06-13-2011, 04:43 PM
The Gulf Council met in Key West, Florida last week to make some fishery management decisions. The following is a brief outline of what happened. If you have any questions I suggest you contact me directly at Emily.muehlstein@gulfcouncil.org.
Also, ‘’like” our Facebook page to receive real time updates on what’s happening. If you’re interested there are maps of some of the scientific sampling that happens around the Gulf in our photos section.
Your Chum,
Emily Muehlstein
Outreach Specialist
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council
Gag and red grouper re-runs
The Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council was presented with the results of the re-run’s of the gag and red grouper projections using the actual 2009 and 2010 landings data.
The gag projections were not rerun because the difference between the 2010 gag estimated and actual landings was less than one percent.
The actual red grouper landings were below Total Allowable Catch in 2009 and 2010, and in light of the re-run results the Scientific and Statistical Committee has recommended that the red grouper Acceptable Biological Catch be set at 7.93 million pounds. The council has initiated a regulatory amendment that will increase the red grouper Total Allowable Catch for 2011 through 2016. This will increase the Total Allowable Catch as follows:
Year Old Total Allowable Catch New Total Allowable Catch
2011 5.68 Mp 6.88 Mp
2012 5.90 Mp 7.07 Mp
2013 6.19 Mp 7.27 Mp
2014 6.38 Mp 7.41 Mp
2015 6.54 Mp 7.52 MP
2016 6.69 Mp 7.72 Mp
Gag and Red Grouper- Reef Fish Amendment 32
The Council has decided to postpone final action on amendment 32 until the August 2001 meeting in Austin, TX. The Council has decided to hold additional public hearings in Panama City, Tampa, and Fort Myers, Florida in hopes of gathering more input on the proposed actions in Amendment 32. Meeting date, location, and materials will be provided as soon as possible.
Red Snapper re-run
The results of the red snapper re-run projections that included the 2009 and 2010 actual landings data indicated that the Over Fishing Limit could be increased. The Scientific and Statistical Committee determined that the 2011 Total Allowable Catch could be increased by 345,000 pounds. Council has requested that NOAA Fisheries develop an emergency rule that would suspend the September 31st closure date and to assign the entire 345,000 lbs of increased total allowable catch of red snapper to the recreational sector for the 2011 season.
Council has decided to ask the SEDAR steering committee to conduct a benchmark red snapper stock assessment in 2012.
Red Snapper Fall Season
Council was presented with an options paper for an amendment that would revise the structure of the fall recreational snapper season. The three actions contained with in the options paper are:
1. Revise or eliminate the October through December fixed closed season. Currently, the recreational red snapper season must end by September, 30th. Pushing the possible closure date back will allow Council to have more red snapper season management options.
2. Provide for weekends only, or weekdays only fishing periods. This would provide Council more options for management in-season and during a supplemental season if the fishery is reopened after being prematurely closed.
3. Increase the 2012 red snapper Total Allowable Catch based on the 2011 red snapper re-run analyses.
Public hearings for this regulatory amendment will be held sometime after the August 2011 Council meeting.
Red Snapper IFQ Share Transfer
Reef Fish Amendment 26 established the commercial red snapper individual fishing quota system in January, 2007. The Amendment contained a provision that would allow any U.S. Citizen or permanent resident to obtain red snapper Individual Fishing Quota Shares after January 1, 2012. The Council voted to accept the codified regulations, and deemed them necessary and appropriate for submission to the Secretary of Commerce for implementation.
Generic Annual Catch Limits and Accountability Measures Amendment
The Council has decided to postpone final action on the Generic Annual Catch Limits and Accountability Measures Amendment until the August 2011 Council meeting in Austin, Texas.
Greater Amberjack
In April, 2011 Council was presented with the results of the latest greater amberjack update stock assessment. The assessment concluded that the greater amberjack stock continues to be overfished, although the end of 2011 marks the 10th and final year of the amberjack rebuilding plan. The National Standard 1 guidelines from the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act require that overfished stocks be managed under rebuilding plans that aim to rebuild stocks in 10 years or less. It is unlikely that the greater amberjack stock in the Gulf will be rebuilt by the end of 2011, so the Scientific and Statistical Committee adjusted the Acceptable Biological Catch Levels for greater amberjack for the 2011 through 2013 to adhere to the National Standards.
