National Marine Fisheries Service Southeast Office Administrator Dr. Roy Crabtree stated the preliminary Gulf Red Snapper season lengths based on alternatives for the 2015 recreational quota and adopted split between the private and for-hire sectors could be available by the next meeting in Biloxi in March. Photo: Ed Lallo/Newsroom Ink
by Gulf Council Staff and Ed Lallo/Gulf Seafood News Editor
The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council recently held their first meeting of the new year in Point Clear, Alabama, a town where in the 1800s wealthy families from Mobile and New Orleans tried to hide from yellow fever outbreaks by escaping to the daily breeze off Mobile Bay they deemed as “good air”. The “good air” from Mobile Bay continues to blow, but for Council members there was no hiding from tough fishery issues they face during the coming year.
As in the past, regional management for recreational red snapper and red snapper allocation was at the forefront of discussion. The Council heard an update on the Red Snapper Stock Assessment including information on the 2014 provisional red snapper catch estimates. It also received the overfishing limit and acceptable biological catch limit recommendations from its Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC).
Members of the Council asked staff to prepare a framework action to increase the red snapper annual catch limit based on revised acceptable biological catch using the 2014 provisional red snapper catch estimates. Photo: Facebook/Intimidator Fishing Charters
Members of the Council asked staff to prepare a framework action to increase the red snapper annual catch limit based on revised acceptable biological catch using the 2014 provisional red snapper catch estimates. The SSC must first review those estimates and determine whether to approve the revised catch recommendations. When completed the Council will then hold a special to review the SSC’s recommendations and take final action on a framework action to increase the annual catch accordingly.
“An updated positive stock assessment indicates that the red snapper allowable catch could be increased by as much as 2 million pounds,” said Louisiana Gulf Council member Harlon Pearce, GSI’s board president.” said Louisiana Gulf Council member Harlon Pearce, Gulf Seafood Institute’s (GSI) board president.
Pearce explained terms of the share of the recreational catch and the season lengths for both the recreational fishermen and the charter- for-hire sectors wouldn’t be made official until later this year.
National Marine Fisheries Service Southeast Office Administrator Dr. Roy Crabtree stated the preliminary season lengths based on alternatives for the 2015 recreational quota and adopted split between the private and for-hire sectors could be available by the next meeting in Biloxi in March.
According to Crabtree, the council’s current preferred alternative on splitting the recreational sector’s increased snapper quota of roughly one million pounds between the two recreational sectors would be private anglers receiving 60 percent, or an additional 600,000 pounds of fish, and charter for hire and additional 400,000 pounds.
“The Council is going to attempt to expedite the process so recreational fishermen and charter-for-hire captains will be able to fish the new quota beginning by the first of June,” said GSI executive director Margaret Henderson. “If something happens to delay the process there is the possibility that the season could be split.”
Red Snapper Allocation – Amendment 28
The Council reviewed a revised draft of Amendment 28, which considers reallocating a portion of the commercial quota to the recreational sector. Photo: Gulf Council
The Council reviewed a revised draft of Amendment 28, which considers reallocating a portion of the commercial quota to the recreational sector. After amending the purpose and need statement, the Council added two alternatives to Action One:
- Alternative 8 – The increase in allowable harvest (due to changes in recreational data) from the update assessment will be allocated to the recreational sector. The percentage increase for the recreational sector should be the amount attributable to recalibration of Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) catch estimates.
- Alternative 9 – The increase in allowable harvest (due to changes in recreational data) from the update assessment will be allocated to the recreational sector. The percentage increase for the recreational sector should be that amount attributable to recalibration of MRIP catch estimates and the change in size selectivity.
“The Council has received information that there was in increase in the recreational catch estimates,” explained Charlene Ponce, Public Information Officer for the Gulf Council.
“Two factors contributed to that increase. One is the recalibration of the Marine Recreational Information Program estimates. The recalibration was done to ensure the older catch estimates compiled under the Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistics Survey are comparable to the new MRIP estimates.
The second factor is a change in selectivity; meaning fishermen in recent years have been targeting larger, older fish.”
