Regional management of the Gulf red snapper fishery continued to be a hot topic during the last Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council of 2015 held at the Hilton Galveston Island hotel. Photo: Cowboy Charters/Freeport,TX
by Gulf Council and Ed Lallo/Gulf Seafood News Editor
Regional management of the Gulf red snapper fishery continued to be a hot topic during the last Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council of 2015 held at the Hilton Galveston Island hotel. While the council also addressed important fishery issues concerning gag, black grouper, and shrimp, Gulf red snapper remained the biggest issue to dominate the Council’s time.
“The topic of the day was definitely the controversial red snapper regional management plan,” said Captain Shane Cantrell, Executive Director of the Charter Fisherman’s Association. “The federally permitted charter fleet continues to make it known to the Gulf Council that they do not want to be included in Amendment 39.” Photo: Ed Lallo/Newsroom Ink
The Council continued discussions on Reef Fish Amendment 39 which would divide the recreational red snapper quota among regions to allow for the creation of different management measures better suited for each area. If enacted, the Council has selected to sunset the action five years after implementation. Currently, the Council has selected a preferred alternative that would sunset the action five years after implementation.
Charter boats across the Gulf of Mexico carry nearly 1.5 million recreational anglers from across the country and around the world on yearly fishing trips. Under the current federal management system, the Gulf federally-permitted charter fleet has a guaranteed allocation of red snapper for customers. Regional management would allow each Gulf state to manage red snapper in predetermined zones corresponding to each state’s land boundaries. Each state would have its own allocation of red snapper, as well as the ability to set fishing season lengths and daily bag limits. Under the current federal management system the federally permitted for-hire fleet and the private angling component have separate red sanpper allocations. Amendment 39 also considers whether to extend or end this separate management of the private angling and federally permitted for-hire components.
“The topic of the day was definitely the controversial red snapper regional management plan,” said Captain Shane Cantrell, Executive Director of the Charter Fisherman’s Association. “The federally permitted charter fleet continues to make it known to the Gulf Council that they do not want to be included in Amendment 39. This was demonstrated again in Galveston during several hours of public comment requesting that the federally permitted charter fleet and private anglers have the opportunity to develop independent management that suits their respective needs.”
On the second day of meetings, Robin Riechers the Director of Coastal Fisheries for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, stated during hearings that Texas federally permitted charter-for-hire captains were in favor of being included in the snapper regional management plan. The following day more than 50 Texas charter operators, a majority of the state’s industry, descended upon the Council voicing their strong opposition to being included stating that Riechers misspoke about their support for the plan.
“It’s very discouraging and baffling to continually see fishermen make the case for their businesses and opportunity to make a living just to have it stifled by a group of state employees with a special interest agenda,” said Captain Mike Jennings owner Cowboy Charters in Freeport, TX. Photo: Cowboy Charters/Freeport,TX
“It’s very discouraging and baffling to continually see fishermen make the case for their businesses and opportunity to make a living just to have it stifled by a group of state employees with a special interest agenda,” said Captain Mike Jennings owner Cowboy Charters in Freeport, TX.
According to Captain Mike Colby, a federally permitted charter-for-hire operator in Clearwater, Florida and a member of the Gulf Seafood Institute, the Council seemed to “go round and round in circles with nothing getting done”.
“Regional management of red snapper should give all federally permitted charter boat captains chills up their spine,” said Colby. “With regional management each Gulf State has no obligation to provide any allocation for the federally permitted charter customers. In addition, can Gulf States guarantees that they will not overfish the allocation? How will a state control fishermen from other states choosing to fish in their waters? Who will be in charge of program oversight and managing the increased law enforcement needs?”
Colby explained that the Council discussion was frustrating. “They seemed reticent or unable to arrive at a preferred alternative, in light of overwhelming testimony to accept Action 2, Alternative 2 on Amendment 39,” he said. Photo: Ed Lallo/Newsroom Ink
Colby explained that the Council discussion was frustrating. “They seemed reticent or unable to arrive at a preferred alternative, in light of overwhelming testimony to accept Action 2, Alternative 2 on Amendment 39,” he said.
Action 2, Alternative 2 would extend the separate management of federal for-hireand private angling components of the recreational sector. Amendment 39 would apply to the private angling component only, and the private angling component would be managed by each region under regional annual catch limits based on the allocation selected in Action 6. The Council has not yet chosen a preferred alternative.
The Council is currently conducting another round of public hearings throughout the Gulf. Final action is expected during the January, 2016 Council meeting.
The Council seemed to ignore a call by the Gulf’s federally permitted fleet to be excluded from regional management. According to Cantrell, captains want to continue the current independent management under proposed Reef Fish Amendments 41 and 42, which would establish management plans for charter and head boats. The Council has started a two-week scoping process across the Gulf for Amendments 41 and 42.
Gag and Black Grouper
The Council took final action on a framework action considering changing the gag season and recreational minimum size limit, and the black grouper recreational minimum size limit.
If approved by the Secretary of Commerce, the minimum recreational size limit for gag and black grouper will increase to 24 inches total length, the opening date of the recreational gag season will change to June 1 to coincide with the opening of the red snapper season, and the December 3-31 fixed closed season for gag will be removed. The goal is to have the recreational gag season to remain open through the end of the year, or until the recreational annual catch limit projection is reached.
