commercial harvest or possession of golden tilefish in or from federal waters is also prohibited.

Commercial Closure for Blueline Tilefish in South Atlantic Federal Waters on August 22, 2018

August 20, 2018 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

WHAT/WHEN:

The commercial harvest of blueline tilefish in federal waters of the South Atlantic will close at 12:01 a.m., local time on August 22, 2018. During the commercial closure, all sale or purchase of blueline tilefish is prohibited, and harvest or possession of blueline tilefish in or from federal waters is limited to the recreational bag and possession limits while the recreational sector is open.

WHY THIS CLOSURE IS HAPPENING:

The 2018 commercial catch limit is 87,521 pounds whole weight. Commercial landings are projected to reach the commercial catch limit by August 22, 2018. 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 2019 commercial fishing season for blueline tilefish in the South Atlantic will open on January 1, 2019, with a commercial catch limit of 87,521 pounds whole weight.
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#se50.12.622_1193.

Commercial Closure of the Golden Tilefish Hook-and-Line Component in South Atlantic Federal Waters on August 14, 2018

August 10, 2018 — 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 August 14, 2018.
WHY THIS CLOSURE IS HAPPENING:
The 2018 commercial catch limit for the golden tilefish hook-and-line component is 78,328 pounds gutted weight. Commercial landings are projected to reach the commercial catch limit on August 14, 2018. 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., local time, on August 14, 2018, and were held in cold storage by a dealer or processor.
  • The commercial longline component for South Atlantic golden tilefish closed on March 25, 2018, for the remainder of the fishing year. Therefore, because the commercial longline component is already closed, and the commercial hook-and-line component will close on August 14, 2018, all commercial fishing for South Atlantic golden tilefish will close effective 12:01 a.m., local time, August 14, 2018.
  • 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.
  • Harvest by the commercial hook-and-line and longline components will reopen at 12:01 a.m., local time, on January 1, 2019.
This bulletin provides only a summary of the existing regulations. The complete list of regulations can be found in the Federal Register or at

Extension of an Interim Rule to Reduce Golden Tilefish Catch Limits in Federal Waters of the South Atlantic Region

June 21, 2018 — The following was released by NOAA:

KEY MESSAGE:

  • In response to a request from the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, NOAA Fisheries published a final interim rule on January 2, 2018, which temporarily reduces golden tilefish catch limits through July 1, 2018. The purpose of the action is to reduce overfishing (rate of removal is too high) of golden tilefish, based on the most recent population assessment, while management measures are being developed to end overfishing. NOAA Fisheries is extending the interim measures for an additional 186 days beginning July 2, 2018. The interim measures will remain in effect through January 3, 2019.
  • The commercial longline component for golden tilefish in federal waters of the South Atlantic closed on March 25, 2018, as landings reached the temporary 2018 commercial catch limit for the longline component. As a reminder, the commercial longline component will open on January 1, 2019
SUMMARY OF CHANGES:
  • The final interim rule temporarily reduced the total catch limit for golden tilefish from 558,036 to 323,000 pounds gutted weight. Using the existing allocations, the temporary catch limits are 313,310 pounds gutted weight for the commercial sector and 2,187 fish for the recreational sector. For commercial fishermen, the hook-and-line catch limit is 78,328 pounds gutted weight and the longline catch limit is 234,982 pounds gutted weight.
  • The interim measures are being extended for an additional 186 days while the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council develops Regulatory Amendment 28 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery in the South Atlantic Region (Regulatory Amendment 28).
This bulletin serves as a Small Entity Compliance Guide, complying with section 212 of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996.
See the complete Fishery Bulletin for additional information, including a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).

South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee Meeting Begins Tomorrow

April 30, 2018 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold a meeting of its Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) this week, beginning tomorrow and running through Thursday, May 3rd.  The SSC is responsible for reviewing the scientific basis of Council management plans and actions, and developing fishing level recommendations in accordance with national fisheries management guidelines.