“Looking at the two new alternatives added to Amendment 28; Alternative 8 asks for an analysis of the portion of increased catch estimates due only to the MRIP recalibration, and alternative 9 asks that both factors are included in the analysis. For each of those scenarios, whatever the analysis shows the increase to be would be allocated to the recreational sector,” she said.
The Council will review Amendment 28 again during its next meeting and could take final action as early as June.
Regional Recreational Red SnapperManagement – Amendment 39
Discussion at the Council continued on Amendment 39, which examines dividing the recreational red snapper quota among regions to allow for the creation of different management measures that better suit each area.
Staff from the Mid-Atlantic Council provided an overview of summer flounder management, which the Council is interested in exploring as a model for red snapper regional management.
Recreational Charter and Headboat Red Snapper Management Measures
A proposed framework considering changing the management measures for the for-hire component of the recreational sector was tabled. The Council agreed to reconvene the Ad Hoc Red Snapper Charter For-Hire Advisory Panel to continue its discussions and initiated the development of an amendment that will consider management measures to improve flexibility and accountability in the charter for-hire component.
It also decided to create a new Ad Hoc Reef Fish Headboat Advisory Panel and initiated an amendment considering management options to improve accountability and flexibility in the headboat component.
Gulf Gag
A stock assessment conducted last year concluded that the Gulf Gag stock was neither overfished nor experiencing overfishing. Photo: Facebook/Intimidator Fishing Charters
A stock assessment conducted last year concluded that the Gulf Gag stock was neither overfished nor experiencing overfishing. The SSC initially recommended only a small increase in acceptable biological catch out of concern from a large red tide event that occurred over the summer may have had a negative impact on the stock. The committee received a presentation from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute that modeled the impact of this red tide event. It concluded that mortality of gag in 2014 due to red tide was no worse than in normal years.
Based on that information, the Gulf Council’s scientific committee revised its acceptable biological catch limit recommendations to include 5.21 million pounds in 2015, an increase of 67% over the current levels. Based on the revised recommendations, the Council asked staff to begin a framework amendment to increase the gag Annual Catch Limits and Annual Catch Targets and to look at season options.
Greater Amberjack
It was determined during the past summer that greater amberjack remains overfished, is experiencing overfishing, and did not meet the 10-year rebuilding plan that ended in 2012. Photo: Facebook/Intimidator Fishing Charters
The Council continued working on a draft framework action for greater amberjack to adjust the Annual Catch Limits, as well as consider adjusting commercial/recreational management measures, such as size limits and trip limits, to ensure that the stock is rebuilt and the mandates of the Magnuson-Stevens Act are met.
It was determined during the past summer that greater amberjack remains overfished, is experiencing overfishing, and did not meet the 10-year rebuilding plan that ended in 2012.
The National Standard 1 guidelines state that when a stock remains overfished at the end of its rebuilding plan, subsequent harvests should not exceed either the yield at a fishing mortality corresponding to the rebuilding plan, or at yield when fishing at 75% of the fishing mortality rate corresponding to maximum sustainable yield, whichever is less. The Council expects to take final action on the framework during its next meeting in Biloxi, Mississippi.
Coastal Migratory Pelagics/Mackerel
After receiving a report on the South Florida King Mackerel Gillnet Workshop, the Council agreed to begin working on a framework action to evaluate alternative gillnet trip limits, accountability measures, and the elimination of latent permits.
The Council also voted to scope and get public input on the CMP Amendments that include:
- Amendment 26, which addresses Gulf and Atlantic king mackerel annual catch limits, allocations, stock boundaries, and sale provisions, and;
- Amendment 28, which addresses splitting the Gulf and Atlantic king and Spanish mackerel commercial fishing permits.
The scoping workshops will be announced by the Council in the near future.
Data Collection
The Data Collection Committee met to discuss recommendations made by the Technical Subcommittee for Electronic Charter Boat Reporting and to hear a presentation on the NOAA Fisheries Electronic Monitoring/Electronic Reporting Implementation Plan. Afterwards the Committee asked staff to begin developing a plan amendment to require electronic logbooks for the charter for-hire vessels in the Gulf and South Atlantic, as well as the use of Vessel Monitoring Systems.
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