The Council reviewed an options paper that includes actions to modify the greater amberjack rebuilding plan; adjust recreational management measures including vessel limits, minimum size limits, and closed seasons; and adjust commercial management measures including trip limits and closed seasons. Staff will develop a public hearing draft for review at the August Council meeting, and public hearings should be scheduled for sometime before the Council meets in October 2011.
Earned Income and Crew size Amendment
The Council reviewed the options paper on the proposed amendment that considers two issues:
1. Temporary suspension, modification, or elimination of the earned income requirements necessary for commercial reef fish vessel permit renewal.
2. Increasing or eliminating the crew size requirement that limits the number of crew allowed on dually permitted vessels.
Staff has been directed to develop a public hearing draft of the amendment for future action by the Council.
Yellowedge Grouper benchmark Stock Assessment
The yellowedge grouper benchmark stock assessment concluded that the stock is not considered to be overfished, and overfishing is not occurring.
Tilefish benchmark Stock Assessment -
The Scientific and Statistical committee concluded that the benchmark stock assessment conducted for Tilefish did not capture the dynamics of the tilefish stock sufficiently to provide useful management advice. No action was taken by the Council.
Spiny Lobster (Amendment 10)-
The Gulf and South Atlantic Fishery Management Councils took final action on Amendment 10 to the Spiny Lobster Fishery Management Plan. Actions contained within the amendment include:
➢ Removal of some spiny lobster species from the fishery management plan
➢ Setting of biological and management reference points
➢ Using undersized lobster as lures
➢ Modifying tailing requirements
This amendment will be submitted to the Secretary of Commerce for approval and implementation
Mackerel- Amendment 18
The Council approved the public hearing draft for Amendment 18 to the Mackerel Fishery Management Plan. The Amendment contains actions to set Annual Catch Limits and Accountability Measures for Gulf group king mackerel, Gulf group Spanish mackerel, and Gulf group cobia. It also contains measures to remove cero, little tunny, dolphin, and bluefish from the fishery management plan; to revise the framework procedure; and to separate cobia into Atlantic and Gulf migratory groups.
Public hearings will be held across the Gulf Coast sometime before the August 2011 Council meeting.
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Also, ‘’like” our Facebook page to receive real time updates on what’s happening. If you’re interested there are maps of some of the scientific sampling that happens around the Gulf in our photos section.
Your Chum,
Emily Muehlstein
Outreach Specialist
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council
Gag and red grouper re-runs
The Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council was presented with the results of the re-run’s of the gag and red grouper projections using the actual 2009 and 2010 landings data.
The gag projections were not rerun because the difference between the 2010 gag estimated and actual landings was less than one percent.
The actual red grouper landings were below Total Allowable Catch in 2009 and 2010, and in light of the re-run results the Scientific and Statistical Committee has recommended that the red grouper Acceptable Biological Catch be set at 7.93 million pounds. The council has initiated a regulatory amendment that will increase the red grouper Total Allowable Catch for 2011 through 2016. This will increase the Total Allowable Catch as follows:
Year Old Total Allowable Catch New Total Allowable Catch
2011 5.68 Mp 6.88 Mp
2012 5.90 Mp 7.07 Mp
2013 6.19 Mp 7.27 Mp
2014 6.38 Mp 7.41 Mp
2015 6.54 Mp 7.52 MP
2016 6.69 Mp 7.72 Mp
Gag and Red Grouper- Reef Fish Amendment 32
The Council has decided to postpone final action on amendment 32 until the August 2001 meeting in Austin, TX. The Council has decided to hold additional public hearings in Panama City, Tampa, and Fort Myers, Florida in hopes of gathering more input on the proposed actions in Amendment 32. Meeting date, location, and materials will be provided as soon as possible.
Red Snapper re-run
The results of the red snapper re-run projections that included the 2009 and 2010 actual landings data indicated that the Over Fishing Limit could be increased. The Scientific and Statistical Committee determined that the 2011 Total Allowable Catch could be increased by 345,000 pounds. Council has requested that NOAA Fisheries develop an emergency rule that would suspend the September 31st closure date and to assign the entire 345,000 lbs of increased total allowable catch of red snapper to the recreational sector for the 2011 season.