The Council also asked staff to begin a framework action that looks to increase the commercial minimum size limit for gag to 24 inches total length in order to be consistent with the proposed recreational minimum size limit. The commercial size limit for black grouper is already 24 inches total length.
Coastal Migratory Pelagics (Mackerel)
The Council reviewed two draft amendments to make changes to king and Spanish mackerel management.
Amendment 26 proposes modifications to allocations, stock boundaries, and sale provisions of king mackerel. The Council selected preferred alternatives establishing a single year-round boundary for separating the Gulf and Atlantic migratory groups of king mackerel at the Miami-Dade/Monroe county line, increase the bag limit to four fish per person per day, and set the Gulf migratory group king mackerel annual catch limit equal to the acceptable biological catch recommended by the Gulf Scientific and Statistical Committee for 2015-2019.
The Council also added an alternative under Action 9 that would transfer 15% of the stock annual catch limit to the commercial sector. The document will go out for public hearings early next year, and a Coastal Migratory Pelagics Advisory Panel will meet November 30, 2015.
The Council decided to discontinue work on Coastal Migratory Pelagics Amendment 28, which considers separating permits for Gulf and Atlantic king and Spanish mackerel.
Shrimp
The Council reviewed a public hearing draft of Amendment 17A addressing the October 2016 expiration of the shrimp permit moratorium and maintaining the royal red shrimp endorsement. Photo: Ed Lallo/Newsroom Ink
The Council reviewed a public hearing draft of Amendment 17A addressing the October 2016 expiration of the shrimp permit moratorium and maintaining the royal red shrimp endorsement. Public hearings on the amendment are to be scheduled in early January.
Shrimp Amendment 17B was also discussed. This amendment considers shrimp permit issues such as setting a minimum threshold number of Gulf shrimp vessel permits and whether to create a Gulf shrimp vessel permit reserve pool, specification of optimum yield, and issues about transiting in federal waters. The Council will convene a working group to estimate the aggregate maximum sustainable yield and optimum yield for all shrimp species.
Data Collection
The Council reviewed a public hearing draft of a joint amendment between the Gulf and South Atlantic Councils, that considers modifying the frequency and method of reporting for charter and headboats fishing for reef fish and coastal migratory pelagics in the Gulf of Mexico, and snapper, grouper, dolphin, wahoo, and coastal migratory pelagics in the South Atlantic. It voted to split the Joint Amendment into two separate amendments – a South Atlantic amendment and a Gulf of Mexico amendment.
Staff is set to solicit input from affected parties through a direct mail out of an amendment guide and hold a webinar to collect public comments. The Council will review public comments and consider taking final action during its January, 2016 meeting.
Other Reef Fish
The Council reviewed a public hearing draft of a joint amendment between the Gulf and South Atlantic Councils, that considers modifying the frequency and method of reporting for charter and headboats fishing for reef fish and coastal migratory pelagics in the Gulf of Mexico, and snapper, grouper, dolphin, wahoo, and coastal migratory pelagics in the South Atlantic. Photo: Ed Lallo/Newsroom Ink
The Council reviewed a framework action that considers setting an annual catch limit, bag limit, and commercial trip limit for mutton snapper. Staff will continue to develop the document and gather public input.
The West Florida hogfish stock, which is in the Gulf Council’s jurisdiction, is not overfished or experiencing overfishing. The stock associated with the Florida keys, which falls in both Gulf and South Atlantic Management areas, is both overfished and experiencing overfishing. The Council reviewed an options paper that considers defining a boundary for the management unit for hogfish between the two Councils and assigning a catch limit to the Gulf Council managed stock. During this meeting, the Council added an action that considers increasing the minimum size limit for hogfish for both the commercial and recreational sectors.
A vote to explore working with a consortium of scientists to assist with stock assessments as a way to enhance the SEDAR process also occurred during the October meeting. It requested:
- Analysis of a 1 fish bag limit for gray triggerfish;
- Analysis of both a 15” and 16” fork length size limit on gray triggerfish;
- A status update on Reef Fish Amendments 33 (reef fish IFQ) and 36 (red snapper IFQ modifications);
- Begin a framework action to consider reducing the 20% buffer between the red snapper recreational ACL and ACT.
Add an alternative to the Yellowtail Snapper Framework Action to remove the circle hook requirement when fishing for yellowtail snapper south of Cape Sable.
South Florida Management
The Gulf Council, South Atlantic Council, and State of Florida are currently working on a fisheries management plan to streamline regulations in South Florida, particularly off the Florida Keys. The Council reviewed an options paper that considers modifying the management structure and some management measures for yellowtail snapper, mutton snapper, black grouper, and shallow-water grouper, to make fishing regulations less complicated for commercial and recreational fishermen in the area.
During the Galveston meeting the Council voted to begin a separate amendment that would address management issues with yellowtail snapper. The amendment would address consolidating the acceptable biological catch/annual catch limit and yellowtail snapper accountability measures, as well as the commercial fishing year start date and recreation/commercial allocations in both Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic jurisdictions.
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