Transcript Summary of Effects - South Atlantic Fishery Management Council

Snapper Grouper Amendment 35
(Removal of Species & Golden Tilefish
Endorsements)
Prepared by Myra Brouwer
January 2015
Why is an amendment needed?
The Council is considering removing black
snapper, dog snapper, mahogany snapper, and
schoolmaster from the Fishery Management
Plan (FMP) because:
– Landings (commercial and recreational) are very
low in both state and federal waters
– Regulations for these species are inconsistent
across jurisdictional boundaries making
enforcement difficult
Why is an amendment needed?
• Amendment 18B established a longline
endorsement program for the commercial golden
tilefish fishery in 2013.
• In August 2014, the Council got word that some
longline endorsement holders were legally fishing
on the hook-and-line quota by transferring the
endorsement to another vessel or waiting to
renew their endorsement.
• The Council’s original intent was for longliners to
NOT be allowed to fish on the hook-and-line
quota once the longline ACL was met.
Timing for Amendment 35
January 2014 – Council initiated development of Amendment 35

August 2014 – Council conducted scoping hearings

December 2014 – Council approved for public hearings

January 2015 – Council conducts public hearings in FL and SC

March 2015 – Council reviews public comment and approves all actions

June 2015 – Council approves for formal review
Regulations effective in late 2015
Purpose Statement
The purpose of Amendment 35 is to ensure that:
• only snapper grouper species that require federal
management are included in the Snapper
Grouper FMP,
• regulations for snapper grouper species in south
Florida are as consistent as possible across state
and federal jurisdictional boundaries,
• regulations implemented to govern the use of
golden tilefish longline endorsements are aligned
with the South Atlantic Council’s intent for
establishing the endorsement program.
Action 1. Remove species from the
Snapper Grouper FMU
Schoolmaster
Dog snapper
Alternative 1. No Action. Retain the four species in the Snapper
Grouper FMU.
Preferred Alternative 2. Remove black snapper (Apsilus dentatus)
from the Snapper Grouper FMU.
Preferred Alternative 3. Remove dog snapper (Lutjanus jocu) from the
Snapper Grouper FMU.
Preferred Alternative 4. Remove mahogany snapper (Lutjanus
mahogoni) from the Snapper Grouper FMU.
Preferred Alternative 5. Remove schoolmaster (Lutjanus apodus)
from the Snapper Grouper FMU.
*Note this species is currently an ecosystem component species.
Black Snapper
Commercial and recreational landings
•
•
•
•
1986 – 1990 = 0 pounds whole weight (lbs ww)
1991, 1992 = less than 500 lbs ww
1993, 1994 = less than 5,000 lbs ww
1995 – 2013 = less than 600 lbs ww (with some
years 0 lbs ww)
• Total commercial landings in federal waters 20042013 = just over 900 lbs ww
• No landings of black snapper in GA through NC
from 1986 through 2013.
Dog Snapper
Commercial and recreational landings
• 1986 – 2013 = less than 8,000 lbs ww
– 2007 = 25,000 lbs ww
• GA through NC, 1986 - 2005 = 0 lbs ww
– 2000 = less than 6,000 lbs ww
• GA through NC, 2006 - 2013 = less than 400
lbs ww
Mahogany Snapper
Commercial and recreational landings
• 1986 – 2013 = less than
600 lbs ww
– 1999, 2007 = less than
4,000 lbs ww
• GA through NC, 1986 –
2013 = 0 lbs ww
– 2010 = less than 500 lbs
ww
Schoolmaster
Commercial and recreational landings
• Designated Ecosystem
Component Species in
2012 through Comp ACL
Amendment
• 1986 - 2013 = less than
15,000 lbs ww
• GA through NC, 1986 –
2013 = 0 lbs ww
– 1995 = less than 500 lbs
ww
Summary of Effects
• Council removed 13 species from the FMU in
2012
• Long term biological effects of removing species
could be negative if they are in need of federal
management and the Council is unable to
establish harvest controls in a timely manner.
• Positive biological effects would result if Florida
establishes consistent regulations in state and
federal waters of the South Atlantic and Gulf of
Mexico.
Summary of Effects
