|
South Atlantic Fishery
Management Council - News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Kim Iverson
June 17, 2008 Public Information Officer
Toll Free 866/SAFMC-10 or 843/571-4366
kim.iverson@safmc.net
Council Approves Amendment 15B to End Sale of Bag-Limit Caught
Snapper Grouper Interim rule will be considered to close the red
snapper fishery, address overfishing for other species
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council gave
final approval to Amendment15B to the Snapper Grouper Fishery
Management Plan during its meeting in Orlando, Florida this past
week. The amendment includes a management measure that will require
a federal Snapper Grouper Commercial Permit in order to sell or
purchase any species in the snapper grouper management complex.
Currently, fishermen may sell fish caught under the bag-limit
without the federal permit if they have the proper state commercial
permits. The sale of bag limit species counts against current
federal commercial quotas. The Council initially delayed final
decision on Amendment 15B at its March meeting, citing the addition
of available economic data regarding bag-limit sales and concerns
from fishermen. The decision to move forward with approval of the
amendment came after reviewing public comment received on a
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) to address the
economic impacts of bag-limit sales, and public comment received at
last week’s meeting.
“It was never the Council’s intent for a fishery to
develop based on the sale of bag-limit caught snapper grouper
species,” stated Council Chairman George Geiger. “Allowing such
sales has created incentives for crew on charter and headboat
vessels to fish for species they and their customers may not
otherwise target, and to sell multiple bag limits. The sale of these
species is counted against existing quotas for the federally
permitted commercial fishery,” noted Chairman Geiger. “These
commercial quotas have been, and in some cases will continue to be,
reduced along with recreational catches as the Council moves to end
overfishing for species such as gag grouper and vermilion snapper.”
The Council noted that the federal permit requirement will simplify
regulations and enhance law enforcement efforts. Amendment 15B also
contains management measures to define allocations for snowy grouper
and red porgy, monitor and assess bycatch, modify permit renewal and
transferability requirements, and other actions. The amendment will
be submitted to the Secretary of Commerce for review later this
month.
In a separate move, the Council delayed final approval
of Amendment 16 to the Snapper Grouper FMP to address overfishing
for gag grouper and vermilion snapper. The delay came in order to
incorporate additional management measures recommended by the
Council’s Snapper Grouper Advisory Panel and supported during public
comment. The additional alternatives include provisions for a
commercial trip limit for both gag grouper and vermilion snapper, a
May 1 fishing year start date, additional options for spawning
season closures for both commercial and recreational fisheries, and
an alternative to allow separate provisions for seasonal closures in
the Florida Keys (south of the Miami-Dade/Monroe County line). In
addition, the Council removed a provision requiring the use of
circle hooks in the snapper grouper fishery. The new
alternatives will be included in the updated amendment and analyzed
before the Council’s September 15-19, 2008 meeting in Charleston,
South Carolina. The Council will review all alternatives and is
scheduled to approve Amendment 16 in September.
In order to expedite management measures to end
overfishing for gag grouper, vermilion snapper, and red snapper, as
required by the Magnuson-Stevens Reauthorization Act, the Council
has requested that NOAA Fisheries draft an interim rule to close the
harvest of red snapper by both commercial and recreational fishermen
and implement reductions in fishing mortality as specified in the
preferred alternatives outlined in Amendment 16 for gag grouper,
vermilion snapper, black grouper, and red grouper. A recent stock
assessment for red snapper was reviewed by the Council’s Scientific
and Statistical Committee, and the SSC concurred that overfishing is
occurring at a very high rate and the biomass is at a “critically”
low level.
Public comments received by both recreational and
commercial fishermen provided consistent reports of an abundance of
red snapper and catches of larger fish, especially off the coasts of
northern Florida and Georgia. Dr. Luiz Barbieri, Vice Chairman of
the SSC, acknowledged the public comments during the SSC’s report to
the Council and said the incidence of more and larger fish may be
attributed to two strong year classes of red snapper that occurred
in the mid-1990s. However, he explained that there is little
evidence to show “that there is anything following these strong year
classes”, and the SSC was confident in the stock assessment results
for red snapper.
An interim rule can only be used to address species
undergoing overfishing. Black grouper and red grouper are also
experiencing overfishing and are included in the interim rule
because the species are similarly targeted with gag grouper. The
draft language for the interim rule will be reviewed by the Council
during its September meeting, and if approved, the interim rule will
put management measures in place by January 2009. Under an interim
rule, the measures will be effective for 180 days and may be renewed
for an additional 186 days if necessary. The Council will include
permanent measures in Amendment 16 to be finalized at the September
2008 meeting. Management measures in Amendment 16 will be
implemented later in 2009. Meanwhile, the Council will continue to
develop Amendment 17 to address Annual Catch Limits by 2010 for the
10 snapper grouper species undergoing overfishing. The ACLs apply to
both commercial and recreational fisheries and include
Accountability Measures (AMs) for ensuring that the catch limits are
not exceeded. Public hearings for Amendment 17 are currently
scheduled to take place in early 2009.
The next meeting of the Council is scheduled for
September 15-19, 2008 in Charleston, South Carolina. For additional
information regarding Council meetings, including briefing book
materials, committee reports, and summary motions from the June 2008
meeting, visit
www.safmc.net or contact the Council office.
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, one of
eight regional councils, conserves and manages fish stocks from
three to 200 miles offshore of North Carolina, South Carolina,
Georgia and east Florida.
|