Council has decided to ask the SEDAR steering committee to conduct a benchmark red snapper stock assessment in 2012.
Red Snapper Fall Season
Council was presented with an options paper for an amendment that would revise the structure of the fall recreational snapper season. The three actions contained with in the options paper are:
1. Revise or eliminate the October through December fixed closed season. Currently, the recreational red snapper season must end by September, 30th. Pushing the possible closure date back will allow Council to have more red snapper season management options.
2. Provide for weekends only, or weekdays only fishing periods. This would provide Council more options for management in-season and during a supplemental season if the fishery is reopened after being prematurely closed.
3. Increase the 2012 red snapper Total Allowable Catch based on the 2011 red snapper re-run analyses.
Public hearings for this regulatory amendment will be held sometime after the August 2011 Council meeting.
Red Snapper IFQ Share Transfer
Reef Fish Amendment 26 established the commercial red snapper individual fishing quota system in January, 2007. The Amendment contained a provision that would allow any U.S. Citizen or permanent resident to obtain red snapper Individual Fishing Quota Shares after January 1, 2012. The Council voted to accept the codified regulations, and deemed them necessary and appropriate for submission to the Secretary of Commerce for implementation.
Generic Annual Catch Limits and Accountability Measures Amendment
The Council has decided to postpone final action on the Generic Annual Catch Limits and Accountability Measures Amendment until the August 2011 Council meeting in Austin, Texas.
Greater Amberjack
In April, 2011 Council was presented with the results of the latest greater amberjack update stock assessment. The assessment concluded that the greater amberjack stock continues to be overfished, although the end of 2011 marks the 10th and final year of the amberjack rebuilding plan. The National Standard 1 guidelines from the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act require that overfished stocks be managed under rebuilding plans that aim to rebuild stocks in 10 years or less. It is unlikely that the greater amberjack stock in the Gulf will be rebuilt by the end of 2011, so the Scientific and Statistical Committee adjusted the Acceptable Biological Catch Levels for greater amberjack for the 2011 through 2013 to adhere to the National Standards.
The Council reviewed an options paper that includes actions to modify the greater amberjack rebuilding plan; adjust recreational management measures including vessel limits, minimum size limits, and closed seasons; and adjust commercial management measures including trip limits and closed seasons. Staff will develop a public hearing draft for review at the August Council meeting, and public hearings should be scheduled for sometime before the Council meets in October 2011.
Earned Income and Crew size Amendment
The Council reviewed the options paper on the proposed amendment that considers two issues:
1. Temporary suspension, modification, or elimination of the earned income requirements necessary for commercial reef fish vessel permit renewal.
2. Increasing or eliminating the crew size requirement that limits the number of crew allowed on dually permitted vessels.
Staff has been directed to develop a public hearing draft of the amendment for future action by the Council.
Yellowedge Grouper benchmark Stock Assessment
The yellowedge grouper benchmark stock assessment concluded that the stock is not considered to be overfished, and overfishing is not occurring.
Tilefish benchmark Stock Assessment -
The Scientific and Statistical committee concluded that the benchmark stock assessment conducted for Tilefish did not capture the dynamics of the tilefish stock sufficiently to provide useful management advice. No action was taken by the Council.
Spiny Lobster (Amendment 10)-
The Gulf and South Atlantic Fishery Management Councils took final action on Amendment 10 to the Spiny Lobster Fishery Management Plan. Actions contained within the amendment include:
➢ Removal of some spiny lobster species from the fishery management plan
➢ Setting of biological and management reference points
➢ Using undersized lobster as lures
➢ Modifying tailing requirements
This amendment will be submitted to the Secretary of Commerce for approval and implementation
Mackerel- Amendment 18
The Council approved the public hearing draft for Amendment 18 to the Mackerel Fishery Management Plan. The Amendment contains actions to set Annual Catch Limits and Accountability Measures for Gulf group king mackerel, Gulf group Spanish mackerel, and Gulf group cobia. It also contains measures to remove cero, little tunny, dolphin, and bluefish from the fishery management plan; to revise the framework procedure; and to separate cobia into Atlantic and Gulf migratory groups.
Public hearings will be held across the Gulf Coast sometime before the August 2011 Council meeting.
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