Ahoy,
The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council is scheduled to meet in New Orleans from October 24th through October 28th. The following is an overview of some of the things they will be addressing that you might be interested in.
*** to access the documents that are mentioned for each topic follow this link:
http://www.gulfcouncil.org/about/ftp.phpGo the the ftp site - Click briefing books Click briefing book 2011-10 then find the tab that youre looking for. (I know its a bit confusing, but worthwhile if youre interested in finding the Council documents.)
I encourage you to submit any comment you may have to gulfcouncil@gulfcouncil.org as soon as possible.
If you have the chance to attend the meeting I suggest you show up on Wednesday evening to join the roundtable discussion with the Regional Administrator of NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office (Dr. Roy Crabtree himself). The public comment period will be held Thursday afternoon for those of you who what to address the Gulf Council directly.
If you have any questions please contact me directly at Emily.muehlstein@gulfcouncil.org
Your Chum,
Emily
The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council
P.S. you dont have to like us to like us on Facebook
Grouper
Allocation
The Council has set aside time during its October meeting to begin discussion on setting permanent allocations for both gag and red grouper. Allocation is the division of the Total Allowable Catch for each fish stock between the commercial and recreational fishing sectors. In Amendment 30B the Council set temporary allocations that allow each sector a percentage of the Total Annual Catch for gag and red grouper. Currently, red grouper is allocated 76% commercial and 24% recreational; gag is allocated 39% commercial and 61% recreational.
Amberjack
The latest stock assessment update concluded that the greater amberjack stock continues to be overfished, although the end of 2012 marks the 10th and final year of the amberjack rebuilding plan. National law (Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act) requires overfished stocks be managed under rebuilding plans that will rebuild stocks in 10 years or less. It is unlikely that the greater amberjack stock in the Gulf will meet the 2011 rebuilding deadline, so the Councils scientific advisors (the Scientific and Statistical Committee) adjusted the Acceptable Biological Catch for greater amberjack for 2012-2014. These adjustments require a reduction in annual harvest levels, so the Council must consider actions that will modify commercial and recreational amberjack harvest consistent with the Ten National Standards.
The Actions Contained within this amendment include options to:
Adjust recreational vessel limits, minimum size limits, proportional bag limits, and closed seasons
Adjust commercial trip limits and closed seasons
The Council is scheduled to choose preferred alternatives during this next meeting, and public hearings should be scheduled before the February 2012 Council meeting. The draft document with all the actions and alternatives can be found under Tab B-12.
Red Snapper
Fall Season Options and 2012 Total Allowable Catch
Council will be presented with an options paper that provides more red snapper season management options, and options that may increase the 2012 Total Allowable Catch. The first action in the amendment considers a change to the recreational red snapper season end from the current September 30th closure (the season has closed before the September 30th season end for the past 3 years because NOAA Fisheries Service must close the recreational season when the quota is met or projected to be met). The amendment also considers the use of weekend or weekday only season scenarios instead of a continuous season. And finally, the amendment considers an increase to the 2012 Total Allowable Catch.
The Council will likely select preferred alternatives for each action during this next meeting. Now is a good time to read over the proposed actions and alternatives and send your thoughts to Council. The document can be found under tab B-13.
Stay Tuned: Public hearings on this amendment will be held across the Gulf before Council takes final action.
Payback Provisions for Annual Catch Limit Overages
Currently, if the Total Allowable Catch is exceeded then the following years Total Allowable Catch cannot be increased as scheduled. In this situation, if one sector (commercial or recreational) exceeds their annual quota and causes the Total Allowable Catch to be exceeded, then both sectors experience the consequences when there is not increase in the following year. The Council is considering adding an accountability measure that would require payback in the following fishing season if a sector exceeds its annual catch limit. Therefore, if only one sector exceeds its quota then the other sector would not be held responsible for that overage.
During this meeting the Council will simply be discussing the issue, so it is the perfect time to get involved and voice your thoughts before momentum gathers in any direction. The discussion document can be found under tab B-14.
Restrict Individual Fishing Quota Transfer
When the red snapper Individual Fishing Quota Program was established it included a provision that would allow any U.S. citizen or permanent resident alien to buy and sell shares beginning in 2012. The Council will discuss a possible amendment that will restrict the transfer of red snapper Individual Fishing Quota shares to individuals that hold valid commercial reef fish permits. Because the Council is just starting to address this issue it is a good time to submit your comments. The discussion document can be found under tab B-15.
Five-Year Individual Fishing Quota Review
The commercial Individual Fishing Quota program was implemented in 2007. Recently an advisory panel was convened to conduct a five-year review of that program. The Council will begin discussing the development of an amendment that will address changes to the program that were recommended by the review panel. The discussion document can be found under tab B-17.
Spiny Lobster
Amendment 11
The Gulf Council must ensure (under the Endangered Species Act) that fishing activities in the Gulf do not harm threatened or endangered species. Analysis determined that sea turtles, smalltooth sawfish, and elkhorn and staghorn corals were all put at risk by spiny lobster fishing activities. To minimize impacts the spiny lobster fishery has on these endangered species the Council is drafting an amendment that considers:
using trap line marking requirements to reduce species interactions with gear.
creating closed areas to reduce the destruction of corals.
The actions in this amendment were originally in part of Amendment 10 completed in June, but were removed because the public asked for more opportunity to work with managers to identify effective closed areas and reasonable gear marking options. During its October meeting the Council will review the alternatives that were developed during stakeholder meetings. The document can be found under tab F-4.
Crew Size and Income
Staff will present the council with a public hearing draft of an amendment that considers
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.
This draft amendment has already been through the scoping process where the public helped Council identify issues, potential impacts, and reasonable alternatives to the issues at hand. During this meeting the Council will review this public hearing draft, select preferred alternatives for each action, and schedule public hearings.
Sector Separation
The Council is scheduled to discuss issues relative to a possible management scenario that would separate the recreational sector into sub-sectors. The Council will look at identifying possible sub-sectors (private, charter, headboat, for-hire) and methodologies for allocation.
Private Recreational Data Collection Advisory Panel
The Council is still seeking applicants for an Ad Hoc Private recreational Data Collection Advisory Panel that will provide guidance to the Council regarding the collection of private recreational fishing data. If youre interested in serving on this panel send a resume and letter to: Phyllis.Miranda@gulfcouncil.org no later than October 17, 2011. The Council will select members for that advisory panel during its October meeting.