• Net economic benefits are expected from
removing species from the Snapper Grouper
FMU – more efficient management at the
state level, consistent regulations.
• However, because the removal of species from
the Snapper Grouper FMU does not directly
affect participants in the snapper grouper
fishery, these net economic benefits would be
indirect.
Summary of Effects
• Changing a multi-species ACL may have some negative
effects on commercial fishermen and recreational
fishing opportunities if access to other species in the
complex becomes limited due to a lower ACL.
• However, the species proposed for removal comprise a
very small portion of the Complex ACL:
– Black snapper – 382 lbs ww of the Deepwater Complex
ACL (170,278 lbs ww as proposed in Am 29 and Am 32)
– Snappers Complex ACL = 1,517,716 lbs ww
– Snapper Complex ACL without dog and mahogany
snappers = 1,513,883 lbs ww
Action 2. Clarify regulations for the golden
tilefish longline endorsement to reflect the
South Atlantic Council’s intent regarding
which gear-specific quota endorsement
holders may fish under
Alternative 1 (No Action). Vessels with golden
tilefish longline endorsements are not eligible to
fish for golden tilefish using hook-and-line gear
under the 500-pound gutted weight golden tilefish
hook-and-line trip limit (50 CFR 622.191(2)(ii)).
Alternative 2. Revise the golden tilefish longline
endorsement regulations to indicate that vessels
that have valid or renewable golden tilefish longline
endorsements are not eligible to fish for golden
tilefish using hook-and-line gear under the 500pound gutted weight golden tilefish hook-and-line
trip limit.
Action 2. Continued.
Preferred Alternative 3. Revise the golden
tilefish longline endorsement regulation to
indicate that vessels that have valid or
renewable golden tilefish longline endorsements
anytime during the golden tilefish fishing year
are not eligible to fish for golden tilefish using
hook-and-line gear under the 500-pound gutted
weight golden tilefish hook-and-line trip limit.
Summary of Effects
No biological impacts, beneficial or adverse, are
expected as a result of any of the alternatives
under consideration. This action would not
significantly modify the way in which the
snapper grouper fishery is prosecuted in terms
of gear types used or area fished.
Summary of Effects
• Fishermen who participated in both the longline and
hook-and-line components of the fishery would
potentially experience direct negative economic
effects based on foregone losses from no longer
being able to do so.
• As both the longline portion of the commercial ACL
and the hook-and-line portion of the ACL are caught
each year prior to the end of the fishing year, there is
not expected to be any overall economic loss, just a
shifting of who is eligible to participate in the fishery.
Summary of Effects
• For hook-and-line fishermen, Alternative 1 (No
Action) would be the least beneficial because the
longline fishermen could continue to access the
hook-and-line quota after the longline quota was
caught. This could result in fairness concerns.
• Alternative 2 and Preferred Alternative 3 would
be more beneficial to the participants in the
hook-and-line component by reducing the
number of snapper grouper permit holders who
can access the hook-and-line quota.
What Next?
Email your comments: [email protected] (Subject:
Amendment 35 comments)
Send written comments:
Bob Mahood, Executive Director
South Atlantic Fishery Management Council
4055 Faber Place Drive; Suite 201
Charleston, SC 29405
Written comments must be received by 5 P.M. on
February 4, 2015
Public hearings will
be held from 4 P.M.
to 7 P.M. (except
5:30 P.M. in Key
West)
January 13, 2015
Marriott Key West Beachside
3841 North Roosevelt
Boulevard
Key West, Florida 33040
Phone: 305-296-8100
January 21, 2015
Hilton Cocoa Beach Oceanfront
1550 North Atlantic Avenue
Cocoa Beach, FL 32931
Phone: 321-799-0003
January 27, 2015
Kimbel Lodge at Hobcaw
Barony
22 Hobcaw Road
Georgetown, SC 29442
Phone: 843-904-9024