Agenda Highlights

  • Fishing level recommendations for black sea bass and vermilion snapper based on the most recent stock assessments;
  • A review of recommended methods for setting an Allowable Biological Catch (ABC) for red snapper in the South Atlantic;
  • Evaluation of latest fishing projections for golden tilefish and possible revision of the ABC for the fishery;
  • Recommendations for setting an ABC for blueline tilefish from Cape Hatteras north to the VA border;
  • Recommendations for stock assessment priorities for 2020 and beyond

Meeting Materials and Webinar Registration:

A complete meeting agenda, overview, and briefing book materials are available from the Council’s website at: http://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/scientific-and-statistical-committee-meetings/. The meeting is also available to the public via webinar. Registration is required.

Tuesday, May 1 

Register 

Wednesday, May 2 

Register

Thursday, May 3

Register

Meeting Location:   

The SSC meeting will be held at the Town & Country Inn, 2008 Savannah Highway, Charleston, SC 29401. The meeting is open to the public and public comment will be taken as part of the meeting agenda.

Learn more about the SAFMC here.

 

SAFMC: Council Seeks Input on Proposed Changes for the Snapper Grouper Fishery

April 26, 2018 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Members of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council are soliciting public input on a number of measures proposed for both recreational and commercial fishermen targeting species in the snapper grouper management complex. The management measures are being proposed in two amendments to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan as part of the Council’s Vision Blueprint for the Snapper Grouper Fishery.

Vision Blueprint Snapper Grouper Regulatory Amendment 26 (Recreational):

The amendment proposes modifying the species composition of recreational aggregates to better reflect how fishermen are currently fishing and allow more focused management measures (i.e., for deep-water species). Alternatives for aggregate bag limits, minimum size limits and gear requirements are included. The regulatory amendment also proposes modification to the spawning season closure for red grouper off the North and South Carolina coasts, removing the minimum size limit for three deep-water snappers, and reducing the minimum size limit for gray triggerfish off the east coast of Florida to bring consistency with regulations in state waters.

Vision Blueprint Snapper Grouper Regulatory Amendment 27 (Commercial):

The amendment addresses concerns over equitable access for commercial fishermen fishing in the snapper grouper fishery and proposes measures to help minimize discards. The regulatory amendment includes actions for split commercial seasons for blueline tilefish, snowy grouper, greater amberjack, and red porgy. The amendment also includes actions to modify the commercial trip limit for blueline tilefish, greater amberjack, red porgy, and vermilion snapper. Other measures include specifying a minimum size limit for almaco jack, implementing a trip limit for the Other Jacks complex, extending the seasonal closure for red grouper in federal waters off North Carolina and South Carolina, removing the minimum size limit for three deep-water snappers, and reducing the commercial minimum size limit for gray triggerfish off the east coast of Florida.

Additional information for each amendment, including public hearing summaries, video presentations, and other materials is available from the Council’s website at: http://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/public-hearings-scoping-meetings/.

Public Hearings via Webinar with Listening Stations  

Public hearings will be held via webinar with Listening Stations in areas as noted below. Area Council members will be present at each of the Listening Stations. Members of the public will have an opportunity to go on record to offer their comments for consideration by the Council during the webinars.

Webinar registration is required for each public hearing. 

Webinar #1 – May 8, 2018 at 6 pm

Listening Stations

Haddrell’s Point Tackle

885 Ben Sawyer Blvd.

Mt Pleasant, SC

Southeast Regional Branch Library

10599 Deerwood Park Blvd

Jacksonville, FL

NC Division of Marine Fisheries

Southern District Office

127 Cardinal Drive Extension

Wilmington, NC 

Webinar #2 – May 9, 2018 at 6 pm

Listening Stations

Cocoa Beach Public Library

550 North Brevard Avenue

Cocoa Beach, FL 

NC Division of Marine Fisheries

Central District Office

5285 Hwy 70 West

Morehead City, NC 

Webinar #3 – May 10, 2018 at 6 pm

Listening Stations

Murrells Inlet Community Center

4462 Murrells Inlet Rd

Murrells Inlet, SC 

Marathon Government Center – BOCC

2798 Overseas Hwy, 2nd Floor

Marathon, FL

Hatteras Community Building

57689 NC Hwy 12

Hatteras, NC

Written Comments

The Council is also accepting written comments until May 11, 2018 at 5 p.m.Written comments may be submitted using the online comment form and also be viewed via the website. Additional information on how to submit written comments is available from the website.